An Excel lead list template the columns worth having
Before you import a spreadsheet, set up the columns once. A clear Excel lead list template saves you cleaning later and keeps the source of every company.
- No credits, no data tax
- Your data stays yours
- Email only, on purpose
- Unlimited users
Start with the columns, not the rows
Most lead lists start in Excel. Someone copies companies from a directory, someone else adds a few from a fair, and after a month the file has six ways of writing a city and no idea where half the rows came from. An Excel lead list template fixes that before it starts: the same columns, in the same order, for everyone who adds to it.
You do not need many columns. You need the ones that tell you who the company is, how to reach it, why it is on the list and where it came from. Everything else can be added later as an extra field.
If you can fill in a spreadsheet, you can use Riftjaw: it is a website you log into, with nothing to set up. A file with clean columns goes straight into an import, where you match each column to a field once.
The columns worth having
How the import itself works, with column matching and duplicates, is in import a lead list from CSV or Excel.
| Column | What goes in it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Company name | The name as the company writes it | Used to spot duplicates and in your message |
| Website | The full domain, without a page path | Lets you check the company and find a contact |
| One address per row, published or derived | Who you can write to | |
| Email type | Published or derived | A derived address is a guess; send those last |
| Contact name and role | The person, if you found one | Lets you address a person instead of a company |
| Industry | One word from a fixed list | Builds your segments |
| Town or region | One way of writing each place | Lets you filter on an area |
| Source | Where you found the company | Shows later which source brought customers |
| Reason to write | The thing you saw that makes it relevant | Gives the first message something concrete |
Rules that keep the template clean
One company per row
Two contacts at the same company go on two rows with the same company name and website. Duplicate companies are flagged when you import.
Fixed words for industry and town
Agree on a short list of industries and on one spelling per town. A filter only works if everyone writes it the same way.
No colours as data
A red row means something to you but not to an import. Put the meaning in a column, such as status or tag.
Keep the original file
Every record keeps the import, the source file and the date, and you can export the original file again later.
Before you import the file
- Put the column names in the first row.
- Remove empty rows and merged cells.
- Check that every row has a company name.
- Use one spelling per industry and town.
- Save as Excel or CSV.
Frequently asked questions
What columns should a lead list template have?
Company name, website, email, email type (published or derived), contact name and role, industry, town or region, source and a reason to write. Extra fields can be added later.
Is Excel good enough for a lead list?
For a first list, yes. It gets harder when several people add to it, when duplicates creep in or when you want to see who was contacted. See when a spreadsheet stops working.
Can I import my Excel file directly?
Yes. You can import Excel or CSV, match each column to a field once, and keep the source file and date on every record. You can export to CSV again at any time.
Do I need a column for every detail?
No. Start with the columns in the table and add your own fields only when you will actually filter or write on them.
Do I need credits?
No. There are no credits and no cost per record: a flat price per plan, and the size of your list does not change the price.
What is Riftjaw?
Riftjaw is a B2B lead database you own: import the companies you collect, keep every record with its source, sort them into segments and reach them by email in small batches. Each account runs on its own private server with its own database.
Import your spreadsheet
Set up the columns once, import the file and sort it into segments by industry and town. Start free, without a credit card.
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