Why Sloose

Real data is never tidy. Your import tool shouldn't need it to be.

Basic importers assume one tidy file per record type, an id for every link, and values spelled exactly as your CRM spells them. Real files have none of that. So the work moves into the spreadsheet before the import, and that is the slow, risky part.

Here are the problems people search for when a CRM import goes wrong, each shown on a sample file, and how Sloose deals with it.

Import contacts and accounts at the same time

A list from an event has the company, the contact and the deal on one row. A basic import wants a separate file for each record type, and a way to link every contact and deal to its company.

In Sloose one sheet feeds the Accounts, Contacts and Deals modules in one import. Sloose works out that the company has to exist first. Each contact and deal is then linked to the company on its own row.

You choose how a company is matched against the companies you already hold, for example by its name or its website. A row whose company is already in your CRM links to that record, and a company on several rows becomes one account: a later row finds the account an earlier row made. Capitals don't count, but "Saltbush Solar Co." and "saltbush solar co" are a full stop apart, so tidy the name with a formula or they stay two.

One file, two ways

01-expo-leads-account-contact-deal-per-row.csv
ABCDEFGHI
1CompanyContactJob titleEmailMobileOpportunityValueStageExpected close
2Brightwater Joinery Pty LtdPriya RamanathanOperations Managerpriya.r@brightwater.example0491 570 156Workshop fit-out$48,500Quote sent15/11/2026
3Brightwater Joinery Pty LtdTom OkaforPurchasingtom@brightwater.example0491 570 157Spare parts contract$6,200Qualified30/11/2026
4Kestrel Ridge HireLena FischerOwnerlena@kestrelridge.example0491 570 158Fleet tracking pilot$12,000Discovery1/12/2026
5Saltbush Solar Co.Marcus BellProject Leadm.bell@saltbush.example0491 570 159Warehouse roof array$96,750Negotiation20/12/2026
Company, contact and deal on every row. Columns A, D and F each feed a different module. 3 more rows in the file.Download the sample CSV

Update existing records without creating duplicates

A list of changes arrives with the same person twice, once in capitals. A basic import offers one choice for the whole file: add, update or both, matched on one unique field.

In Sloose each module has its own rule for finding a record you already hold. The value it looks for can be a formula, so the email can be put in lower case first and PRIYA.R@… finds the record stored aspriya.r@….

You decide whether a record that is found is updated, and you can add a condition, such as "only when the file has a phone number and it differs". When a row finds several records, Sloose does not pick one for you. You choose to be asked, to skip the row, to create a new record, or to use the first.

Matching existing records, in the docs

07-contact-updates-with-duplicates.csv
ABCDEFG
1EmailFirst nameLast nameMobileCompanyAccount tierLast contacted
2priya.r@brightwater.examplePriyaRamanathan0491 572 549Brightwater JoineryGold30/09/2026
3PRIYA.R@BRIGHTWATER.EXAMPLEPriyaRamanathanBrightwater Joinery Pty LtdGold01/10/2026
4lena@kestrelridge.exampleLenaFischer-Brandt0491 572 665Kestrel Ridge HireSilver
5info@saltbush.exampleAccountsTeamSaltbush Solar Co.15/09/2026
6sam@tidewell.exampleSamNguyen0491 572 983Tidewell PlumbingBronze02/10/2026
7sam.nguyen@tidewell.exampleSamuelNguyen0491 572 983Tidewell PlumbingBronze02/10/2026
8grace@orchardlane.exampleGraceLiu0491 573 770Orchard Lane CateringPlatinum28/09/2026
The same person twice in different case, a changed surname, a shared inbox, one person with two addresses.Download the sample CSV

Split full names into first and last, and addresses in one cell

"WALSH, Connor", "mary-jane o'neill" and "Dr. Anna-Lena Schröder" in one Name column. Whole addresses in one cell, from five countries, one of them across three lines.

The AI proposes a formula where a field needs a split, a join or a change of case, built from functions such as split andproper. You see what the formula makes of every row before you accept it.

