Tag: Custom fields

By Elijah LeFavour, Chief AI Officer at Spectral Vision. Published October 18, 2026.

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Your list is in Excel, Google Sheets, or another CRM, but HighLevel does not have those contacts yet. You are looking at the column headers and wondering where each name, number, and custom detail belongs. Start with a CSV export: HighLevel’s contact-import guide, updated March 18, 2026, specifies CSV as the accepted format. This guide from GHL.Support walks you through CSV export, field mapping, duplicate checks, consent, and import errors.

I read HighLevel’s CSV formatting guide, its contact import guide and its guide to duplicate contacts before writing this, and you need to check your field mapping separately from your contact matching settings. Create the destination fields before uploading. Then choose whether your file should create records, update them, or do both.

How do you get your list into a CSV?

Export your contact worksheet as a CSV before opening the importer. HighLevel’s CSV-format guide, updated February 25, 2026, requires a header row and one sheet per file. For new contacts, include at least First Name, Email Address, or Phone Number.

1. In Excel, open your workbook and select File → Save As or Save a Copy. Choose a location and filename, then select a CSV format from the file-type box. Microsoft’s workbook export instructions say CSV saves only the active sheet and text formats remove formatting.
2. In Google Sheets, open your file and use File → Download as, then select CSV. Google’s undated Excel and Sheets guide uses the label Download as and lists CSV as a format.
3. In your CRM, export the contact list as a CSV, using that CRM’s export instructions for the exact menu and button names. Review its column headers against HighLevel’s standard and custom fields before uploading.

Keep your upload below 30 MB. The February 25 CSV-format guide lists a 30 MB maximum, while the getting-started import guide, updated March 24, 2026, permits files up to 50MB. The published limits disagree, so use the smaller figure when splitting your file.

CSV item	What to prepare
Headers	Use column names that correspond to standard or existing custom fields.
Phone numbers	HighLevel’s February 25, 2026 guide recommends E.164 and gives +11234567890 as its example.
Custom fields	Create matching labels and data types in HighLevel before mapping.
Dropdown and multiselect values	Match the options already defined in your account.

How do you import contacts into GoHighLevel step by step?

The import opens at Contacts → Smart Lists → Import Contacts. HighLevel’s combined import guide, updated September 16, 2026, names that path and button. The getting-started guide offers Download Sample File if you need an example of standard Contact Fields for contact management.

1. Confirm your user account has Admin access. HighLevel’s March 18, 2026 contact-import guide restricts contact imports to Admin users.
2. Create missing fields through Settings → Custom Fields → Add Field. Select the field type, fill in its details, and click Save.
3. Open Contacts → Smart Lists and click Import Contacts. Select Contacts, click Next, then click Upload File and choose your CSV.
4. Open Choose how to import contacts/opportunities. Choose whether the CSV should create records, update records, or do both.
5. Map each spreadsheet column to its Contact field. Match each custom-field column to an existing field with the same label and data type.
6. Name your import, then choose whether to create a Smart List, add a tag, or enroll contacts in a workflow. Leave workflow enrollment unselected until you have checked the intended messaging permission.
7. Set the import’s consent preferences before you click Bulk Import. Select the required confirmation checkbox, then click Bulk Import.
8. Wait for the contacts to finish importing. Open Contacts → Bulk Actions in your sub-account, locate the import, and check its status. Click Show Stats to review successful records and errors.

When you map a field, you tell HighLevel where to put each spreadsheet column. Adding a new column to the spreadsheet does not create its destination field. The CSV-format guide says HighLevel ignores an unknown field unless you map it to an existing standard or custom field.

What happens to duplicates when you import contacts?

For CSV imports, HighLevel checks email or phone for an existing contact and automatically merges matching contacts. HighLevel’s deduplication guide, updated April 7, 2026, excludes CSV uploads from Allow Duplicate Contact, so enabling it does not force a duplicate CSV record. Before you import an update file, open Settings → Business Profile → Contact Deduplication Preferences and check whether Email or Phone is the primary match.

1. Before uploading, check your CSV for repeated emails, phone numbers, Contact IDs, or other unique values. The September 16, 2026 combined import guide treats these repetitions as import errors. Remove or combine duplicates before importing or retrying the file.
2. Open Settings → Business Profile → Contact Deduplication Preferences.
3. Review Find Existing Contacts Based On. The guide lists Email as the default and Phone as another choice.
4. Review Second Preferences for Search if you want a secondary matching field. For an update, include the applicable Contact ID, email, or phone in your CSV.

Choose Update Only when your task is to revise existing records. Choose Create & Update when your list includes both existing contacts and new entries. The March 18 contact-import guide documents the update matching order as Contact ID → Email → Phone, while the deduplication guide describes your configurable email and phone preferences.

Use contact identifiers to match contacts and the Opportunity ID to match an existing deal in your sales pipeline. HighLevel’s opportunity-import guide, updated September 17, 2026, requires the correct Opportunity ID to update an existing deal. If the CSV lacks the correct Opportunity ID, HighLevel may create another opportunity instead of updating the intended one.

