Contact list template: blank CSV and a worked example

Contact list template: blank CSV and a worked example

A contact list template gives a small team one place for names, business contact details and the next agreed step. Download the blank CSV or the fictional example below, import it into your spreadsheet, and use Customermates when maintaining relationships and follow-ups needs more than a shared file.

Which contact list should you download?

• Blank contact list CSV: headers only, ready for your own records.
• Worked contact list CSV: two fictional business contacts showing ownership and next steps.

These are original, free downloads with no signup. Both use UTF-8 with a byte-order mark and commas as separators. They are plain data, not formatted Excel workbooks: no formulas, dropdowns, reminders or automatic synchronization. This is a business contact list, not an emergency directory or a printable address book. For a broader workbook structure with deals, see the Excel CRM template guide.

What fields belong in a business contact list?

Keep one person per row. Two people at the same company need separate Contact IDs; do not put both email addresses in one cell.

The example deliberately leaves phone numbers empty. Add an address, birthday or sensitive notes only if the work actually needs them. Do not turn a useful directory into a collection of everything you can find.

How do you import the CSV into Excel or Google Sheets?

In Excel, use Data > From Text/CSV rather than relying on a double-click. Select UTF-8 and comma as the delimiter, then inspect the preview. Set Contact ID, Email and Phone to text before loading; automatic conversion can damage leading zeros and international numbers. Dates use YYYY-MM-DD: confirm their interpretation before using date filters. Microsoft explains the available routes in its text and CSV import guide.

In Google Sheets, import the file into a new sheet and check the separator and conversion options. Confirm that the headers occupy separate columns and that accented names survive. If everything lands in one column, select comma explicitly. After adding filters or formatting, save an Excel workbook or keep the native Google sheet; a CSV does not preserve workbook presentation. Inspect any later CSV export again because locale settings can change separators.

Delete the fictional example rows before adding real people. Test with two records first and compare every column against the original file. Never enable formulas from unfamiliar imported values.

How can two teammates turn the list into follow-ups?

Here is a fictional service team on 6 November 2026. Sam owns Alex's request for a brief; Jo owns Robin's delivery question. The example records those real scenario dates rather than distributing tasks evenly across the week.

1. At the start of the day, filter Next step date for today and earlier. Sam finds C001, checks the request and sends the brief after reviewing it.
2. Sam sets Last contact to 2026-11-06. If Alex has not agreed another step, Sam clears the old action and date instead of inventing a deadline. A separately chosen follow-up must have a clear reason.
3. Jo leaves C002 due on 2026-11-09 because that is the agreed delivery check in this example. A future date is not evidence that the work is complete.
4. Before handing off, each person checks for open actions with no Owner or date. Review duplicate emails manually before merging; a shared mailbox can represent different people.

Keep one master file with access limited to the team who needs it. Multiple emailed copies make it hard to know which next step is current. The date column does not notify anyone: the team must perform this check. The contact management feature overview explains the CRM alternative when the directory becomes relationship work.

How do you keep the list proportionate and private?

For processing covered by the GDPR, the European Commission describes purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy and storage limitation in its data protection principles. Choose the purpose and appropriate lawful basis before using real personal data. A downloaded template provides neither consent nor permission to send marketing.

Use business details needed for that purpose, restrict sharing, review stale entries and remove unnecessary data subject to applicable retention duties. Avoid private comments or sensitive personal details in free-text cells. The Review date is a prompt for your own decision, not a universal legal retention period. Do not publish the filled file through an unrestricted sharing link.

When should you move the list into Customermates?

Keep the spreadsheet if a person can reliably maintain it and the daily review works. Consider a CRM when ownership changes, contact histories or linked companies become hard to maintain. Customermates accepts CSV, XLSX, XLS and JSON imports through the record-list import flow. Use the record import documentation to check the mapping and preview before importing the full file.

Create or choose the destination list and map the columns deliberately. Owner names and company names in this CSV are text, not automatically linked teammates or organizations. Configure any next-step date and relationship choice fields yourself; they are ordinary fields, not built-in task due dates or statuses. Test two rows and inspect the saved records before continuing. Importing a file is not a live spreadsheet sync.

Common questions

External guidance checked on 6 November 2026. The example is fictional; no customer data is included.