Pipedrive does not accept VCF files. It imports from CSV and Excel (XLS/XLSX) only. To get VCF contacts into Pipedrive: convert the VCF to CSV using a converter tool or Google Contacts, then go to “…” (More) > Import data > From a spreadsheet, upload the CSV and map columns to Pipedrive’s People, Organization and Deal fields. Pipedrive supports files up to 50 MB with a maximum of 50,000 rows.
Introduction
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM built around visual deal pipelines. It stores contacts as two linked entity types: People (individual contacts) and Organizations (companies). If you have contact data in VCF format from phones, email clients, or other platforms, you need to convert to CSV or Excel before importing because Pipedrive only reads tabular file formats.
This guide covers the complete workflow from VCF conversion through Pipedrive import, including the field mapping, duplicate handling, and skip file features that make Pipedrive’s import system more capable than many competing CRMs. Pipedrive also supports importing contacts together with deals, activities and notes in a single operation, which we cover in the import types section.
Why Pipedrive Only Accepts CSV and Excel
Pipedrive’s data model is structured around People, Organizations, Deals, Activities, and Notes with typed fields (text, phone, email, monetary, date, etc.). CSV and Excel files map to this structure naturally because each column can be matched to a specific field. VCF files use a property-based format with features like embedded photos, grouped properties and multiple values per field that do not align with Pipedrive’s flat-field architecture.
The conversion from VCF to CSV is a one-time step. Standard contact fields (names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, companies, job titles) transfer cleanly. Fields unique to VCF (embedded photos, vCard version markers, X-properties) are lost during conversion. For detailed conversion guidance, see our VCF to CSV guide.
Step 1: Convert VCF to CSV
Option A: Univik vCard Converter. Open Univik vCard Converter, load your VCF file, select CSV as the output, choose the fields to export, and run the conversion. Naming your output columns to match Pipedrive’s default field names (Person – Name, Person – Email, Person – Phone, Organization – Name) simplifies the mapping step.
Option B: Google Contacts. Import the VCF into Google Contacts (contacts.google.com > Import), then export as Google CSV (Export > Google CSV). This creates a clean CSV with standard column headers.
Option C: Pipedrive sample spreadsheet. Pipedrive provides a sample import spreadsheet template with color-coded columns and field descriptions. Download it from Pipedrive’s knowledge base, copy your converted VCF data into the template and the column headers will already match Pipedrive’s expected format perfectly.
Step 2: Prepare the CSV for Pipedrive
Before importing, check that your CSV meets Pipedrive’s requirements and formatting guidelines.
File limits. Maximum file size is 50 MB. Maximum row count is 50,000 per spreadsheet. If your VCF file exceeds these limits after conversion, split the CSV into multiple files.
Remove formulas. If the CSV was edited in Excel or Google Sheets, ensure no formulas remain in the cells. Copy and paste values into a clean spreadsheet if needed. Pipedrive imports cell values, not formula results, so a cell containing =A2&" "&B2 will import the formula text rather than the merged name.
Single tab only. If your spreadsheet has multiple tabs, Pipedrive imports only the selected tab. Ensure the correct tab with contact data is active when you upload the file.
Custom fields. If your CSV has columns that do not match any default Pipedrive field (like “Lead Source”, “Industry”, or “Birthday”), create custom fields in Pipedrive before importing. Go to Settings > Data fields > Person (or Organization) > Add custom field. You can also create custom fields directly during the mapping step of the import process.
Step 3: Import into Pipedrive
Log into your Pipedrive account. Click “…” (More) in the left navigation menu, then select Import data. Choose From a spreadsheet. Click “Get started” and select your CSV or Excel file from your computer, or drag and drop it into the upload area.
Pipedrive reads the file and shows a brief overview of the detected data. If the spreadsheet has multiple tabs, select the correct one. Click Next to proceed to the mapping screen.
Step 4: Map Columns to Pipedrive Fields
The mapping screen shows each CSV column header alongside a dropdown where you select the corresponding Pipedrive field. Each field has an icon indicating its entity type: a person icon for People fields, a building icon for Organizations, a handshake icon for Deals and so on.
| CSV Column (from VCF) | Pipedrive Field | Entity | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Person – Name | Person | Yes (if importing people) |
| Person – Email | Person | No (used for dedup) | |
| Phone | Person – Phone | Person | No |
| Company | Organization – Name | Organization | Yes (if importing orgs) |
| Address | Organization – Address | Organization | No |
| Job Title | Custom field (create first) | Person | No |
| Notes | Note – Content | Note | No |
A few mapping details to note: “Job Title” is not a default Pipedrive field. You must create it as a custom Person field before (or during) mapping. Address in Pipedrive belongs to the Organization entity, not the Person entity, which differs from how VCF stores addresses. If you map a Company column to “Organization – Name”, Pipedrive automatically creates Organization records and links them to the imported People.
Duplicate Detection and Merging
Pipedrive handles duplicates better than many CRM platforms. During import, if Pipedrive finds records in the spreadsheet that match existing data in your CRM (based on name, email, or phone), it merges the duplicate entries into a single record. New field values from the import are added to the existing record, and Pipedrive keeps the most complete version of the contact.
