Importing your data into Copper is important in ensuring you successfully migrate from another system or just update existing records quickly. This step-by-step guide has you covered as you embark on the import process.
What to know before you import:
Preparing individual field data
Set up your custom fields and contact types before you import so you can import to those fields.
Date fields can be identified in a spreadsheet in the following formats: DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY.
If you are importing data from a previous system and would like to preserve your legacy or original record creation date, you can do so by using our “Created At” field during your import.
During your import, simply map the data column containing your legacy record creation date to the “Created At” field. You can also paste your legacy creation dates into the “Created At” field which can be found in all of our pre-formatted import templates.
Checkbox fields - in the spreadsheet column, indicate whether each value is checked or un-checked using one of these formats:
"TRUE" for checked and "FALSE" for un-checked, or
"1" for checked and "0" for un-checked, or
"checked" for checked and "unchecked" for un-checked
Note, you can technically use any format for checked/unchecked, but the ones listed above are easiest to do because they are recognized automatically by the importing tool.
A Multi-select field must be represented as a single column with each value selection separated by a semi-colon and no spaces. Example: "option1;option2"
Each tag should be represented by its own column called 'Tag.'
Connect fields cannot be imported
Preparing your full data sheet
Import Companies first, then People and then Opportunities. Importing in this order will ensure that all records are related correctly. Leads can be imported at any time.
We recommend using our formatted Excel and CSV templates to ensure your data is formatted properly. You'll be given the option to download the templates during the import process.
We support file sizes up to 3MB. If your file is larger than 3MB, we suggest you break it up into multiple files.
It's a good idea to do a test with a smaller import file first to make sure your file works.
Set up your custom fields and contact types before you import so you can import to those fields.
The first row of your import file must be the column headers you wish to import to.
If a column within the data table does not have a column header, your file will not import properly.
If there is data in a cell outside of the data table, your file will not import properly.
Importing tags with more than 50 characters will cause that import row to fail.
Import your data:
Sign into your Copper account, and click the 'Settings' link from the lefthand menu.
Under 'Manage Your Data,' choose the option to 'Import Data.'
Choose the record type (i.e. leads, people, companies, opportunities) you'd like to import by clicking the blue 'Import [record type]' button. Note that we recommend importing leads and companies first, followed by people, then opportunities.
On the next page, choose the file type you want to import. Here, I'm choosing Excel:
5. On the next page, click the 'Choose File' option to upload your file:
6. Once your import loads successfully, you'll see it displayed like this. Across the bottom of the page, you might see red text indicating one or two error types: 'You need to match __ fields' or 'You need to fix __ invalid cells.' Click the link to either of those if you see them listed in red along the bottom of your import page:
7. Once you've fixed any inaccurate columns or cells, then click the blue 'Continue Import' button.
8. You'll be taken back to the Import data page where you can see the status of your import. There are three possible statuses you might see:
Initializing - We are processing the import.
Blue status bar - This bar shows you how far along your import is. This may take several minutes depending on the size of the import.
Summary - Your import was completed. Click the 'Summary' link to see the details.
Possible errors during importing
'You need to match __ fields' - Across the top of a column, you may see a red underline indicating there is no matching field inside Copper to store that column's data:
Click the 'Select Field' menu above any column underlined in red to do one of two things:
Select the matching field already in Copper. Note the name or spelling of these fields does not have to be the same (for example, you could tell a .csv column called 'Workplace' to map to a Copper field called 'Office.'), but the two fields have to be the same field type.
If the field you want to match does not yet exist in Copper, create a matching custom field. As a best practice, if the field does exist in Copper, use that default field instead of creating a custom one:
'You need to fix __ invalid cells' - This means the data entered into the spreadsheet is incompatible with the field it's being sent to in Copper. For example, if you have a numeric field for phone numbers and your spreadsheet contains an email address in that column, you'll get the error message. Scroll along the top row that lists each column name until you find columns indicating they have data that needs to be fixed:
9. When you click the blue 'Fix' button for each column, you'll see the cells that need to be fixed. Enter the correct value to the right of the incorrect one. If the value should be blank, just click the space bar to populate that blank space. Click 'Save' when you're done:
Revert your import:
Need to undo your import? Follow the steps below:
Sign into your Copper account, and click 'Settings' from the left-hand menu.
Choose 'Import Data' from the 'Manage Your Data' section.
Click the 'Revert Import' link to the right of the existing import you'd like to undo:
4. You'll see a pop-up window displaying the details of theimport and asking you to confirm you want to undo it. Click 'Revert this Import' to move forward:
5. Your import is now removed from your Settings > Import Data landing page.
Still have questions?
Still have questions? Ask in our Community, and get answers from our Customer Success Team as well as fellow users.