G
SkunkGlobal/Docs/CRM/Contact Import & Management
Start Free

Contact Import & Management

Efficiently import contacts from external systems and manage your growing contact database with SkunkCRM's comprehensive import tools, duplicate detection, and data management features.

Contact Import Methods

CSV File Import

CSV Import Interface Professional CSV import wizard with field mapping and validation

The CSV import is the most common and flexible way to bring contacts into SkunkCRM from other systems.

Import Process:

  1. File Upload - Select and upload your CSV file
  2. Field Mapping - Map CSV columns to SkunkCRM fields
  3. Validation - Review data quality and fix errors
  4. Import Settings - Configure duplicate handling and defaults
  5. Preview - Review sample data before final import
  6. Execute - Complete the import process

CSV Requirements:

  • File Format - UTF-8 encoded CSV files
  • File Size - Maximum 10MB per import
  • Record Limit - Up to 5,000 contacts per import batch
  • Required Fields - Name and email are required
  • Header Row - First row should contain column names

WordPress User Import

WordPress User Import Convert existing WordPress users to CRM contacts

Transform your WordPress user base into CRM contacts with full data preservation.

Import Features:

  • Role-based Import - Select which user roles to import
  • Field Mapping - Map user meta fields to contact fields
  • Status Assignment - Set default contact status for imported users
  • Relationship Preservation - Maintain user-contact relationships
  • Permission Sync - Respect WordPress user capabilities

User Data Mapping:

  • Basic Fields - Name, email, registration date
  • Profile Fields - Bio, website, social profiles
  • Custom Meta - Any custom user meta fields
  • Role Information - WordPress role and capabilities
  • Activity Data - Login history and engagement metrics

REST API Import

API Import Documentation Programmatic contact import via REST API

For developers and automated systems, SkunkCRM provides comprehensive REST API endpoints for contact import.

API Endpoints:

  • Single Contact - /wp-json/skunkcrm/v1/contacts
  • Bulk Import - /wp-json/skunkcrm/v1/contacts/bulk
  • Import Status - /wp-json/skunkcrm/v1/imports/{id}/status
  • Validation - /wp-json/skunkcrm/v1/contacts/validate

Example Implementation:

// Bulk contact import via API
$contacts = [
    [
        'name' => 'John Smith',
        'email' => 'john@example.com',
        'company' => 'Acme Corp',
        'status' => 'prospect'
    ],
    // More contacts...
];

$response = wp_remote_post('your-site.com/wp-json/skunkcrm/v1/contacts/bulk', [
    'body' => json_encode(['contacts' => $contacts]),
    'headers' => [
        'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
        'Authorization' => 'Basic ' . base64_encode($username . ':' . $app_password)
    ]
]);

Form-based Contact Capture

Form Integration Setup Automatic contact creation from WordPress forms

Set up automatic contact creation from popular WordPress form plugins.

Supported Form Plugins:

  • Contact Form 7 - Free contact form plugin with wide adoption
  • Gravity Forms - Advanced form builder with conditional logic
  • WPForms - User-friendly drag-and-drop form builder
  • Ninja Forms - Multi-step forms with advanced features
  • Formidable Forms - Database-driven forms with calculations

Integration Setup:

  1. Plugin Detection - SkunkCRM automatically detects supported form plugins
  2. Form Selection - Choose which forms should create contacts
  3. Field Mapping - Map form fields to contact properties
  4. Status Assignment - Set default status for form-submitted contacts
  5. Duplicate Handling - Configure how to handle duplicate submissions

Field Mapping & Data Transformation

Intelligent Field Mapping

Smart Field Mapping Automatic field detection and mapping suggestions

SkunkCRM's smart mapping system automatically detects and suggests field mappings based on column names and data patterns.

Automatic Detection:

  • Name Fields - "Name", "Full Name", "First Name" + "Last Name"
  • Email Fields - "Email", "Email Address", "Contact Email"
  • Phone Fields - "Phone", "Mobile", "Telephone", "Contact Number"
  • Company Fields - "Company", "Organization", "Business Name"
  • Address Fields - "Address", "Street", "City", "State", "ZIP"

Manual Mapping Options:

  • Custom Mapping - Manually assign any CSV column to any contact field
  • Computed Fields - Combine multiple columns into single contact field
  • Default Values - Set default values for unmapped fields
  • Conditional Mapping - Different mappings based on data conditions

Data Transformation

Data Transformation Tools Clean and standardize data during import

Transformation Features:

