Move from Spreadsheets to Hubspot CRM: Step-by-Step Guide

Transitioning from messy spreadsheets to a structured Hubspot CRM can transform how your team manages leads, pipelines, and sales forecasting. This guide walks you through preparing, importing, and optimizing your data so you can confidently replace manual tracking with an organized CRM system.

Based on the process outlined in the original HubSpot article at Spreadsheet to CRM, you will learn how to clean your data, map fields, and avoid common import pitfalls.

Why Move from Spreadsheets to Hubspot CRM

Spreadsheets are familiar and flexible, but they quickly break down as your sales motion grows. Moving to Hubspot CRM gives you a single source of truth for contacts, companies, deals, and activities.

Key reasons to switch:

• Real-time visibility into pipelines and revenue
• Standardized properties instead of inconsistent spreadsheet columns
• Automatic activity tracking (emails, calls, meetings)
• Cleaner reporting and forecasting for leadership

When your spreadsheet has become hard to maintain, it is time to centralize that data inside Hubspot.

Prepare Your Spreadsheet for Hubspot CRM

A clean spreadsheet makes your Hubspot import smoother and reduces rework. Before you upload anything, invest time in organizing and standardizing your data.

1. Audit your existing spreadsheet

Start by reviewing all tabs and columns in your current file.

• Identify which rows represent contacts, companies, or deals
• Remove duplicate tabs and outdated sheets
• Note any columns with mixed or unclear information

Your goal is to understand what should move into Hubspot and what can be archived.

2. Standardize column names for Hubspot properties

Hubspot CRM relies on well-defined properties. Rename spreadsheet columns so they clearly map to contact, company, or deal properties.

• Use names like First Name, Last Name, Email, Company Name, Phone Number
• For deals, include Deal Name, Amount, Deal Stage, Close Date
• Avoid vague headers like “Info” or “Notes 1” wherever possible

This step reduces confusion during the Hubspot import mapping process.

3. Clean and normalize your data

Data hygiene is critical before moving into Hubspot.

• Fix inconsistent capitalization (e.g., “usa” vs “USA” vs “United States”)
• Format dates consistently (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD)
• Standardize phone numbers and country codes
• Use consistent values for picklists like deal stages or lifecycle stages

Clean data on the spreadsheet now so you do not have to correct it record-by-record once it lives in Hubspot.

Design Your CRM Structure in Hubspot

Before you hit import, define the structure you will use inside Hubspot. This includes objects, pipelines, and properties.

4. Decide how you will use Hubspot objects

Hubspot CRM revolves around core objects:

• Contacts – people you sell to or communicate with
• Companies – organizations tied to those contacts
• Deals – opportunities in your pipeline
• Tickets – support issues, if you use service tools

Review your spreadsheet and determine which rows belong in each object. For example, lead lists will map to contacts, while revenue projections map to deals in Hubspot.

5. Align deal stages and pipelines with your spreadsheet

If your spreadsheet tracks stages such as “Prospect”, “Proposal Sent”, and “Closed Won”, convert those into deal stages in a Hubspot pipeline.

1. Open your Hubspot settings and navigate to Objects > Deals.
2. Create or edit a pipeline that reflects your sales process.
3. Match each spreadsheet stage to a stage in this pipeline.

Keeping the same logical flow helps your team adapt to Hubspot without losing context.

6. Create custom properties in Hubspot

Some spreadsheet columns will not match default properties in Hubspot. For those fields, create custom properties.

• Identify miscellaneous or unique columns (e.g., “Product Interest”, “Implementation Date”).
• In Hubspot settings, create custom properties for the relevant object.
• Choose appropriate field types (single-line text, dropdown, date picker, number).

Once created, these properties can be mapped directly during the import step.

Format Your File for a Successful Hubspot Import

With data cleaned and structure defined, you are ready to prepare an import-ready file for Hubspot.

7. Separate data into multiple files if needed

If your spreadsheet tracks multiple entities in one sheet, split them into dedicated files.

• One file for contacts
• One file for companies
• One file for deals

This separation matches how Hubspot handles objects and simplifies field mapping.

8. Ensure unique identifiers for matching records

Hubspot uses unique identifiers to associate records across objects.

• Use Email as the unique key for contacts whenever possible.
• Use Company Domain for companies.
• Include an Associated Contact or Associated Company column in your deals file.

These identifiers allow Hubspot to automatically associate deals with the right contacts and companies during import.

Import Your Spreadsheet into Hubspot CRM

Once everything is ready, you can bring your data into Hubspot using the guided import tool.

9. Use the Hubspot import wizard

1. Log into your Hubspot account.
2. Navigate to Contacts > Import (or the relevant object).
3. Select Start an import and choose File from computer.
4. Upload your CSV file for contacts, companies, or deals.
5. Specify whether the file contains one object or multiple associated objects.

The wizard will walk you through mapping each column to Hubspot properties.

10. Map spreadsheet columns to Hubspot properties

Hubspot will attempt to auto-match column headers with known properties. Review each mapping carefully.

• Confirm that required fields like email and company name are mapped correctly.
• Map any custom spreadsheet columns to your custom Hubspot properties.
• Skip columns that are not needed instead of forcing them into irrelevant fields.

When mappings are correct, complete the import and let Hubspot process the file.

Validate and Optimize Data Inside Hubspot

After the import finishes, verify that your CRM reflects the data you expect and start leveraging Hubspot tools for daily use.

11. Spot-check imported records

Open several contacts, companies, and deals to confirm:

• Key fields like email, lifecycle stage, amount, and deal stage are accurate
• Associations between contacts, companies, and deals are in place
• Custom properties display the right values

If you see systematic issues, you can correct them with another import or a bulk update inside Hubspot.

12. Train your team on new Hubspot workflows

To truly replace the spreadsheet, your team must adopt Hubspot for daily work.

• Show reps how to log calls, emails, and notes directly on contact records
• Use tasks and sequences to replace manual follow-up lists
• Leverage dashboards and reports instead of spreadsheet pivot tables

Encourage everyone to stop editing the old spreadsheet and rely fully on Hubspot for data entry and reporting.

Next Steps: Scale Your CRM with Hubspot

Once your initial import is stable, you can deepen your use of Hubspot with automation and integrations.

• Connect email and calendar to automatically sync activities
• Set up workflows to assign leads and update lifecycle stages
• Integrate forms and website tracking to capture new contacts directly into Hubspot

If you want help designing a scalable CRM architecture, you can work with specialists such as Consultevo, who focus on CRM and revenue operations improvements.

By following these steps to clean your spreadsheet, structure your data, and configure properties before the import, you will gain a reliable single source of truth in Hubspot CRM and move beyond the limits of manual spreadsheets.

Need Help With Hubspot?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Hubspot , work with ConsultEvo, a team who has a decade of Hubspot experience.

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