Prepare phone numbers for a Pipedrive import
Prepare phone numbers for a Pipedrive import: keep source IDs, format mixed-country data as E.164 and review invalid values and duplicates.
Pipedrive imports are easier to control when phone values are already consistent and each source row can be traced back to its original record. E164Flow creates a local staging export with the original fields plus the cleaned values.
How do I start this workflow?
Keep the source file, confirm the phone and country fields, and review the results before choosing the import layout.
- Export the source data with a stable person or organisation ID.
- Use the country field for mixed lists and review warnings row by row.
- Import the unique, valid result through Pipedrive’s normal spreadsheet importer.
Why should shared phone numbers keep separate record IDs?
The record ID identifies the person or organisation you intend to update. A shared phone number does not replace that identity, even when both rows produce the same formatted number.
| Person system ID | Source phone | Country | Generated phone | Review decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | 020 7946 0018 | GB | +442079460018 | Keep this person's ID |
| 102 | +44 20 7946 0018 | GB | +442079460018 | Review shared number; keep the second ID |
| 103 | 041 123 456 | SI | +38641123456 | Map the reviewed phone field |
The IDs are examples, not IDs to use in a real import. Export the correct Pipedrive System ID for the item type you are updating. Decide whether the file represents people, organisations or other records before choosing its identifier and field mapping.
Which Pipedrive ID belongs in an update spreadsheet?
Use the Pipedrive System ID for the existing item you intend to update. Keep the record type clear so a person's identifier is not confused with an organisation's identifier.
Pipedrive documents using system IDs to update data from a spreadsheet. Export those identifiers from the intended records and preserve them during phone cleanup. Do not replace a missing ID with a row number, a newly invented reference or a name that happens to resemble the contact.
E164flow keeps source fields available and can include a selected record ID in the export layout. It does not verify that the ID exists in your Pipedrive account. Compare a few IDs with their source records before importing, especially when the workbook joins people and organisations or came from several exports.
What if a phone cell contains labels or two numbers?
Give each phone value its own source field before expecting a reliable conversion. Do not treat a cell containing several numbers or free-form notes as one ordinary phone number.
A field such as Call the office on +44 followed by another number mixes data and instructions. E164flow deliberately avoids extracting an arbitrary number from that prose. Split or correct the values against the source so the selected phone columns contain the inputs you actually mean to review.
You can check up to 10 phone columns together. Keep their original names and confirm the mapping in the import preview, then review each result with its source row and column. An extension can remain attached to its source number for parsing, but the exported base number and extension are separate fields.
How should mixed-country contacts be formatted?
Use a country column for national numbers from different countries. Use one default country only where the source supports that assumption, and let explicit international prefixes retain their meaning.
A British national number and a Slovenian national number can both start with zero, but that does not give the two strings the same country context. Keep the country value beside the source phone during review. A missing or ambiguous country is a question to resolve, not a reason to guess from the company address.
Test a small group that includes different countries, an empty country and a number already beginning with +. Read mismatch warnings before approving results. Formatting and numbering-rule validation do not establish ownership, current availability or permission to contact someone, so keep those checks separate from the file-preparation task.
How do I review duplicate numbers without merging people?
Use duplicate references to inspect the file, not to decide automatically that two people are one record. Keep both system IDs until you have resolved the business meaning of the shared value.
A shared switchboard can belong on several contacts, while the same person's Phone and Mobile fields may repeat a number accidentally. The source row and source column show where the match occurred. Different extensions are considered separately in the extension-aware duplicate check.
Choose the export selection deliberately. Ready results suit a reviewed import, while a full report helps investigate invalid values, warnings and matches. A unique-number export can remove repeated phone endpoints from a file, but it is not a replacement for Pipedrive's record-matching rules or a decision about which person should be retained.
How do I map the reviewed output back to Pipedrive?
Map the retained system ID and the intended generated phone fields in Pipedrive's spreadsheet import. Keep unrelated source fields out of an update when they are not meant to change.
Use Customize export columns to choose a focused layout and set clear headers. The CRM shortcut includes an ID, E.164 fields and extensions as a starting point. Check whether the destination field can represent the extension as you intend instead of appending it blindly to a base E.164 value.
Review the first rows of the actual export layout before download. XLSX preserves the exported values as text cells. CRM CSV keeps + in generated phone fields, while the spreadsheet-safe CSV option may prefix risky-looking values with an apostrophe. Keep those formats distinct when checking the importing system's preview.
What should I do before importing the complete contact list?
Import a small, representative sample and compare the resulting Pipedrive records with the source file. Check identifiers and phone fields, not only the import's completion message.
Include a reviewed national number, an explicit international number and a shared-number case. Confirm that each intended record was updated, that no unexpected new item appeared, and that the plus sign and extension treatment match your plan. Investigate any skipped row using the original identifier and the destination's error information.
Repeat the same reviewed mapping for the larger file only after that check. E164flow supports 50 rows per file on a free account and 20,000 on Pro; a guest can preview 25 pasted numbers. It processes the contact data in the browser and prepares an export. The actual Pipedrive import remains a separate action in your account.
Which primary sources support this workflow?
Use the underlying standard or the destination's own documentation when checking a numbering rule or an import requirement.
What should I check before the final import?
Compare a small sample with the source and the destination, then use this checklist to review the complete file.
- Do not remove the source ID column.
- Treat extensions as separate data where your CRM supports them.
- Test the mapping with a handful of records before a larger import.
Start with the data you have.
Try sample contacts without an account. Create a free account to map your contact fields, check duplicates and export up to 50 contact rows.