  • Name Formatting - Proper case conversion for names
  • Phone Standardization - Format phone numbers consistently
  • Email Validation - Verify email format and syntax
  • Address Parsing - Split full addresses into component parts
  • Date Conversion - Convert various date formats to standard format

Data Cleaning:

  • Whitespace Trimming - Remove extra spaces from all fields
  • Character Encoding - Handle special characters correctly
  • Duplicate Removal - Remove duplicate entries within import file
  • Invalid Data Filtering - Skip records with invalid required fields

Duplicate Detection & Management

Intelligent Duplicate Detection

Duplicate Detection Interface Smart duplicate detection with multiple matching criteria

SkunkCRM uses multiple algorithms to identify potential duplicate contacts during import and ongoing management.

Detection Methods:

  • Email Matching - Exact email address matches
  • Name Similarity - Fuzzy matching for similar names
  • Phone Matching - Phone number format-independent matching
  • Company Correlation - Same company + similar name/email
  • Address Matching - Geographic proximity and address similarity

Matching Confidence Levels:

  • High Confidence - Very likely duplicates (>90% match)
  • Medium Confidence - Probable duplicates (70-90% match)
  • Low Confidence - Possible duplicates (50-70% match)
  • Manual Review - Flagged for human review

Duplicate Resolution Options

Duplicate Resolution Workflow Flexible options for handling detected duplicates

Resolution Strategies:

  1. Skip Duplicates - Keep existing contact, ignore new data
  2. Update Existing - Merge new data into existing contact
  3. Create New - Allow duplicate contacts to exist
  4. Manual Review - Flag for team member decision
  5. Smart Merge - Automatically combine non-conflicting data

Merge Process:

  • Data Prioritization - Choose which data takes precedence
  • Field-level Control - Select which fields to merge or replace
  • Activity Preservation - Maintain all historical activities
  • Relationship Updates - Update deal and task associations
  • Audit Trail - Log all merge actions for compliance

Import Validation & Quality Control

Pre-import Validation

Import Validation Dashboard Comprehensive validation before importing contacts

Validation Checks:

  • Required Fields - Ensure all required fields are present
  • Data Format - Verify email, phone, and date formats
  • Field Length - Check for data that exceeds field limits
  • Unique Constraints - Identify potential duplicate entries
  • Custom Validation - Business-specific validation rules

Error Reporting:

  • Detailed Error Lists - Specific errors for each invalid record
  • Error Categories - Group errors by type for efficient fixing
  • Export Error Reports - Download list of problematic records
  • Fix Suggestions - Recommended corrections for common issues

Data Quality Scoring

Data Quality Metrics Comprehensive data quality assessment and scoring

Quality Metrics:

  • Completeness Score - Percentage of filled required fields
  • Accuracy Score - Valid formats and reasonable data values
  • Consistency Score - Uniform data formatting and standards
  • Freshness Score - How recently contact data was updated
  • Overall Quality - Composite score across all metrics

Quality Improvement:

  • Missing Data Identification - Highlight incomplete contact records
  • Format Standardization - Suggest formatting improvements
  • Enrichment Opportunities - Identify fields that could be auto-populated
  • Quality Trends - Track data quality improvements over time

Bulk Contact Management

Bulk Operations

Bulk Contact Operations Efficiently manage large numbers of contacts simultaneously

Available Bulk Actions:

  • Status Updates - Change contact status for multiple contacts
  • Tag Management - Add or remove tags from selected contacts
  • Assignment Changes - Reassign contacts to different team members
  • Data Updates - Update custom fields across multiple contacts
  • Delete Operations - Remove multiple contacts with confirmation
  • Export Operations - Export selected contacts with custom fields

Bulk Update Process:

  1. Contact Selection - Choose contacts using filters or manual selection
  2. Action Selection - Pick the bulk action to perform
  3. Value Configuration - Set new values or specify changes
  4. Preview Changes - Review what will be modified before execution
  5. Execution - Apply changes with progress tracking
  6. Confirmation - Verify completed changes and view results

Advanced Bulk Tools

Advanced Bulk Management Sophisticated tools for complex bulk operations

Advanced Features:

  • Conditional Updates - Apply different changes based on contact criteria
  • Formula-based Updates - Use formulas to calculate new field values
  • Template Application - Apply contact templates to multiple contacts
  • Workflow Triggers - Initiate automation workflows for bulk contacts
  • Schedule Operations - Schedule bulk actions for future execution