There is no built-in address parser. Each part of the address gets its own formula, which you write or ask the AI to write, and the results on your rows show you any row it gets wrong, so you can correct it before the import.

AI mapping

03i-contacts-international-names-and-addresses.csv
ABCDE
1NameCompanyAddressPhoneCountry
2WALSH, ConnorKestrel Ridge HirePO Box 118, Toowoomba QLD 4350+61 491 570 313AU
3mary-jane o'neillCopperleaf StudioLevel 3/88 Sample Rd Surry Hills NSW 2010(02) 5550 3302Australia
4OKAFOR, ChidiNorthgate Signs LtdUnit 7, 14 Example Road, Leeds LS1 4AP0113 496 0123UK
5Ms. Hannah PriceFernhill Bakery Ltd22 Placeholder Lane Bristol BS1 5TR07700 900456United Kingdom
6maria garcía lópezSolera Tapas LLC1200 Sample Ave Ste 300, Austin, TX 78701(512) 555-0142USA
7Dr. Anna-Lena SchröderBergmann Werkzeuge GmbHMusterstraße 12, 80331 MünchenDE
8Aroha NgataKauri Bay ToursPO Box 4021, Paihia 0247NZ
UK postcodes, a US ZIP, a German postcode before the city, a New Zealand PO box; phones with and without country codes.Download the sample CSV

Import date formats and picklist values that don't match

Registrations from seven countries: 04/03/2026 from Australia and 03/04/2026 from the United States are the same day. Leads where one state is written "N.S.W." and "new south wales", beside "Calif.", "ON" and "Bayern".

Dates

A formula can read each row's date in the order its country writes it, using the row's Country column. You see the date every row will become before anything is written. A value the formula cannot read, such as4 Mar 2026, is shown as it is, never guessed.

Picklists

Translate values matches each value to an option your CRM's field really has. A free matcher handles differences in case, spacing, punctuation and accents. For the rest, such as "Tassie" for Tasmania, you can ask the AI, and every option it names is checked against the field's real options.

Fixing values with AI mapping

04i-registrations-international-mixed-date-formats.csv
ABCDEF
1Registration IDCountryAttendee emailRegisteredSession dateFee paid
2R-2001Australialena@kestrelridge.example04/03/202612/05/2026A$250.00
3R-2002United Statesmaria@solera.example03/04/202605/12/2026$165.00
4R-2003Germanya.schroeder@bergmann.example04.03.202612.05.2026150,00 €
5R-2004United Kingdomchidi@northgate.example4 Mar 202612 May 2026£130.00
6R-2005New Zealandaroha@kauribay.example2026-03-042026-05-12NZ$275
The same two dates written the Australian, US, German, UK, ISO and Japanese way, an Excel serial, fees in six currencies. 3 more rows in the file.Download the sample CSV
05i-leads-international-states-and-sources.csv
ABCDEF
1First nameLast nameCompanyCountryState / regionLead source
2MarcusBellSaltbush Solar Co.AustraliaN.S.W.google
3GraceLiuOrchard Lane CateringAUnew south walesAdwords
4RaviPatelWillowmere Dental GroupAustraliaTassieLinkedIn
5MariaGarcíaSolera Tapas LLCUSCalif.Google Ads
6DanaWhitfieldLakeside Rowing ClubUSACAlinkedin.com
NSW, Calif., CA, ON, Bayern and Gtr Manchester in one column; countries as codes and names; lead sources spelled many ways. 3 more rows in the file.Download the sample CSV

Import a lookup field by email, code or tax number

Orders name their customer by a business number written four ways, and their contact by an email in mixed case. A basic import wants the related record's id, or a field that identifies one record.

In Sloose a lookup can search for the related record by a field you choose, where your CRM can search that field. The value it searches for can be a formula, so ABN 73 000 100 403 and62-000-100-302 become 73000100403 and 62000100302 first.

You decide what happens when nothing matches, or when several records do: leave the link empty, skip the record, or be asked.

