You'll learn how to: Use Assist to upload a CSV file, auto-map columns, review duplicates, and bulk-import contacts or companies.
Time: 5-10 minutes.
Prereqs: Run an Assist workflow. A CSV file ready to import (contacts, companies, or activity data).
About the Import Data workflow
Assist's Import Data workflow handles the heavy lifting:
- You upload a CSV.
- Assist reads the file and previews the first few rows.
- Assist maps your CSV columns to Nynch fields automatically.
- Assist flags potential duplicates in your existing network.
- You review and approve the mapping and dedup decisions.
- Assist imports the data in one step.
Steps
- Open Assist (green sparkle in the sidebar or floating button).
- Click New chat.
- In the WORKFLOWS row, click Import Data.
- Click Upload CSV (or drag a file into the upload zone).
Select your file. The file size limit and accepted formats are .
- Assist previews the first few rows of your file.
- Review the Column Mapping section.
Assist shows a table:
| Your CSV Column | Nynch Field | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| first_name | Contact First Name | High |
| email_address | High | |
| role | Contact Title | Medium |
| company_name | Company Name | High |
Verify each mapping. If Assist got a column wrong (e.g., mapped "role" to "Department" instead of "Title"):
- Click the Nynch Field dropdown for that row.
- Pick the correct field from the list.
- Assist re-scores confidence as you adjust.
Fields marked "Low" confidence should be double-checked. If a column has no matching Nynch field, Assist offers to skip it or store it as a custom note.
- Review the Duplicate Detection section.
Assist compares incoming rows against your existing contacts. It flags potential matches by email, name, or company.
Example:
| CSV Row | Potential Match | Action |
|---|---|---|
| john@acme.com | John Smith (existing contact) | Skip this row / Import as new |
| jane@abc.io | New record | Import as new |
For each flagged row:
- Skip this row = don't import (use if it's a true duplicate).
- Import as new = add it anyway (use if it's a different person with a similar name).
- Merge = combine it with the existing record.
- Click Review & Import.
Assist shows a summary:
- X rows will be imported as new contacts.
- Y rows will be skipped (duplicates).
- Z rows will merge with existing records.
- Click Confirm Import.
The import runs. Assist logs progress and shows a completion message when done.
Your new data is now live in your network.
For manual imports or more control
If you need finer dedup control or prefer a step-by-step import, see CSV import step by step.
Tips
- Clean your CSV first: Remove blank rows, fix typos in headers, and ensure emails are unique within the file. Assist catches most issues, but cleaner input = faster imports.
- Start small: If you're importing 1000+ rows, try a test batch (100 rows) first. This helps you catch mapping mistakes before importing everything.
- Use consistent company names: If your CSV says "Acme Inc" and your network says "Acme Incorporated," Assist may not recognize the duplicate. Standardize company names in your CSV before importing.
If something goes wrong
- Symptom: "Upload fails with 'File too large.'" → Fix: Split your CSV into smaller batches (500-1000 rows each) and import separately.
- Symptom: "Column mapping shows 'Unmapped' for important columns." → Fix: Click the dropdown for that row and pick the matching Nynch field. If no match exists, you can store the data as a custom contact note.
- Symptom: "Assist flagged too many rows as duplicates." → Fix: Review the flagged rows. If they are truly different (e.g., two people at the same company), click Import as new for each. You can deduplicate later manually if needed.
- Symptom: "Import completed but some rows are missing." → Fix: Check Assist's completion message for rows that failed validation (e.g., rows with no email or name). Assist logs these in the import summary. Correct the source CSV and re-import those rows.
Related: CSV import step by step | Run an Assist workflow | Finding and fixing duplicates.