Mailchimp
Salesforce Leads10 fieldsHow to import Mailchimp data into Salesforce Leads
Move your Mailchimp subscribers into Salesforce as leads. The template maps email, name, phone, and the full address into Salesforce's standard lead properties. NOTES, MEMBER_RATING, TAGS, and OPTIN_TIME are composed into Salesforce's Description field as a labeled multi-line block, so per-subscriber notes, engagement scores, segments, and signup timestamps travel with the lead instead of being dropped. One thing to know before you start: Salesforce requires Company on every lead, and Mailchimp doesn't include a Company column. The section below shows you how to add one.
Field-by-field mapping
This is the complete column mapping from Mailchimp to Salesforce Leads. The left column is the header in your CSV export. The right column is the Salesforce Leads field it should map to.
Before you start
This template's destination has a required field that needs attention before upload. You can still use this template. The steps below tell you what to add and where.
- Company
Salesforce requires Company on every lead. Mailchimp exports don't include a Company column.
What to do. Add a Company column to your CSV before uploading (even a placeholder like 'Unknown' lets the import through and you can update later), or set a default Company in Salesforce after import using a bulk-edit on the new leads.
| Mailchimp column | Salesforce Leads field | |
|---|---|---|
| Email Address | Email TransformLowercased and trimmed | |
| First Name | First NameFirstName | |
| Last Name | Last Name*LastName | |
| Phone Number | Phone TransformStandardized to international format (+1, +44, etc.) | |
| Address | Street Mailchimp uses one Address column; Salesforce stores the street portion in Street. | |
| City | City | |
| State | State/ProvinceState | |
| Zip | Zip/Postal CodePostalCode | |
| Country | Country | |
| NOTES, MEMBER_RATING, TAGS, OPTIN_TIME | Description Four slots compose into Salesforce's Description field as a labeled multi-line block. Slot 1 is the NOTES free text. Slot 2 is MEMBER_RATING (1-5 stars). Slot 3 is TAGS (comma-joined values). Slot 4 is OPTIN_TIME (signup timestamp). Each slot renders as '- column: value' on its own line. Empty slots are skipped, so a subscriber with only one of these populated still lands with that single line. Remove the row in the column mapper if you don't want it. TransformComposed into a multi-line block |
Required by Salesforce Leads.
Formatting and cleanup
Mailchimp exports rarely match the format Salesforce Leads expects. Fix these before you import.
- 1.Lowercases and trims email addresses
- 2.Standardizes phone numbers to international format (+1, +44, etc.)
- 3.Maps Mailchimp's Address column to Salesforce's Street field
- 4.Composes NOTES, MEMBER_RATING, TAGS, and OPTIN_TIME into Salesforce's Description field as a labeled multi-line block
Or skip the manual work
Operelio runs this cleanup and mapping for you. Upload your Mailchimp export and download a clean, import-ready file for Salesforce Leads.
Mailchimp to Salesforce Leads FAQ
How do I export contacts from Mailchimp?
Go to your audience, select All Contacts > Export Audience, and download the CSV file.
Why does Salesforce reject my import without a Company column?
Salesforce requires Company on every lead. It's how the system organizes leads by account. Mailchimp doesn't capture company names by default, so you need to add one before importing. The 'Before you start' banner above explains how.
Where do MEMBER_RATING, OPTIN_TIME, TAGS, and NOTES end up?
All four are composed into Salesforce's Description field as a labeled multi-line block. Each row arrives in Salesforce with whichever of the four it had populated, each on its own line. Empty slots are skipped, so a subscriber with only NOTES still lands with just that single line in Description.
What happens to unsubscribed contacts?
Mailchimp exports include all contacts regardless of subscription status. This template maps the contact fields but doesn't set email opt-out in Salesforce. Filter out unsubscribed rows before importing, or update the Do Not Email field in Salesforce after.
Will this create duplicate leads in Salesforce?
Salesforce checks for duplicates based on your org's matching rules. Review your duplicate settings before importing to control how matches are handled.