Lookups by search, in the docs

06-orders-lookups-by-abn-email-and-code.csv
ABCDEFGH
1Order noCustomer ABNSite contact emailProduct codeQtySales repOrder dateNotes
2SO-2401751 000 100 201priya.r@brightwater.exampleKR-HIRE-EXC52jordan.avery@yourco.example02/10/2026Deliver to rear gate
3SO-2401851000100201tom@brightwater.exampleKR-HIRE-EXC51jordan.avery@yourco.example02/10/2026
4SO-2401962-000-100-302lena@kestrelridge.exampleSS-PANEL-44024mei.tanaka@yourco.example03/10/2026Split delivery
5SO-24020ABN 73 000 100 403M.Bell@Saltbush.exampleSS-INV-10K1Mei Tanaka03/10/2026
6SO-2402184 000 100 504sam@tidewell.exampletp-svc-annual1ravi.patel@yourco.example04/10/2026Renewal
7SO-2402295 000 100 605new.person@orchardlane.exampleOL-CAT-PLAT40ravi.patel@yourco.example05/10/2026Contact not in CRM yet
ABNs spelled four ways (spaces, hyphens, none, an "ABN" prefix), an email in mixed case, a product code in lower case, a contact the CRM does not hold yet.Download the sample CSV

Re-import next month's file with a template

October's member list has an "E-mail address" column where September's said "Email", a new Mobile column, a new membership level and dates written another way.

Save September's import as a template. In October, start from it. Sloose checks the new file against the template for free and shows what still fits, what is missing and what is new. If you want help with the gaps, the AI is asked about those parts only.

Templates

08a-member-list-2026-09.csv
ABCDEFG
1Member IDEmailFirst nameLast nameMembershipRenewal dateBranch
2M-0412lena@kestrelridge.exampleLenaFischerStandard31/10/2026Brisbane
3M-0413tom@brightwater.exampleTomOkaforPremium15/11/2026Melbourne
4M-0414grace@orchardlane.exampleGraceLiuStandard01/12/2026Sydney
5M-0415sam@tidewell.exampleSamNguyenPremium30/09/2026Sydney
6M-0416mei@harbourline.exampleMeiTanakaStandard20/10/2026Perth
September's file.
08b-member-list-2026-10.csv
ABCDEFGH
1Member IDFirst nameLast nameE-mail addressMobileMembershipRenewal dateBranch
2M-412LenaFischer-Brandtlena@kestrelridge.example0491 573 087Standard2026-10-31Brisbane
3M-0413TomOkafortom@brightwater.examplePremium2026-11-15Melbourne
4M-0414GraceLiugrace@orchardlane.example0491 574 118Corporate Plus2026-12-01Sydney CBD
5M-0415SamNguyensam@tidewell.example0491 574 632Premium2027-09-30Sydney
6M-0417RaviPatelravi@willowmere.example0491 575 254Standard2027-10-01Hobart
October's file: a column renamed, a column added, a new membership level, dates written another way.Download the sample CSV

Why CRM imports fail: the preparation is the slow, risky part

Every problem above is usually solved in a spreadsheet before the import: helper columns, copied sheets, lookups for record ids. Each step is done by hand, and a mistake is found only after the records are written. The studies below are not about Sloose. They are what others have measured about moving data.

51% hours, 26% days, 23% weeks or months

How long companies said it took to import customer data into a product, from start to finish. 76% named data formatting as a problem.

Flatfile, 2020 State of Data Onboarding. A survey of more than 100 companies by a company that sells import software.

More than 60%

of data migration projects overran on time or budget.

Bloor Research, Data Migration, a white paper by Philip Howard, September 2007.

91%

of those who said decision makers rely on CRM data also said the data requested for those decisions is often (51%) or sometimes (40%) inaccurate.

Validity, The State of CRM Data Management 2022. 1,241 CRM users and stakeholders in the US, UK and Australia.

Sloose moves that preparation into the import, where every rule is written down, tried on your rows and checked before anything is written: Validate and dry run. Read thefirst import guide in the docs.

See one file go in, both ways

One realistic spreadsheet, imported with a native import and with Sloose, with the steps and the risks of each.

One file, two waysCompare with Zoho CRM’s import