HubSpot Data Import Guide (2025): Clean Links, Zero Guesswork
Getting companies and contacts into HubSpot isn’t hard—keeping associations intact and duplicates out is the real game. This guide gives you a practical flow you can repeat any time, plus a light cleanup routine so Sales, Marketing, and CS can trust the data.
HubSpot’s object model relies on record IDs to associate objects reliably. When you import Companies first, then pull their Company Record IDs back into your lead file, you give HubSpot an unambiguous key to connect every person to the correct account—no guesswork, no accidental dupes.
Prerequisites (quick checklist)
Your lead spreadsheet contains contacts and their company reference (e.g., Company Name and/or Domain).
You can export/import CSVs and use VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP.
You know the HubSpot properties you’ll map (standard + any custom you need).
Step-by-Step: From raw leads to cleanly associated records
1) Prepare a clean Company dataset from your lead file
Deduplicate company rows and keep a unique identifier—prefer Company Domain (normalize it: drop http/https, slashes, subpages).
Split addresses into standard fields (Street, City, Postal Code, Region/State, Country).
Add any enriched attributes you want on the Company.
2) Import Companies first into HubSpot
Import only Companies to let HubSpot create Company Record IDs for each.
Wait for processing to complete (large files can take minutes).
3) Export the Company Record IDs
In HubSpot, filter companies by Create date or Import name to target your new set.
Export at least: Company name, Domain, Company record ID (hs_object_id).
4) Enrich your lead file with those IDs
Open both sheets side by side:
Sheet 1: “Company Dataset with Record IDs” (your export)
Sheet 2: “Lead Dataset with Associated Companies” (contacts)
Use VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP on the Domain (or your chosen key) to bring the Company record ID into each contact row.
5) Validate your lookup
Spot-check 5–10 random rows and/or 2–5% of the file to confirm correct ID matches.
Ensure every contact now has a Company Record ID populated.
6) Export the updated Contacts file (CSV)
This is now your master import file for people—with the correct Company IDs included.
7) Import Contacts + Companies together (multi-object)
In HubSpot: Import → Start an import → From local → One file → Multiple objects (Contacts and Companies).
This mode lets HubSpot associate each Contact to the target Company via its ID.
8) Map your columns precisely
Map every contact field (First name, Last name, Email, Phone, etc.) to the right Contact property.
Map the Company Record ID column to “Associated company ID.”
Choose Create and update records to update existing contacts instead of duplicating them; always include Email as a unique identifier.
9) Post-import verification
In Contacts, filter for Associated company ID is known to confirm associations worked.
Open a few records and check the Company panel; validate a 2–5% sample.
Data hygiene: fix duplicates before they snowball
Clean data isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s what keeps routing, reporting, and forecasts trustworthy. Build a lightweight routine around HubSpot’s built-in tools, then escalate only when you need bulk power.
How to de-dupe (fast and safe)
In HubSpot go to CRM → Contacts → Actions → Manage duplicates (repeat for Companies).
Work through the suggested pairs: keep the record with the authoritative identifier (email for Contacts, primary domain for Companies).
Don’t auto-merge different legal entities (e.g., adidas.de vs. adidas.ch). Keep them separate and document why.
Need bulk edits and formatting fixes? Operations Hub Professional unlocks advanced cleanup—agree the rules with stakeholders first before you batch anything.
Common pitfalls (and quick fixes)
Using Company Name as the key Different spellings and suffixes create mismatches. Fix: key on Domain; use Name only as a helper.
Importing Contacts first You won’t have Company IDs and associations will break. Fix:import Companies first, then associate via ID.
Skipping the company re-export Without fresh Company Record IDs you can’t link at scale. Fix:export, then VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP IDs into the contact file.
Mapping the wrong field If your “Company Record ID” column isn’t mapped to Associated company ID, links will fail. Fix: double-check the mapping screen before you hit import.
Pro tips from the trenches
Normalize domains in your sheet (strip http://, https://, paths, and trailing slashes) before any lookups.
Batch by segment/region: import Companies in smaller sets so the re-export stays tidy and your VLOOKUP range is easy to manage.
Add a temporary import_batch column on both Companies and Contacts—makes validation, rollbacks, and audits painless.
Maintain a one-page runbook with filters used, export fields, the exact formulas, and mapping screenshots so anyone on the team can repeat the process safely.
TL;DR Recipe
Companies out of your lead file → Import to HubSpot
Companies exported with Record IDs → VLOOKUP back into the lead file
Contacts + Companies multi-object import → map Associated company ID
Verify associations and dedupe where needed
Follow this flow and you’ll land clean, associated data in HubSpot the first time—no duplicate chaos, no manual re-linking, no lost context.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to import companies first?
Yes. You need Record IDs to associate contacts cleanly.
Can I link by domain only?
You can, but Record ID is safer and future-proof.
What if many contacts don’t have emails?
Expect duplicates or enrich first—Email is the strongest de-dupe key.
We have multiple regions/brands—merge or separate?
Create a rulebook and reject duplicate suggestions that shouldn’t merge.
Do I need Ops Hub Pro?
Not for importing, but it accelerates bulk duplicate/formatting fixes.
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