Import clients from a CSV
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In the next minute I'll show you how to bring your existing clients into the NLS CRM from a spreadsheet. In your CRM, click Import clients, next to Add Client. Your file needs to be a CSV. The easiest way to start is our template: click Download the template. It has five columns: Name, Email, Phone, Notes and Property ref.
Read it as a guide
Questions about this
Where do I import my clients into the CRM?
Open your CRM and click Import clients, next to Add Client. A window opens where you choose your file, check how its columns are matched, and import.
Is there a template for importing clients?
Yes. Download it here: https://thenls.com/?nls-import-template=1
It is also linked inside the import window as Download the template (CSV). It has five columns: Name, Email, Phone, Notes and Property ref, with three example rows you can replace with your own clients.
What file format does the client import need?
A CSV file. Commas or semicolons both work (Excel in Spanish saves CSV with semicolons), and a value in quotes can contain commas. Excel files (.xlsx) need saving as CSV first.
How do I get my clients out of Excel or Google Sheets?
In Excel: File, then Save As, and choose CSV. In Google Sheets: File, then Download, then Comma-separated values (.csv). Then choose that file in Import clients.
Starting from scratch? Fill in our template: https://thenls.com/?nls-import-template=1
What does each client row need?
A name, plus an email or a phone number. Notes and Property ref are optional. A row without a name, or without both an email and a phone, is skipped and listed in the summary.
How many clients can I import at once?
Up to 2,000 clients per file. A larger file stops at 2,000, so split it into files of 2,000 rows or fewer and import them one after the other.
My spreadsheet uses different column headings. Will it still work?
Yes. The NLS matches common headings for you (for example Full name or Nombre for Name; E-mail or Correo for Email; Mobile, Tel, Teléfono or WhatsApp for Phone; Comments or Notas for Notes; Ref or Referencia for Property ref). You can change any match from its list, or choose — not in my file —. Import only switches on once Name, and an Email or a Phone, are matched.
Who do imported clients belong to?
To you. Every imported client is added to your own CRM and assigned to you, and is marked as coming from a CSV import.
What if a client in my file is already in my CRM?
They are updated, not duplicated. A row whose email or phone matches one of your existing clients updates that client, and the summary counts it as already in your CRM. Only your own clients are checked: other agents' clients are never matched or changed. So it is safe to import the same file twice.
Why were some rows skipped?
The summary lists up to 10 reasons, such as "Row 4: needs a name plus email or phone." or "Row 5: invalid email." Fix those rows in your file and import it again: clients already added are updated, not duplicated.
