topic Re: Need help with import in Sales Integrations

Need help with import

RJCampbell — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 21:15:32 GMT

Importing from another DB using Excel. I am importing Companies, Contacts and Notes. Import limited to two files. When I import Companies and Contacts, they associate properly, and all is good except I have no notes. When I import Companies and Notes, the subsequent import of Contacts does not associate with associated company. I see no import for notes only.

Anyone have a solution?

Re: Need help with import

karstenkoehler — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 07:40:22 GMT

Hi @RJCampbell,

You're not the first one to be confused by this. I found the sample files linked here very useful: https://knowledge.hubspot.com/crm-setup/set-up-your-import-file#multiple-objects-with-associations

I recently answered a similar query here: https://community.hubspot.com/t5/CRM/Importing-database-companies-and-contacts/td-p/428027

Could you report back if these two resources helped you solve the issue?

Hope this helps!

Re: Need help with import

RJCampbell — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 22:12:26 GMT

Do you know if it is possible to associate motes with companies father than contacts?

Re: Need help with import

karstenkoehler — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 04:04:50 GMT

Hi @RJCampbell,

Yes it is, please see the fourth bullet point, "Companies and notes sample spreadsheet", in this chapter of the knowledge base post. During the import process, select File from computer > One file > Multiple objects > Contacts + Notes.

Best regards

Re: Need help with import

RJCampbell — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 19:18:38 GMT

I uploaded Companies and Notes in the format to which you referred.
Some note loaded properly, but a large number of them were rejected for
invalid domain name. The domain name in the error message was not the
domain name in the input, and seems to be the name of a contact.
Contact names were not in the import file, but the did appear in notes
unrelated to the company in question.

I am wondering if commas in the notes field are a problem.

Re: Need help with import

karstenkoehler — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 04:19:21 GMT

Hi @RJCampbell,

That would be unusual – I haven't encountered any "incorrect" error messages in the import tool so far. Could you share a screenshot of a line of a line in the import file and the corresponding error message, pixelating the domain name?

I'd also recommend having a look at this older thread on how to format the domain names.

Which subscription level are you on? With Starter or higher, you could reach out to HubSpot support.

Best regards

Re: Need help with import

RJCampbell — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 17:45:38 GMT

Sorry, I can not post the file. It is not my data, and some of the
connections are sensitive.

However, I found the problem. It was my own dumb error - I imported the
wrong file.

One more question. I still need to import the notes that were in error.
Many do not have domain names on the HubSpot database. Is there a way I
can import the notes without creating duplicate company records for
those without domain names?

PS. I REALLY appreciate your taking time to help me.

Re: Need help with import

karstenkoehler — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 04:52:47 GMT

Hi @RJCampbell,

Yes, each record in HubSpot gets a record ID. This ID can be exported and used to identify contacts which do not have any other identifier. It should appear by default in an export of company records.

Add your notes to the exported file (as per the sample file I shared in an earlier post). During the import process, you can now tell HubSpot to update the existing records in HubSpot by ID:

Hope this helps!

Re: Need help with import

RJCampbell — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 16:54:36 GMT

Thank you. The client is a very low budget 503b using free version. So Hubspot tech support is not available. I appreciate your help so much

Re: Need help with import

karstenkoehler — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 19:13:30 GMT

Sure, happy to help!

Re: Need help with import

RJCampbell — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 23:38:38 GMT

This has gotten a little complicated. I have Contacts, Companies and
Notes. Many companies have no domain name. Is there a way to associate
contacts and companies by company name?

If not, If I import companies first and then export and insert company
IDs into the Contacts file, can I associate contacts to companies by
company ID?

Re: Need help with import

karstenkoehler — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 04:30:52 GMT

Hi @RJCampbell,

Since HubSpot can't automatically associate your company records with your contacts (because you're missing the company domain in the company import file), you have to make that information available in some other form. The only way (other than by company domain) that I know of would be by using a unique identifier column. (This unique identifier could be the company Name, as long as you follow the steps below.) Here are two import files for fictional records including such a column.

Contact file:

Company file:

Here's a quick screen recording for the import steps themselves:

(The legal basis of course should reflect the status of your records. For the purpose of this demonstration, I chose "not applicable". This post does not consitute legal advice.)

If you have a contacts file with notes, you would omit that notes column the first time around. (Here's a HubSpot example for what an import file of an object + notes should look like.) After the first import, you'd go back and re-import that contact file (HubSpot will not create additional contacts because of the email as unique identifier). This time, you select File from computer > One file > Multiple objects > Contacts + Notes.

Hope this helps!