---
title: How To Import Contacts From A CSV
description: How To Import Contacts From A CSV
---
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# How To Import Contacts From A CSV
Rather than adding subcontractors and general contractors one at a time, you can bring a whole list into your "Directory" from a spreadsheet. Zebel checks every row against the contacts you already have and lets you decide what happens to each one before anything is saved.
To import contacts from a CSV follow these steps.
Navigate to "Settings" and select "Directory".
Press the arrow beside "Create Contact" in the upper right, and select "Import from CSV".
Press "Template" to download a starting file.
NOTE, the template is built for your account — after the standard columns it carries one column per tag group you use, so the file already matches your own setup.
Fill the template in. The columns are "Name", "Phone Number", "Email", "Website", "Address" and "Notes", followed by your tag group columns.
Return to the "Import from CSV" panel and either drag your file onto it or press it to browse. Only CSV files are accepted.
Zebel reads the file and shows you every row before saving anything.
Each row is marked either "New" or "Duplicate", and the counts appear at the top.
Choose what happens to each row using the "Action" column at its right:
A "New" row can be set to "Create" or "Skip". It defaults to "Create".
A "Duplicate" row can be set to "Skip" or "Update existing". It defaults to "Skip", so an import never overwrites a contact unless you ask it to.
Use "Skip All" or "Update All" beside "Apply to all duplicates" to set every duplicate at once, rather than row by row.
Press the confirm button at the bottom. A message tells you how many contacts were created and updated.
NOTE, a row counts as a "Duplicate" when it matches a contact you already have. Choosing "Update existing" replaces that contact's details with the values in your file.
NOTE, tag columns only accept values that already exist in that tag group. A value Zebel does not recognize is left empty rather than creating a new tag, and shows as "—" in the review table — so check the review before confirming if your tags matter.
NOTE, nothing is written until you press confirm. Closing the panel at the review stage leaves your directory untouched.
We recommend downloading the template even if you already have a contact list, and pasting your data into it. The tag columns are the part people get wrong, and a template generated from your own account is the quickest way to see what those columns should be called.
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