If you already have a list of contacts, you can bring them into Dubsado all at once with a CSV file, and you can export your Dubsado contacts to a CSV whenever you need a copy of your list.
Before you import
A few things to check before you start an import:
You need a paid plan or an active trial. There's no limit on the number of contacts you can import.
Your file must be a
.csvfile. Spreadsheet formats like.xlsx(Excel) and.numbers(Numbers) aren't supported, so export those files to CSV first.The first row of your CSV must be a single header row, with one header per column and nothing above it.
Your file must be under 8MB. This is the only size limit; there's no cap on the number of contacts you can import at once.
Remove any duplicate contacts from your CSV before importing. Importing creates a new contact for every row, so a contact already in Dubsado gets duplicated. Dubsado doesn't detect or merge duplicates automatically.
Give your CSV clear column headers, like First name, Last name, Email, and Phone, before you import. Dubsado automatically matches your columns to Dubsado fields by their header names, which makes the mapping step faster.
Importing contacts from a CSV
Import and export both start from the Contacts list, so there's no separate import page to visit.
Navigate to Contacts in the left sidebar.
Click the Import CSV button (upload icon) at the top of the contacts list.
In the Import contacts dialog, select or drag in your CSV file. Only
.csvfiles are accepted, and the file must be under 8MB.Once your file is selected, Dubsado parses it automatically and opens an import dialog. The dialog's title reflects the number of contacts detected, and it has a Field Mapping section and a Preview section.
In Field Mapping, review each row's CSV Fields, Dubsado Fields, and Sample columns. Dubsado automatically matches your CSV columns to Dubsado fields by header name. Use the Dubsado Fields dropdown on any row to change or set the mapping. Available fields include:
Do not import
First name
Last name
Email (required)
Phone
Company
Address line 1
Address line 2
City
State/Province
Zip/Postal
Country
Notes
Any custom contact fields you've created
Check the Preview section, which shows the first three rows of your file so you can confirm the data lines up correctly.
Optionally, check Create a project for each new contact if you want Dubsado to create a project for every contact you import (see below).
Click the Import Contact(s) button (its label also shows the contact count) to open a confirmation dialog with the same count in its title. Confirm to complete the import, or click Cancel to back out.
Large lists can take a few minutes to finish importing.
Any CSV column left set to Do not import is skipped entirely, including its data. If you want to keep a column's data, map it to a Dubsado field, such as Notes, before importing.
At least one column must be mapped to Email. If none is mapped, Dubsado blocks the import with the message "Email field is required. Please map at least one column to the Email field."
Creating a project for each contact
Leaving Create a project for each new contact unchecked, the default, imports contacts into your contact list only, with no projects created. Checking it creates a project for each contact and adds Project title, Project start date, and Project end date as additional mapping options, along with any custom project fields you've created. If you have other project details to bring in, set those up as custom fields before you import.
Because this box applies to the whole import, it helps to split a mixed list into two CSV files and import them separately: bring in cold or past contacts with the box unchecked so they land in your contact list only, then import your active clients with it checked so each one gets a project. Keeping the two groups in separate files gives you more control over how each is set up.
Exporting your contacts
Exporting works similarly to importing, but in reverse: you choose which fields to include, and Dubsado generates a CSV of your contact list.
From the Contacts page, click the Export CSV button (download icon) at the top of the contacts list.
In the Export data to CSV dialog, review the Fields to export: section. All of your contacts are included in the export; the checkboxes here control which columns appear, not which contacts are exported.
Under Client details, check or uncheck the fields you want to include:
First name
Last name
Phone
Email
Address (includes Country, State, City, Location ZIP, Location line 1, and Location line 2)
Contact First Name
Contact Last Name
Contact Phone
Contact Email
Company Name
Company Phone
Company Email
Created date
If you've created custom contact fields, they appear in a second group, Custom mapped client fields. Check or uncheck any of those you want included.
Click Export to download the CSV, or Cancel to close the dialog without exporting.
The Contact First Name, Contact Last Name, Contact Phone, and Contact Email fields store an alternate point of contact you've added for that contact, such as a spouse, business partner, or assistant. They're separate from the primary contact's own name and details.
FAQ
My data isn't showing up correctly in the preview. What should I check?
Confirm your file is a real .csv, not .xlsx or .numbers, and export it to CSV first if needed. Make sure the first row is a single header row, with a header in every column and nothing above it. If it still won't parse, try again or switch to a different browser.
What if my contacts are in an Excel or Google Sheets file?
Export the spreadsheet as a CSV file first, then import that. Only .csv files are supported.
I need to import more than the standard fields. Can I?
Yes. Create custom contact fields, or custom project fields if you're also creating projects, before you import. Once they exist, they show up as mapping options in the Dubsado Fields dropdown.
What happens if I import a contact who already exists?
Importing creates a new contact for every row in your CSV, so an existing contact gets duplicated. Dubsado doesn't detect or merge duplicates, so remove them from your CSV before importing. If you do end up with a duplicate, review both contact profiles and delete the newly imported one. There's no way to merge two contacts.
How do I delete contacts I imported by mistake?
There's no "undo import" option. Sort your contact list by Created date to find the batch you just imported, then select those contacts and use the bulk Delete action. Contacts tied to a project can't be deleted until you remove those projects first.
Can I automatically start a flow on the contacts I import?
No, imports don't apply a flow automatically. Check Create a project for each new contact during import so each contact gets a project, then apply a flow to those projects afterward.
How do I import dates?
Map the CSV column to a date field. Project start date and Project end date map directly when you're creating a project for each contact. Other dates come in through custom contact fields.