Contact Database Maintenance

Data Cleanup Tools

Database Cleanup Interface Tools for maintaining a clean and organized contact database

Cleanup Features:

  • Duplicate Removal - Find and merge duplicate contact records
  • Inactive Contact Archiving - Archive contacts with no recent activity
  • Invalid Data Cleanup - Remove contacts with invalid email addresses
  • Incomplete Profile Cleanup - Flag or remove incomplete contact records
  • Test Data Removal - Identify and remove test or placeholder contacts

Maintenance Scheduling:

  • Automated Cleanup - Schedule regular database maintenance tasks
  • Health Checks - Regular database integrity and quality assessments
  • Performance Optimization - Database indexing and query optimization
  • Backup Integration - Coordinate cleanup with backup schedules

Contact Archiving

Contact Archiving System Organize inactive contacts without losing historical data

Archiving Criteria:

  • Activity Threshold - No activity for specified time period
  • Status-based - Automatically archive contacts with certain statuses
  • Manual Selection - Team members can manually archive contacts
  • Bulk Archiving - Archive multiple contacts based on criteria

Archive Features:

  • Searchable Archive - Archived contacts remain searchable
  • Restore Capability - Easily restore archived contacts when needed
  • Activity Preservation - All historical data remains intact
  • Reporting Separation - Exclude archived contacts from active reports

Integration with External Systems

CRM Migration Support

CRM Migration Tools Migrate from popular CRM systems to SkunkCRM

Supported CRM Systems:

  • HubSpot - Complete contact and deal migration
  • Salesforce - Enterprise-grade data migration
  • Pipedrive - Sales-focused contact and pipeline data
  • Zoho CRM - Comprehensive business data migration
  • Mailchimp - Email marketing list and engagement data

Migration Process:

  1. Export Preparation - Guidelines for exporting from source system
  2. Data Mapping - Map source fields to SkunkCRM fields
  3. Test Migration - Import small sample to verify mapping
  4. Full Migration - Complete data transfer with progress tracking
  5. Validation - Verify all data transferred correctly
  6. Team Training - Help team adapt to new system

Ongoing Synchronization

System Synchronization Keep contact data synchronized across multiple systems

Sync Capabilities:

  • Bidirectional Sync - Changes flow both ways between systems
  • Field-level Control - Choose which fields to synchronize
  • Conflict Resolution - Handle data conflicts automatically or manually
  • Sync Scheduling - Real-time or scheduled synchronization
  • Error Handling - Robust error handling and retry mechanisms

Best Practices

Import Strategy

  1. Start Small - Test with small batches before full import
  2. Clean Source Data - Clean data before importing, not after
  3. Validate Mappings - Double-check field mappings before import
  4. Handle Duplicates - Have a clear duplicate handling strategy
  5. Document Process - Keep records of import settings and decisions

Data Quality

  1. Consistent Standards - Establish data entry standards before import
  2. Regular Validation - Schedule regular data quality checks
  3. Source System Cleanup - Clean data at the source when possible
  4. Team Training - Train team on data quality best practices
  5. Quality Metrics - Track and report on data quality over time

Ongoing Management

  1. Regular Maintenance - Schedule regular database cleanup activities
  2. Archive Inactive - Move inactive contacts to archive status
  3. Monitor Growth - Track database growth and plan for scaling
  4. Backup Strategy - Regular backups before major changes
  5. Performance Monitoring - Watch for performance issues with large datasets

Troubleshooting

Import Issues

Import fails with memory error:

  • Reduce batch size and import in smaller chunks
  • Increase PHP memory limit if possible
  • Remove unnecessary columns from CSV file
  • Contact hosting provider about resource limits

Field mapping not working:

  • Check CSV column headers match expected format
  • Verify required fields are mapped correctly
  • Review data types and format requirements
  • Check for hidden characters or encoding issues

Duplicate detection too aggressive:

  • Adjust duplicate detection sensitivity settings
  • Review matching criteria configuration
  • Consider manual review for medium confidence matches
  • Check for data quality issues causing false positives

Performance Issues

Slow import processing:

  • Process during low-traffic periods
  • Use smaller batch sizes for large imports
  • Check database server resources and performance
  • Consider temporary hosting upgrade for large migrations

Database size concerns:

  • Implement archiving strategy for inactive contacts
  • Regular cleanup of duplicate and invalid records
  • Monitor database growth trends
  • Plan for hosting upgrades as database grows

Next Steps

Once you've mastered contact importing and management:

Was this page helpful?
Contact Support