Are you allowed to text or email an imported list?

Your import does not establish permission for SMS marketing. HighLevel’s LC Phone messaging policy, updated September 15, 2026, states: “Send SMS only to contacts who have provided valid permission.” It also states: “Consent cannot be purchased, sold, or exchanged.”

Your email marketing needs permission too. HighLevel’s email sender requirements guide, updated June 30, 2026, says: “Only send emails to people who have given permission to receive them.” Confirm your consent process with your own counsel before enrolling imported contacts in messaging workflows.

Before you click Bulk Import, check whether the wizard will add your contacts to a workflow. The import wizard offers workflow enrollment, and the messaging policy applies to manual texts, workflows, and bulk actions. Initial text messaging must identify the business and provide an opt-out method, and withdrawn SMS consent requires a valid new opt-in before further sending.

What do you do when the import fails?

Open Contacts → Bulk Actions, find your import, and click Show Stats. HighLevel’s Bulk Actions guide, updated March 23, 2026, names Download as the error-log control. HighLevel describes failed-record identifiers and actionable reasons as the error log’s typical contents.

1. Enter the sub-account where you ran the import, then open Contacts → Bulk Actions.
2. Locate the import and click Show Stats. Review successful records and failures, then open the Error tab described in the import guide.
3. Use Download to save the error log. Correct the affected identifiers, field formats, or mappings and retry the failed rows.

Do not treat Restore as an import rollback for your list. The Bulk Actions guide reserves it for eligible contact deletions, and the opportunity-import guide says completed opportunity imports have no one-click undo. Test a small sample before processing a large contact-and-opportunity file.

What does a HighLevel account cost for your contact list?

Your monthly subscription and messaging usage are separate charges. HighLevel list price as of October 9, 2026: Starter is $97 a month, Unlimited is $297 a month, and Agency Pro is $497 a month, according to the pricing page. The page lists unlimited contacts on all plans, which does not remove the documented CSV file-size limits.

Compare Starter, Unlimited, and Agency Pro before you choose a monthly subscription. For sub-account administration, read your contract and follow the sub-account transfer guide. Check your messaging usage rates separately from those pricing plans.

Start your own HighLevel account through our link and you pay HighLevel directly, from $97 a month. We earn a commission from HighLevel at no extra cost to you. HighLevel’s pricing page lists a 14-day free trial on any plan.

FAQ: CSV contact imports in HighLevel

What CSV format, columns, and file limits does HighLevel require?

HighLevel’s February 25, 2026 CSV-format guide accepts MM/DD/YYYY, YYYY/MM/DD, MM-DD-YYYY, and YYYY-MM-DD for date fields, and you should use one format consistently. Your file must be .csv with one sheet and a header row matching standard or existing custom fields. For new contacts, include at least First Name, Email Address, or Phone Number. The February 25 guide lists a 30 MB maximum, while the March 24, 2026 getting-started guide permits up to 50MB, so keep your file below the smaller limit.

Why is HighLevel saying my import has unmapped fields?

Map each spreadsheet column to a destination field, or exclude that column from your import. The combined import guide names Don’t import data for unmapped columns as the option for intentionally omitted data. Map mandatory fields before proceeding.

How do I stop a CSV import from creating duplicate contacts?

HighLevel merges existing contacts matched by email or phone, while repeated identifiers within your CSV need separate cleanup. Use the Contact ID for an existing record, or an Email or Phone value that matches your Contact Deduplication Preferences. Remove or combine rows with repeated emails, phone numbers, Contact IDs, or other unique values before re-importing. The April 7, 2026 deduplication guide adds that changes in that panel apply automatically without a Save or Update Information button.

How do I add tags, workflows, and opportunities during an import?

At the initial selection, choose Contacts + Opportunities. At review, add tags or enroll the imported contacts in a workflow. For an Opportunities-only import, the September 17, 2026 guide requires Contact ID, Opportunity Name, and Pipeline in each row. Create your pipelines, applicable stages, and Opportunity custom fields first, because those custom fields are separate from Contact custom fields.

Can I text or email imported contacts, and what will it cost?

After you confirm permission, budget for the published email and SMS usage charges. The LC Email guide, updated August 20, 2026, lists $0.675 per 1,000 emails across all plans and charges for incoming and outgoing mail, including To, CC, and BCC recipients. The phone pricing guide, updated September 29, 2026, lists US and Canada inbound and outbound SMS at US$0.00747 per segment, plus carrier fees. If an agency manages your account, request its actual usage rates before enrolling the list.

How do I fix import errors or clean up a bad import?

For failed rows, open Contacts → Bulk Actions → Show Stats → Download, correct the listed problems, and re-import only those rows. For accidental deletions during your cleanup, HighLevel’s restoration guide, updated September 22, 2026, gives eligible deleted contacts a 60-day recovery window. For an eligible bulk deletion, use Contacts → Bulk Actions → the deletion job’s three-dot menu → Restore, then confirm Restore. The guide states that accounts it describes as HIPAA-compliant do not permit restoration.