To import leads to your campaign via Google Sheet, please follow these steps:
Step 1: Prepare Your Google Sheet
Before importing, format your sheet correctly to avoid upload issues:
Open your Google Sheet with lead data
Select all rows and columns: CTRL/CMD + A
Click Format > Number > Plain text
Make your sheet publicly accessible:
Click Share in the top right
Change access to "Anyone with the link"
Step 2: Access the Upload Interface
Go to your campaign's Leads section
Click "Add Leads"
Select Google Sheets
Copy and paste your Google Sheet URL into the import field
Step 3: Map Your Columns
Instantly will automatically detect your file's columns and suggest variable mappings. Review and adjust as needed:
Column Mapping Options
Select Type – Use the dropdown menu to map each column:
Email – Map your email column to the predefined "Email" variable (required)
Predefined variables – Map to standard fields like First Name, Last Name, Company Name, etc.
Custom variable – Map personalized columns as custom variables for use in your email sequences
Do Not Import – Skip columns you don't need
Important: The Email column is mandatory and must be mapped correctly.
Step 3: Configure Upload Settings
Check for Duplicates Across All Campaigns/Lists
✅ Checked (recommended): Prevents uploading leads that already exist in another campaign or list
❌ Unchecked: Allows duplicate leads across different campaigns or lists
Verify Leads
✅ Checked: Verify leads using Instantly Credits (0.25 credits per lead)
❌ Unchecked: Skip verification
If you don't have enough credits, you'll be prompted to upgrade to an Instantly Credits plan.
Step 4: Complete the Upload
Click "Upload all" to import your leads. What happens next:
You'll see a notification if any leads are missing email addresses or have invalid email formats: X missing or invalid email(s)
The upload completes within a few minutes
Lead count updates within 5 minutes
You'll see a notification if duplicate leads are skipped during upload: Contacts uploaded! X email(s) already exist
Google Sheets Requirements
Before importing, please ensure your sheet meets these requirements:
Required Format
Email column is required: Every row must have an email address in the standard format([email protected])
Column headers in first row
First row must contain column names (not data)
Column names should start with capital letters
No duplicate column names
Maximum 20 characters per column name
Plain text formatting
Format all data as plain text to prevent conversion errors
Select all cells > Format > Number > Plain text
Sharing Settings
Sheet must be publicly accessible
Set sharing to "Anyone with the link"
Formatting Guidelines
Column limits
Maximum 50 variables per upload
Remove any extra empty columns
Data formatting
Split any grouped or merged rows
Remove Boolean values (TRUE/FALSE) – Google Sheets returns these as Boolean instead of text
Remove extra whitespace from cells
No duplicate column names
