Before importing data into Zoho CRM, it's worth working through this checklist to avoid records being skipped, rejected, or imported with the wrong values.

Before you start

1. Permission. Make sure you have Import access. Without it, the Import link simply won't appear in your interface.
2. File format. Supported formats are Excel (XLS, XLSX), Comma Separated Value (CSV), and Business Card or vCard format (VCF). Keep file attachments separate from the data itself, and be aware that XLS or XLSX files containing special controls, such as combo filters or embedded images, can cause unexpected errors.
3. Characters not allowed. Data in the import file should never contain content wrapped in <script> tags.
4. Record-to-record lookups. If you want imported data linked to existing records, your file needs a column carrying either the lookup record's name or its record ID. For example, if Account Name is a lookup field on Contacts and you want imported contacts linked to existing accounts, your file needs an Account Name column containing either the account's name as it appears in the Accounts module, or its record ID. The same applies to user lookup fields. Leaving this out means the lookup value is left null and no association is made unless you set it manually afterwards.
5. Mandatory fields. Every required field needs a value in every row, and you can't proceed past the mapping step without mapping them.
6. Checkbox data. Values destined for Boolean or checkbox fields need to convert cleanly: a selected checkbox becomes True or 1, an unselected one becomes False or 0.
7. Drop-down lists. Every value you're importing into a picklist field must already exist in that field in Zoho CRM. If it doesn't, either update the source file to match existing values, or have an admin add the new value first. You can still import the data if a value is missing, but once imported you won't be able to revert it back to the old value, since it won't be available in the list.
8. Field names. The first row of your file should contain column headings, not actual data, since these headings are what you'll use to map fields.
9. Blank rows. More than 10 blank rows in a row can be read as the end of the file, and anything after them will be ignored, so avoid leaving gaps between rows of data.
10. External field. Any field in your CSV file can be mapped to an external field in the CRM module, though the value of an external ID field can only be updated through the API.

File size limits

Row limits by edition

If your file is in XLS, XLSX, or VCF format, you can import a maximum of 5,000 records per batch on any edition. To import more than that in one go, your file needs to be in CSV format, and the maximum you can import then depends on your subscription: Standard allows 10,000 rows, Professional 20,000, Enterprise 30,000, and Ultimate 50,000. If your records exceed the relevant limit, split them across two or more files.

Zoho-defined mandatory fields by module

These fields must be mapped for a successful import into each module. Other fields may also be mandatory in your account, but these can usually be customised and marked as optional if needed.