CRM
Salesforce Leads CSV import requirements
Import leads into Salesforce with proper field mapping and format validation. Below are the 15 columns the import expects, including 2 required fields, the formats each one accepts, and the errors that most often cause a failed import.
Validate my Salesforce Leads CSV freeSalesforce Leads CSV columns
Header names are matched automatically — the “also accepted” names are mapped to the correct Salesforce Leads field. Dates should use the YYYY-MM-DD format.
| Column | Required | Type & rules | Also accepted headers |
|---|---|---|---|
| LastName | Yes | Text, max 80 characters | Last Name, last_name, surname, Surname, Last |
| FirstName | No | Text, max 40 characters | First Name, first_name, First, Given Name |
| Company | Yes | Text, max 255 characters | company, Company Name, company_name, Organization, Org |
| Title | No | Text, max 128 characters | Job Title, job_title, Position, Role |
| No | Email address | email, Email Address, email_address, E-Mail, e-mail | |
| Phone | No | Phone number | phone, Phone Number, phone_number, Tel, Telephone |
| LeadSource | No | PicklistAllowed: Web, Phone Inquiry, Partner Referral, Purchased List, Other | Lead Source, lead_source, Source |
| Industry | No | PicklistAllowed: Agriculture, Banking, Consulting, Education, Electronics, Energy, Engineering, Entertainment, Finance, Food & Beverage, Government, Healthcare, Hospitality, Insurance, Manufacturing, Media, Not For Profit, Recreation, Retail, Shipping, Technology, Telecommunications, Transportation, Utilities, Other | industry |
| Street | No | Text | street, Address, Street Address, address |
| City | No | Text | city |
| State | No | Text | state, State/Province, Province, Region |
| PostalCode | No | Text | Postal Code, postal_code, Zip, Zip Code, zip_code |
| Country | No | Text | country, Country/Region |
| Website | No | Web address (URL) | website, Web, URL, url |
| Description | No | Text, max 32,000 characters | description, Notes, notes |
Conditional rules
- When Phone is provided, Company is also required for Salesforce Leads.
Common Salesforce Leads import errors
- Column headers that don’t match Salesforce Leads field names (for example "last_name" instead of "LastName").
- Missing or empty required columns: LastName, Company.
- Invalid or mixed-case email addresses, stray spaces, and duplicate emails across rows.
- Phone numbers in inconsistent formats (dots, brackets, missing country codes).
- Picklist values that don’t exactly match the allowed options, including capitalization.
- Website values missing the http:// or https:// prefix.
- Values longer than the field’s maximum length, which the importer truncates or rejects.
- Hidden problems: wrong file encoding, a byte-order mark, extra blank rows, and leading or trailing whitespace.
How to check your file before importing
- Open the free validator and upload your CSV, TSV or Excel file — nothing leaves your browser.
- Choose Salesforce Leads and confirm the suggested column mapping.
- Review the four-layer report: structure, formats, content and cross-field rules.
- Apply one-click repairs, then download the clean file and import it.