Before uploading leads, first check whether you still have available uploaded contact capacity in your workspace on the billing page. Your upload limit depends on your current email outreach plan.
To import leads to your campaign via CSV, please follow these steps:
Step 1: Access the Upload Interface
Go to your campaign's Leads section
Click "Add Leads"
Select CSV
Click to upload the CSV file from your device
Step 2: 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
CSV File Requirements
Before uploading, please ensure your CSV 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
File encoding
Save as UTF-8 format
In Excel: Export as "CSV UTF-8 (comma delimited)"
Formatting Guidelines
Column limits:
Maximum 50 variables per upload
Remove any extra empty or unnecessary columns
Data formatting
Split any grouped or merged rows
Remove Boolean values (true/false) – use text instead
Remove extra whitespace from cells
