How to Submit Leads via CSV

When to Use CSV Import

CSV import is the right tool for a static list of leads to contact in a batch: a purchased list, a CRM export, or a previously captured audience you want to re-engage. For continuous real-time lead flow, use the leads API instead.

For the full step-by-step walkthrough of the CSV import wizard see "How to Import Leads from CSV" under the Leads category. This article focuses on the schedule-specific aspects of CSV submission.

Preparing the File

The CSV must include a column literally named caller_id containing the lead phone number in any format the platform can normalize to E.164. Other phone-column aliases that work for the API (phone_number, phone, etc.) are not honored by the CSV parser - only caller_id is read.

Additional columns are captured as Lead tokens and become available in schedule actions, SMS templates, and webhook payloads. Common columns include first_name, last_name, email, and state.

Running the Import Against a Schedule

1. In the left sidebar choose Lead Automations -> Submit to open /leads/import_type.
2. Click the CSV Upload tile. The import form opens at /lead_imports/new.
3. Under Import Details, set Upload Leads To to "Schedule - SMS, Call, and Email leads." and select your destination schedule from the second dropdown.
4. Click CSV File and select your file.
5. Configure Lead Management Options as needed: the Manage Schedule radios (Stop / Start / Restart / Do Nothing) determine what happens to existing leads in the destination schedule when a CSV row matches them.
6. Click Next Step to begin processing.

Verifying the Import

The CSV is processed in batches in the background. Open the schedule edit page, click into the lead counts in the dashboard, or visit /leads filtered by the schedule. New leads appear as rows are processed and immediately begin advancing through the schedule's Contact Lead Actions.