Import a lead list from CSV or Excel columns, duplicates and tags
Bring the spreadsheets and exports you already have into one database: match the columns, skip the duplicates and tag every batch.
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- You own your data
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Every list ends up in the same place
Most teams that find their own customers have the same pile of files: an export from a scraper, a spreadsheet a colleague made last year, a list from a trade fair and a file from a directory. Each one uses other column names, half of them overlap and nobody knows which companies were already contacted.
Importing a lead list from CSV or Excel solves that in one pass. You upload the file, check what each column means, decide what happens with duplicates and push the rows into a lead file. From then on the companies are records you can filter, tag and segment, not rows on somebody's laptop.
This page walks through the import step by step, as it works in the Riftjaw import. Nothing is written to your database until you confirm it, and the original file stays attached to the import. Your data stays yours.
Importing a CSV or Excel file, step by step
Your column choices are remembered for the next file with the same layout, so a weekly export from the same source imports faster each time.
| Step | What happens | What you check |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Upload the file | Pick an existing lead file or create a new one, for example Trade fair 2026 | That the file is CSV or Excel (.xlsx) and has a header row |
| 2. Match the columns | Riftjaw suggests which column is the company name, email, website and phone | Correct what is wrong; unknown columns become new fields |
| 3. Check the rows | Duplicates inside the file and rows already in your database are flagged | Choose per duplicate: skip, merge or keep |
| 4. Push to the database | The rows become records with their source and date | The original file stays with the import for later reference |
| 5. Tag the batch | You tag the new records, for example with the event or the source | That the tag makes sense in a segment later |
What to get right when you import a lead list
Map columns, do not guess them
Scraper exports rarely use clean names. A column called title is often the company, url the website and tel the phone. Confirm each match yourself.
Decide on duplicates before saving
Two files with the same companies lead to double emails. Handle duplicate contacts at import, not after the first campaign.
Keep the source on every record
Each record keeps the import, the file and the date it came from, so you never have to wonder where a company came from.
Tag for the segment you will use
A tag per batch, like the trade fair or the region, turns a raw import into a segment you can reach with one message.
Before you import a lead list
- Make sure the first row of the file holds the column names.
- Remove empty rows and totals at the bottom of the sheet.
- Keep one company per row.
- Decide which tag the whole batch will get.
- Keep the original file; Riftjaw stores it with the import as well.
Frequently asked questions
How do I import a lead list from a CSV file?
Upload the CSV into a new or existing lead file, match each column to a field such as company name, email, website or phone, review the flagged duplicates and confirm. The rows then become records with their source and date.
Can I import an Excel file instead of a CSV?
Yes. Riftjaw imports both CSV and Excel (.xlsx) files, from any source: scraper exports, directory lists, trade fair lists or exports from an old CRM or spreadsheet.
What happens to duplicates when I import a lead list?
Duplicates inside the file and rows that already exist in your database are flagged before anything is saved. You decide for each one whether to skip, merge or keep it.
What happens to columns that do not match a field?
Unknown columns can become new fields in the lead file, so information like fleet size or last visit is kept instead of thrown away.
Can I see later which file a lead came from?
Yes. Every record keeps the import, the source file and the date, and the original file stays attached to the import, so you can always trace where a record came from.
What is Riftjaw?
Riftjaw is a self-hosted B2B lead pipeline: collect companies from any public list, enrich them for free, put them on the map and reach them - from one dashboard you host yourself.
Import your first lead list
Upload a CSV or Excel file, match the columns and skip the duplicates. Start free, without a credit card, and keep every record in your own database.
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