Create custom fields and import contacts
Define your own contact fields and bring an existing list into SAMI OS from a CSV in a few minutes.
Custom fields let you track the details that matter to your business, and the importer lets you move an existing contact list into SAMI OS without retyping a thing. The two work together: define a field first, then map a CSV column onto it during import.
Create a custom field
Custom fields show up on contact records and in workflow field menus, so build them before you import data you want to keep. Open the Custom fields tab from Settings.
Open the Custom fields tab
In Settings, select the Custom fields tab. The form lives under Create contact field.
Name the field
Type a Field name such as "Lead Quality". As you type, SAMI fills in the API slug automatically in lower camel case (for example,
leadQuality). You can edit the slug, but it has to start with a lowercase letter and contain only letters and numbers.Pick a field type
Choose the Field type that fits the data: Text, Long text, Number, Date, Yes / no, Dropdown, Multi-select, URL, Phone, Email, or Currency.
Add choices for lists
For Dropdown or Multi-select, a Choices box appears. Enter one option per line or separate them with commas (for example,
Hot, Warm, Cold). At least one choice is required for these types.Create the field
Click Create field. It appears in the Contact fields list below, tagged with its type, and is ready to use on contacts and in workflows.
New fields are hidden on a contact record until they hold a value, so a profile only ever shows the fields you actually use. Each slug must be unique — if one is already taken, change it and try again.
Import contacts from a CSV
The Imports tab parses your file, previews every row as a spreadsheet, and only writes contacts once you confirm. Map any unmatched column straight onto a custom field, including ones you just created.
Upload your CSV
On the Imports tab in Settings, drag a CSV onto the upload pad or click to choose a file. SAMI previews the parsed rows before anything is saved.
Map each column
Click Review to open the spreadsheet. Each column header is a dropdown that controls how that column imports — match it to a built-in field, an existing custom field, or turn an unmatched column into a new custom field. Empty columns are hidden automatically.
Set shared defaults
Under Defaults, pick a Stage (New lead, Contacted, Nurturing, Showing, Under contract, Closed, or Lost), an Assigned user, and any Tags (comma-separated). These apply to every imported contact unless a mapped column overrides them.
Review warnings
SAMI flags rows that need attention — an unreadable date, an invalid phone, or a contact with no phone or email. Fix them in your CSV and re-upload, or import as-is.
Import contacts
Click Import contacts. When it finishes, the summary reports how many were created, updated, skipped, and failed. Your new contacts appear in Contacts.
Add a phone column whenever you can. A contact without a phone number can't be enrolled in a SAMI Bot, and contacts with no phone or email are matched by name only when checking for duplicates.
Once your fields and contacts are in place, they flow through the rest of SAMI OS — use them as conditions in Workflows and in your lead routing rules.
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Last updated 2026-06-21