Generate a sample import file

Under More actions, select Download template for a sample Excel file with the columns the Contacts import expects.

Use it as a base to prepare your data: keep the headers and don’t add columns the template doesn’t include — see what each column corresponds to in Formatting import files. Once it’s filled in, upload it with Importing records for a single object.

What’s inside the file. The Excel file (datamap.xlsx) has three sheets — see Understanding the import tool for what each one does. For Contacts you only need to fill in the Contact sheet; if you’re loading more than one object in the same file, see Importing records for multiple objects.

The README sheet doesn’t explain the template

The file ships a README sheet, but its contents don’t describe how to fill the template in: they’re environment instructions for loading via the API (brew install node jq curl, npm install -g nodemon) and a sample command pointing at modelName=product, whichever module you downloaded from. It’s already been reported. Ignore it: what you need is on the object’s sheet and in Formatting import files.