CSV import

Bring leads into SocialScalr from CSV in under 2 minutes. The 4-step wizard handles column mapping, deduplication, custom field creation, and error reporting. Supports any CSV that includes a LinkedIn URL column.

By Mark Gabrielli · Last updated May 24, 2026

The required column

Every imported row needs a LinkedIn URL. Acceptable column header names (auto-detected):

• linkedin_url
• LinkedIn URL
• linkedin
• profile_url
• linkedin_profile
• li_url

Other column headers can be mapped manually in step 2 of the wizard.

The 4-step wizard

Step 1: Upload

1. Open Contacts tab → Import CSV.
2. Drag-and-drop your CSV or click to browse.
3. SocialScalr parses the file and shows the first 5 rows.

Step 2: Column mapping

Auto-detection handles the common cases. For any column SocialScalr doesn't recognize, you pick from the dropdown:

• Standard fields: First name, Last name, Full name, Company, Title, Email, Location, LinkedIn URL, Tags.
• Create custom field: type a name and SocialScalr creates it. Used for "Industry", "Annual revenue", "ICP segment", etc.
• Skip this column: don't import.

Step 3: Deduplication preview

SocialScalr checks your existing workspace for LinkedIn URL collisions (and optionally email collisions). The preview shows:

• New leads: will be created.
• Duplicates (in CSV): rows that appear multiple times within the same file. We import the first occurrence.
• Existing matches: already in your workspace. Choose: Skip, Update existing (merges new field values into existing record), or Import as new (creates duplicate; not recommended).

Step 4: Destination

Pick where to put the imported leads:

• Add to existing campaign: leads start at the campaign's initial stage and enter the sequence.
• Add to Pipeline only (no campaign): imports as "New" stage with no automated outreach.
• Create new campaign: SocialScalr creates a new campaign with these leads as the source.

For 90% of imports, you want "Add to Pipeline only" first - this lets you review the imported leads before triggering any outbound.

Common source CSVs and how to map them

Apollo CSV export

Apollo exports include LinkedIn URL by default. Map: First Name → first_name, Last Name → last_name, Title → title, Company Name → company, Email → email, LinkedIn URL → linkedin_url. Optional: Industry → custom field "Industry"; Annual Revenue → custom field "Revenue".

Clay CSV export

Clay's column naming is configurable. Standard mapping: LinkedIn profile URL → linkedin_url, First Name → first_name, Last Name → last_name, Job Title → title, Company → company. Clay exports often include enriched fields (Twitter handle, GitHub, personal site) - map these as custom fields.

HubSpot contact export

HubSpot exports a custom "linkedinbio" field if you've enabled the LinkedIn integration. Map: linkedinbio → linkedin_url, First Name → first_name, Last Name → last_name, Job Title → title, Company → company, Lifecycle Stage → custom field "HubSpot lifecycle".

Sales Navigator export

Sales Nav doesn't export profiles via CSV directly - use the SocialScalr Sales Nav URL builder + paste URL as a campaign targeting source instead. SocialScalr scrapes the search results into leads automatically.

Error handling

Step 3 preview surfaces problems before import:

• Malformed LinkedIn URL: rows skipped with reason logged.
• Missing required column: import blocked; you must map LinkedIn URL.
• File over size limit: import blocked; split and retry.
• Non-UTF8 encoding: we auto-convert from Latin-1 and Windows-1252. Other encodings: convert manually first.

After import, the Import history page (Settings → Import history) shows every batch with row count, errors, and a "rollback this import" button (rolls back within 24 hours of import).

Plan limits

• Free: 100 rows per import; 5 imports per month.
• Starter: 1,000 rows; 50 imports per month.
• Pro: 50,000 rows; unlimited imports.
• Agency: 50,000 rows per import; unlimited imports.

Larger imports than the per-file limit: split the CSV and run multiple imports. The dedupe step will catch any overlap.

Related

• Data export - the reverse direction.
• Campaign setup - using imported leads in an outreach campaign.
• Sales Nav URL builder - skip CSV entirely for Sales Nav sources.