Bulk Importing Client Contacts

Discovery's Bulk Import option enables the rapid creation of multiple Client Contacts, provided all necessary client data is organized into an Import template file*. All Import template files are included in a single downloadable file available for download on the Bulk Imports page under Settings.

Import Template Fields


The provided Import template file (clients.csv) needs to retain all fields (columns), in no particular order, even if the fields are not required.

The following fields are required to have data for each Client Contacts record:

  • client_company_id** | Generated by Discovery upon Vendor creation**.
  • first_name
  • last_name
  • is_decision_maker | Must be one of the following (0 for No, 1 for yes):
    • 0
    • 1
  • email | Must be a valid email address. Required only when all phone number fields are empty.
  • primary_phone_number | Must be a valid phone number containing only digits. Required only when all other phone number fields and email field are empty (e.g. 'xxxxxxxxxx').
  • alternative_phone_number | Must be a valid phone number containing only digits. Required only when all other phone number fields and email field are empty.
  • mobile_phone_number | Must be a valid phone number containing only digits. Required only when all other phone number fields and email field are empty.
  • fax_phone_number | Must be a valid phone number containing only digits. Required only when all other phone number fields and email field are empty.
  • office_phone_number | Must be a valid phone number containing only digits. Required only when all other phone number fields and email field are empty.

The following fields are optional and do not require data for each record:

  • location_id** | Generated by Discovery upon Location creation**.
    • If entering more than one location, use a colon (:) to separate them.
  • title
  • notes
  • external_reference_id

Most Import template files can leverage an external reference ID. This allows you to utilize existing reference labels from your current database or system for all entities in Discovery (vendors, locations, clients, etc.). Moreover, external reference ID's can be substituted for required "_id" fields in Discovery's Import templates allowing for faster importation of data. To learn more about how external reference ID's are used, please see the External Reference ID's article.

Once all Vendor Contacts records have been added, upload the Import template file using the New button on the Bulk Imports page under Settings. For more on how to do this, please visit the Bulk Imports Overview help document.

*Import file name and its column headers cannot be edited.


**When any ID field is required (_id), this indicates an ID that is generated and assigned by Discovery to a unique entity. You'll need to retrieve these ID's from Discovery. The general method to retrieve ID's in bulk is through a Custom Report. Please see the Export ID's with Custom Reports article covering how to generate a Custom Report to retrieve specific entity ID's.

If you have additional questions or need more in depth information, please feel free to send us a message using the help beacon in the lower right-hand corner.

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