FREE KIBI TOOL · Before you move your leads

# Excel to CRM import checker

Check an Excel or Google Sheets CSV for duplicate contacts, missing details and unclear dates before you import leads into a CRM.

## Check a lead CSV

In Excel or Google Sheets, save your lead sheet as a CSV first. Use one lead per row and put the column names on the first row. Your file and contact details stay on this device.

THE QUICK ANSWER

## I run a small agency. Can I clean up our Excel leads before we move to a CRM?

Export your lead sheet as a CSV and check it for repeated emails or phone numbers, missing contact details and ambiguous dates. The checker suggests where your columns go in Kibi CRM. Fix anything you want to keep, then rehearse the import with three leads.

TRY IT STEP BY STEP

## How to check an Excel lead list before importing it

Sample lead list · worked example

- ### Save one sheet as CSV

Put column names on the first row and one lead on each row below. In Excel, choose File → Save As → CSV UTF-8. In Google Sheets, choose File → Download → Comma-separated values (.csv).

**File** leads.csv

**First row** Name, Email, Phone, Owner, Callback date

- ### Run the checker and read the flags

Choose your CSV and select Check my CSV. In the sample, row 3 shares an email with row 2. Row 4 is missing both an email and a phone.

**Possible repeats** 1 row

**Missing contact** 1 row

**Dates to review** 1 row

- ### Fix the sheet and try it again

Check whether the two Alex rows are the same person. Confirm what 04/05/2026 means and type the date with the year first. Save a fresh CSV and run the checker again.

**Before** 04/05/2026

**If Alex meant 4 May** 2026-05-04

**If Alex meant 5 April** 2026-04-05

## What should my lead import CSV look like?

Open this example in your spreadsheet. The first line is the header.

Scroll across the practice sheet to see every column.

Practice spreadsheet preview with column names and three example leads

| Name | Email | Phone | Owner | Callback date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alex Lee | alex@example.com | blank | Jo | 04/05/2026 |
| Alex Lane | alex@example.com | blank | Jo | 2026-11-19 |
| Sam Chen | blank | blank | blank | 2026-11-23 |

See the raw CSV text

```csv
Name,Email,Phone,Owner,Callback date
Alex Lee,alex@example.com,,Jo,04/05/2026
Alex Lane,alex@example.com,,Jo,2026-11-19
Sam Chen,,,,2026-11-23
```

[Download the checker’s practice CSV ↓](https://kibihq.com/resources/tools/lead-import-checker-sample.csv)

## Which columns are worth bringing to your CRM?

Start with the details a teammate would need to make the next call. Name, Email and Phone make a good starting point. Use at least one contact method per lead. If you have it, add the service they asked about, a short note, who handles the lead and when they promised to get back in touch.

Keep the header row plain. A title like “September pipeline” above the column names gets read as a header. Remove summary totals and blank headings. If someone added a second phone number in the Notes column, move the main contact number into Phone before you export.

- Email and Phone help spot repeats inside this file. The checker flags matches for you to review. Two genuine enquiries can come from the same shared office number.

- Owner and Callback date help you see how the sheet might map to Kibi. Review the mapping in Kibi before you save the import.

- Save dates as YYYY-MM-DD. Keep phone columns as text in the original spreadsheet so country codes and leading zeros survive the export.

[Start with the Excel lead tracking template →](https://kibihq.com/resources/articles/lead-tracking-spreadsheet/#download-template) · [Microsoft’s guide to saving an Excel sheet as CSV →](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/save-a-workbook-to-text-format-txt-or-csv)

## What do the flags mean?

Possible repeats share an email address or the same phone digits. The checker ignores punctuation in phone numbers, but local and international versions can still look different. Check both rows for context before you combine anything.

A row with a different number of cells usually needs a closer look. If you’ve assembled the file by hand, a comma inside a note belongs inside double quotes. Re-exporting from Excel or Sheets handles that for you.

The checker looks at this file. Kibi’s import preview is where you confirm the mapping, check it against the leads already in your workspace and see what will be added.

[See the Excel to CRM migration walkthrough →](https://kibihq.com/resources/articles/crm-migration-checklist/)

A LOOK INSIDE KIBI CRM

## See the mapping before you save

Here’s Kibi’s actual CSV preview with a separate clean practice file. Match the columns and confirm the person handling the enquiries. After the import, open one lead and give it a next call.

REVIEW THE MAPPINGREAL KIBI DEMO SCREEN

![Kibi CSV preview matching six practice columns, showing three new enquiries and Asha as the selected owner.](https://kibihq.com/_astro/mapping.X3FuibiK_1yTOiA.jpg)

Match the columns and choose who will handle the imported enquiries. Example lead details.

TAKE IT INTO KIBI CRM

## Give three leads a fresh start.

In Kibi CRM, open Enquiries, preview a three-row import and give one lead a callback. You’ll see whether the sheet has everything your team needs for the next conversation.

[How Kibi’s CSV import preview works →](https://kibihq.com/help/import-csv/)

[Try a three-lead import in Kibi](https://kibihq.com/start/?utm_content=excel-to-crm-import-checker)

14-day trial · No card needed

## Good questions

### Can I upload an .xlsx file or a Google Sheets link?

Export a single tab to CSV first. This checker reads comma-separated CSV files up to 5 MB, with up to 10,000 lead rows and 100 columns. You can check each tab separately.

### My leads have company names and emails, but no phone numbers. Can I still check them?

Yes. Keep a recognisable Email header and one email per lead where possible. A phone column is optional. The checker marks a row as missing contact details when it has neither a recognised email nor a phone value.

### Can I try the Kibi import before I move the whole team?

Yes. Put three sample leads in a CSV and preview them in Kibi CRM. Check where the name, notes and callback date will go. Save the import, assign a lead and check the next call in Today.

[Browse all free tools →](https://kibihq.com/resources/tools/)

Source: https://kibihq.com/resources/tools/excel-to-crm-import-checker/