A Step-by-Step Guide to Importing and Tagging Your Entire Contact List in Keap

For any B2B company leveraging Keap, the effectiveness of your CRM hinges entirely on the quality and organization of your contact data. A messy, untagged contact list can cripple your marketing efforts, lead to missed opportunities, and severely limit your ability to automate critical business processes. This guide provides a clear, actionable roadmap to import your entire contact list into Keap while implementing a strategic tagging system from the outset. By following these steps, you’ll transform raw data into a powerful asset, enabling precise segmentation, targeted campaigns, and robust automation workflows that save your team significant time and drive tangible ROI.

Step 1: Prepare and Cleanse Your Contact Data

Before initiating any import, the integrity of your data is paramount. Begin by compiling all your contact information into a single CSV (Comma Separated Values) file. Scrutinize this file for duplicates, inconsistencies, and missing critical information. Ensure each contact has a unique identifier, and standardize data formats for elements like phone numbers, email addresses, and dates to prevent import errors. Remove any unnecessary columns that don’t add value to your Keap records. A clean, well-organized CSV is the foundation for a successful Keap import, preventing future headaches related to data hygiene and ensuring your marketing and sales efforts are built on reliable information.

Step 2: Navigate to Keap’s Import Function

With your polished CSV file ready, log into your Keap account. The import process is designed to be intuitive but knowing exactly where to go saves time. From your Keap dashboard, locate and click on the “Contacts” section in the main navigation. Within the Contacts area, you’ll typically find an “Import Contacts” option, often presented as a button or a menu item. Selecting this will launch Keap’s import wizard, which will guide you through the subsequent steps of uploading your file and configuring the import settings. This initial navigation is crucial for getting started on the right foot, ensuring you utilize Keap’s native tools for optimal integration.

Step 3: Map Your CSV Fields to Keap Fields

This is a critical stage where you align the columns in your CSV file with the corresponding fields in Keap. The Keap import wizard will display your CSV headers on one side and available Keap contact fields on the other. Carefully review each column from your file and drag-and-drop or select the appropriate Keap field it should map to (e.g., ‘First Name’ from CSV to ‘First Name’ in Keap). If you have unique data points in your CSV that don’t have a direct Keap equivalent, you’ll have the option to create custom fields directly within the import process. Accurate field mapping ensures that all your valuable data is correctly attributed and searchable within Keap.

Step 4: Strategically Apply Tags During Import

Tagging your contacts during the import process is a powerful strategy for immediate segmentation and automation. Rather than importing a monolithic list, think about the key attributes that define these contacts. Are they leads from a specific event? Existing clients? Prospects from a particular industry? Keap allows you to apply one or more tags to all contacts in your import file. Leverage this to categorize your data from day one. Creating descriptive, future-proof tags (e.g., “Source: Webinar_Q1_2024”, “Client_Tier_A”, “Prospect_Legal”) will lay the groundwork for highly targeted campaigns and efficient automation, avoiding the manual tagging efforts later.

Step 5: Review Import Settings and Initiate Import

Before finalizing the import, Keap will present you with a summary of your selections. This is your last opportunity to review the field mapping, check your chosen duplicate handling rules (e.g., overwrite existing contacts, update specific fields, or create new records), and confirm the tags you’ve applied. Pay close attention to these settings to prevent unintended data loss or duplication. Once satisfied, click the “Start Import” or “Process File” button. Keap will then begin processing your CSV, integrating your contacts and their associated data into your CRM. Depending on the size of your list, this process might take a few moments or longer.

Step 6: Verify Imported Contacts and Refine Tags

After the import completes, it’s essential to verify its success. Navigate to your Keap contacts list and perform a few spot checks. Search for specific names from your imported list, check a few random contact profiles to ensure all data fields are correctly populated, and most importantly, verify that the tags you assigned during the import are present. If you notice any anomalies or realize you need to add more granular tags, Keap offers robust tools for bulk editing and adding tags post-import. This verification step ensures data accuracy and helps you fine-tune your segmentation strategy for maximum impact.

Step 7: Activate Your Segmented Data for Business Growth

With your contacts successfully imported and strategically tagged in Keap, the real work of leveraging this organized data begins. Your now-segmented list is primed for targeted marketing campaigns, automated follow-up sequences, and personalized communications. Use your tags to create specific Keap segments for email broadcasts, assign contacts to different sales pipelines, or trigger automated tasks based on their attributes. This level of organization reduces manual effort, increases the relevance of your outreach, and provides valuable insights into your customer base, directly contributing to improved engagement, conversion rates, and overall business growth.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Keap CRM Data Protection: Essential Backup and Recovery for Business Continuity