This covers the full step-by-step process for importing a file of records into a Zoho CRM module. Before you begin, it's worth checking the file against our Import Checklist and Limits for Zoho CRM.

Steps to import data to a module

1. Open the module. Click the relevant module tab, such as Leads, Contacts, or Accounts.
2. Start the import. On the module's home page, open the Create dropdown and select Import Records.
3. Upload the file. Click Browse, or drag and drop the file, in the From File section. Character encoding is detected automatically, though you can change it from the drop-down if needed, then click Next.
4. Choose a layout. Select which layout the records should be imported into. If no custom layout has been created, records go to the standard layout and this option won't appear.
5. Choose how to handle matches. Select Add as New Records to bring in every row as a new record, Update Existing Records Only to change only records that already match, or Both to do a mix of the two. For any option involving matching, select Record ID, Email, or Record Name as the field used to identify existing records, which also lets you skip rows that match records already in Zoho CRM.
6. Click Next.
7. Map your fields. Match columns in your file to fields in Zoho CRM. Formats are suggested automatically based on the data in your first few columns, and can be edited if needed.

Options available while mapping

• Create New Fields. Add a custom field on the fly if your CRM doesn't already have one you need.
• Mapped and Unmapped views. Check which columns are mapped and which still need attention.
• Reset Field Mapping. Clear everything mapped so far and start over.
• Apply Auto Mapping. Let Zoho CRM automatically match your file's columns to CRM fields with the same or similar names.
• Replace Empty Values. Hover over a field and enter a fallback value to use whenever that field is blank in a row, useful for mandatory fields that might otherwise cause a record to be skipped.
• Map one file column to multiple CRM fields. Hover over a field and click the plus icon to add another CRM field mapped from the same source column, for example if Billing Address and Shipping Address should both take the same value.
• Assign Default Values. Choose a CRM field and a default value that should be applied to every imported record, for example setting a Lead Owner or Tag for the whole batch.

9. Click Next.
10. Set an assignment rule if needed. Tick Assign Owner Based on Assignment Rules and choose an existing rule, or click Create Assignment Rules to build a new one.
11. Decide whether to trigger automations. Tick Trigger Configured Automations and Processes for New and Updated Records if you want related workflows to fire for imported records.
12. Assign a follow-up task if needed. Select an existing task from the Assign Follow-Up Tasks drop-down, or click Create Workflow Task to set one up.
13. Enable manual approval if needed. Tick Enable Manual Lead Approval if imported records should be reviewed and approved by an admin before being assigned to users. This option is available for both standard and custom modules.
14. Finish. Click Finish to start the import.

Points to keep in mind

• Only choose the Module ID as your matching field when re-importing records that were originally exported from Zoho CRM, since it's a system-generated field unique to your account. Using it in any other situation risks creating duplicate records.
• Matching on a unique field isn't case sensitive. "ABC" in your file will still match "abc" in an existing record.
• Once an import has started, it cannot be cancelled.
• If you select a workflow task during import, that task's own Notify Assignee option won't apply.
• Default field values can't be set for Description, Call Duration, Auto Number, unique fields, formula fields, or multi-select lookup fields.
• Assigning a default value to a field that's already mapped will overwrite that existing mapping.
• The option to trigger automation and process management only appears if your file has fewer than 10,000 rows. If you don't see it, your file has more than that.
• Automations triggered by an import may take some time to finish running even after the import itself completes.