To begin, access the CRM section in the left sidebar and select “Lists”. Lists serve as folders for storing your contacts. Before importing, create a new list to which the contacts will be uploaded.
Once the list is created, go to “Imports”, where you’ll find multiple options for data import.
1. Basic Search - this method is useful when Sales Navigator is not connected to any sender profile. Open LinkedIn and apply the necessary filters, search operators, and settings for your search. Once you've applied the filters, copy the URL that appears in your browser. Next, return to Grinfi Sales, select “Basic Search,” and choose either “Contacts Search” (for individual profiles) or “Accounts Search” (for company pages). Finally, paste the copied search URL into the designated field.
You need to select the List for data import (2), choose the Sender Profile (3) that will collect the data, and add Tags (4) if needed.
Enable the “Repeat Import Period” function to let the system automatically check the search URL at set intervals and add new contacts when they appear. Click “Create Import” to finalize the setup. Recommendation: optimize your search query to ensure the result contains no more than 1,000 contacts, as LinkedIn limits search result exports to this number.
2. Sales Navigator Search - the process is similar to Basic Search, but it allows importing data directly from Sales Navigator. You must have a LinkedIn account with a Sales Navigator subscription connected to Grinfi to use this method.
Recommendation: as with Basic Search, make sure your search results contain no more than 1,000 contacts due to LinkedIn’s export limitations.
FAQ: Do all sender profiles need Sales Navigator?
No, only one sender profile needs Sales Navigator. It can handle the imports for all other profiles, and the imported contacts can be assigned to sender profiles that don’t have a premium subscription.
*Direct LinkedIn exports may take a few hours to a full day, depending on the volume, as the system simulates human-like actions to gather data.
3. Import CSV - this option allows importing data from external sources using a CSV file. Before importing, make sure your spreadsheet is formatted correctly and each column should have a header so the system can recognize the data.
The initial setup is similar to other import methods select the List where contacts will be uploaded, assign Tags if needed.
“Move to list if already saved” - by default, as shown in the screenshot, the system reports duplicate contacts but does not re-import them. If enabled, this function removes duplicates from old lists and moves them to the selected list.
After uploading the CSV file, you need to match the column names in your file with the variables recognized by the system. (e.g. the "Name" column in your table should be mapped to the "First Name" variable. This allows the system to correctly process the data.)
Recommendation: If some data is missing, simply leave the field blank —the platform will automatically scrape and fill in missing information where possible. The most important field to match is LinkedIn ID, which must contain a LinkedIn profile URL. All other variables are optional.