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Grow | Importing Contacts Into Grow

Uploading your contact list is an important step to ensuring your database has all of your contacts and contacts lists you wish to import.

Written by Dave Yandel

1. Overview

  • Brief description of what bulk import/export allows gym operators to do

  • When to use this feature (migrating from another platform, adding a lead list, backing up contacts, etc.)

  • Link to related articles (e.g., Contacts Overview, Smart Lists, individual import/export deep-dives)

2. Before You Begin — CSV Requirements (currently missing from PushPress article)

This is the biggest gap compared to the GHL article. Add a dedicated pre-flight checklist:

  • Accepted format: CSV only (.csv) — not Excel (.xlsx) or Google Sheets exports without converting first

  • Required fields: Every contact record must include at least a phone number and/or email address (confirm which is truly required vs. recommended)

  • File size limit: Specify the max file size (GHL caps at 30 MB — confirm PushPress's limit)

  • One sheet only: The CSV must be a single sheet with no merged cells or extra tabs

  • Header row: First row must be column headers; at least one must map to a recognized Grow field

  • Phone number formatting: Specify expected format (e.g., +1XXXXXXXXXX vs. (XXX) XXX-XXXX)

  • Duplicate handling: Explain how the system handles records that already exist (merge, skip, or create duplicate)

3. Importing Contacts

3a. Preparing Your CSV File

  • Recommended column headers and how they map to Grow contact fields (a reference table would be ideal here)

  • Tips for cleaning data before import (removing special characters, ensuring consistent formatting)

  • Notes on custom fields if supported

3b. Steps to Import

  1. Navigate to Grow → Contacts

  2. Click the import icon (upward arrow) in the top menu

  3. Select and upload your .csv file

  4. Map your columns to Grow contact fields — explain the field mapping screen in detail:

    • What "Column Header From File" shows

    • What "Preview Information" shows

    • How to manually reassign a column if auto-mapping is incorrect

  5. Review the import summary (record count, any flagged errors)

  6. Confirm the import

3c. After Import

  • Where to find newly imported contacts

  • How to verify the import completed successfully

  • Recommended: Tag contacts during import so you can filter or bulk-delete them if something goes wrong (this is a key GHL tip worth adopting — it's the closest thing to an "undo")

4. Exporting Contacts

4a. Steps to Export

  1. Navigate to Grow → Contacts

  2. Select individual contacts using the checkbox on the left, or check the top-left box to select all

  3. Click the export icon in the bulk action menu

  4. Confirm and download the CSV file

4b. What Gets Exported

  • List which fields are included in the export file

  • Note any fields that are excluded (e.g., notes, activity history)

  • Clarify whether Smart List filters affect what gets exported

5. Permissions

  • Clarify which user roles can perform imports and exports (GHL restricts this to Admin — does PushPress have the same restriction?)

6. Troubleshooting & Common Issues (currently missing from PushPress article)

Issue

Resolution

Import fails or shows 0 records

Check that the file is .csv and has a valid header row

Contacts missing after import

Verify phone/email was included; check for formatting errors

Duplicate contacts created

Review duplicate-handling settings before re-importing

Wrong data in wrong fields

Re-import with corrected field mapping; use tag strategy to remove bad records

File too large

Split into smaller files and import in batches

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