Pipedrive also detects duplicates within the import file itself. If two rows in your CSV have the same email address, Pipedrive merges them during import rather than creating two separate People records. This automatic merging is one of Pipedrive’s strongest import features and reduces the need for manual cleanup after import.
If you want to prevent merging and create separate records for all rows (even potential duplicates), there is no option to disable this behavior in the standard import. Pipedrive always attempts to merge based on matching identifiers.
What You Can Import Together
Pipedrive’s import system can create multiple entity types from a single spreadsheet. Before starting the import, consider what data you want to bring in:
Contacts only. Import People and Organizations with no deals. Each row creates a Person record, and if a Company column is mapped, corresponding Organization records are created and linked automatically.
Contacts with open deals. Include a Deal Title column in your CSV. Pipedrive creates a deal for each row and links it to the imported Person and Organization. You can also include deal value, pipeline stage, and expected close date columns.
Contacts with deals and activities. Add columns for activity type, due date and subject. Pipedrive creates scheduled activities linked to each deal.
Contacts with notes. Map a column to “Note – Content” to attach a note to each imported Person or Deal.
For VCF imports, the most common scenario is contacts only (People and Organizations). If your VCF file comes from a phone or email client, it typically contains names, emails, phones, companies and addresses but not deals or activities.
Understanding the Skip File
After import, Pipedrive generates a summary showing how many records were created, updated, or merged. If any rows could not be imported, Pipedrive creates a skip file that you can download. The skip file is a CSV containing the problematic rows along with an explanation column describing why each row failed.
Common skip reasons include: missing mandatory fields (Person – Name is empty), invalid email format, field type mismatch (text value in a numeric field), or unmatched picklist values. Fix the issues in the skip file and re-import it to capture the remaining records. This two-pass approach ensures no data is lost even if the initial import has errors.
Common Problems and Fixes
All contacts import without organization links. The Company column was not mapped to “Organization – Name”. Re-check the mapping screen and ensure the company column is mapped to the Organization entity (building icon), not a Person text field. Pipedrive only creates and links Organizations when the column is mapped to an Organization field.
Job titles or custom data not appearing after import. Pipedrive does not have a default “Job Title” field. Create it as a custom field before importing: go to Settings > Data fields > Person > Add custom field. Choose “Text” as the field type. Then re-run the import and map the Job Title column to the new custom field.
Phone numbers display incorrectly or import as numbers. If the CSV was edited in Excel, large phone numbers may appear in scientific notation (1.42E+10). Format the phone column as Text in Excel before saving the CSV. Alternatively, add an apostrophe prefix to phone values to force text treatment.
Import merges contacts that should be separate. Pipedrive merges records with matching email addresses or names. If two different people share the same name or email in your CSV, Pipedrive combines them into one record. Add distinguishing information (like a middle name or second email) to differentiate them before importing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Pipedrive import VCF files directly?
No. Pipedrive accepts only CSV and Excel (XLS/XLSX) files for data import. You must convert VCF to CSV before importing. The conversion can be done with a converter tool, Google Contacts (import VCF, export as CSV), or Pipedrive’s own sample spreadsheet template.
What is the maximum import file size in Pipedrive?
Pipedrive supports files up to 50 MB with a maximum of 50,000 rows per spreadsheet. There is no limit on the number of columns. If your contact list exceeds these limits, split it into multiple files and import each one separately.
Does Pipedrive automatically create Organizations from contact data?
Yes. If you map a CSV column to “Organization – Name” during import, Pipedrive creates an Organization record for each unique company name and links the imported People to their respective Organizations. If an Organization with the same name already exists, Pipedrive links the new contact to the existing Organization instead of creating a duplicate.
Can I undo a Pipedrive import?
Pipedrive provides a “Revert import” option after completing an import. This removes all records created by that specific import. The revert option is available in the import history (More > Import data > History). Use it if the import created incorrect records or if field mapping was wrong.
Does Pipedrive support importing contact photos?
No. Contact photos cannot be imported via CSV or Excel. Photos in the original VCF file are lost during VCF-to-CSV conversion. Person and Organization images in Pipedrive can only be added individually through the record detail view or via the Pipedrive API.
Conclusion
Last verified: February 2026. Import workflow tested on Pipedrive Essential, Advanced, and Professional plans. CSV import tested with files containing 50 to 10,000 contacts. Field mapping, duplicate merging, and skip file features tested per Pipedrive knowledge base at support.pipedrive.com.
Importing VCF contacts into Pipedrive follows a four-step process: convert VCF to CSV, prepare the CSV (remove formulas, verify single tab, create custom fields for non-default data), import via More > Import data > From a spreadsheet, and map columns to Pipedrive People and Organization fields. Pipedrive’s automatic duplicate merging and skip file features make it more forgiving than many CRMs during import. If any rows fail, download the skip file, fix the issues, and re-import to capture the remaining contacts.
Three things to check before importing: create custom fields first for data like Job Title that Pipedrive does not have by default, map Company to the Organization entity (building icon, not Person text field) so Pipedrive creates and links Organizations automatically, and remove Excel formulas by pasting values into a clean spreadsheet. Pipedrive’s duplicate merging handles the rest.
