How to Import Existing Contacts Into a QR-Based Lead Hub
Moving contacts out of Excel, Google Sheets, or another CRM and into SMLLR's Leads Hub via CSV import — column format, consent requirements, deduplication, and what happens to invalid rows.
The 30-second version
If you already have contacts sitting in a spreadsheet or another CRM, you don't have to re-capture them through a QR code to get them into Leads Hub. CSV import (Pro plan and above) lets you upload a file directly, and every imported contact lands in the same Leads Hub as the ones your QR codes capture — same detail view, same filtering, same export. Files are processed in chunks of up to 200 rows at a time, so larger lists upload in the background without timing out.
What columns your CSV needs
Each row maps to one contact with three optional fields — name, email, and phone. You don't need all three for a row to import successfully; a row with just an email, or just a phone number, is valid on its own.
- email — standard email format, validated before import
- phone — validated and normalized during import
- name — optional, used for display but not required for a row to be accepted
- A row needs at least one of email or phone to be counted as valid; a completely empty row is rejected
Exporting from Excel, Google Sheets, or another CRM
Most spreadsheet tools and CRMs export to CSV natively, which is all SMLLR's importer needs:
- Excel — File → Save As → CSV (Comma delimited)
- Google Sheets — File → Download → Comma Separated Values (.csv)
- Most CRMs (Zoho, HubSpot, Google Contacts, etc.) — look for an Export or Download contacts option, usually under a list or settings view, and choose CSV as the format
- Once exported, rename your columns (or reorder them) so the importer can map them to name, email, and phone — extra columns beyond these three are simply ignored
The consent step before you import
Because an imported contact never went through a QR scan or a form on your own site, SMLLR requires an explicit attestation before the import runs — you're confirming that you already have a lawful basis to hold this data, not that SMLLR is granting you one. This step exists to keep purchased or scraped contact lists out of the platform; it applies to every CSV import regardless of size.
- You're asked to confirm you have a lawful basis for contacting these people before the file is processed
- Uploading contact lists you don't have a legitimate relationship with — purchased, scraped, or otherwise acquired without consent — is against this attestation and against SMLLR's terms
- If you can also confirm you hold real marketing consent for these contacts (not just a business relationship), there's a separate, optional consent claim during import that records that as a real, timestamped consent entry against each imported lead — the same kind of consent entry a QR gate or a landing page form would create
What happens during the import
The file is split and processed in batches of up to 200 rows so large lists don't hit upload limits or time out. Each row goes through the same validation your QR-captured leads go through: email and phone format checks, phone number normalization, and a deduplication check against your existing Leads Hub. If a row matches a lead you already have — say, someone who previously scanned a gated QR code — the two records are merged rather than duplicated, so your import can safely overlap with contacts you've already captured through other channels.
After the import: reading the results
Once processing finishes, you get a summary broken down by outcome rather than a single pass/fail — how many rows were newly created, how many were merged into existing leads, and how many were rejected as invalid. Rejected rows aren't silently dropped; the summary tells you which rows failed and why (bad email format, unparseable phone number, or an entirely empty row) so you can fix and re-upload just those instead of redoing the whole file.
Common mistakes to avoid
A few things trip up most first imports:
- Uploading a list you don't have a real relationship with — this is explicitly what the attestation step is designed to block, and it's a terms-of-service issue, not just a data-quality one
- Leaving inconsistent phone formats unfixed and expecting a perfect match rate — normalization handles common formatting differences, but wildly malformed numbers will still be rejected
- Manually de-duplicating your CSV before uploading — there's no need; SMLLR already deduplicates against your existing Leads Hub during import
- Forgetting that imported contacts without a separate consent claim are captured for record-keeping but aren't marketing-consented — the same rule that applies to an unchecked consent box on a QR gate applies here too
Plans and pricing
CSV import requires the Pro plan (₹4,999/month) or above — the same requirement as Leads Hub itself and the QR lead capture gate, since all three write into the same lead pipeline. There's no separate charge or row limit tied to plan tier beyond that; imports are processed in 200-row batches regardless of how large your total list is.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What file format does the importer accept?
CSV (comma-separated values). Excel, Google Sheets, and virtually every CRM can export directly to this format, so no manual reformatting is usually needed beyond making sure your columns map to name, email, and phone.
Can I import a file exported straight from Excel?
Yes — use Excel's File → Save As → CSV (Comma delimited) option and upload the resulting file directly.
Does importing a CSV count as getting marketing consent for those contacts?
Not automatically. Import requires you to attest you have a lawful basis to hold the data, but that alone doesn't grant marketing consent. If you genuinely already have marketing consent from these contacts, there's a separate, optional consent claim you can make during import that records it properly — without it, imported leads are captured for record-keeping but excluded from marketing sends, the same as an unchecked consent box on a QR gate.
What happens to rows that fail validation?
They're not silently dropped. The post-import summary lists exactly how many rows were rejected and the reason for each — invalid email, unparseable phone, or an empty row — so you can correct and re-upload just those rows.
Will importing create duplicate leads if some of these people already scanned one of my QR codes?
No. Every imported row is checked against your existing Leads Hub during processing, and matches are merged into the existing lead rather than duplicated.
Is there a limit on how many contacts I can import at once?
Files are processed in batches of up to 200 rows internally, but this is a processing mechanism, not a hard cap on file size — larger lists simply take multiple batches to complete rather than being rejected.
What if a row in my CSV has both an email and a phone number?
Both are kept. A row only needs at least one of the two to be valid, but if both are present and pass validation, both are stored against that lead.
Do I need to clean my phone numbers before uploading?
Basic normalization is handled automatically during import, so minor formatting differences are fine. Numbers that are too malformed to parse will still be rejected and listed in the post-import summary.
What plan do I need to use CSV import?
The Pro plan (₹4,999/month) or above — the same plan requirement as Leads Hub and the lead capture gate, since all three feed the same underlying lead pipeline.