How to Deal with Duplicated Emails During Data Migration in HubSpot
When migrating data into HubSpot, duplicate email addresses can cause errors, failed imports, and incorrect record associations. This guide explains how to detect, clean, and import data with duplicate emails safely — especially when migrating from Pipedrive or other CRMs.
1️⃣ Step 1: Remove Contacts Without Emails
Before handling duplicates, remove all records with blank email fields.
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Open your Contacts spreadsheet.
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Filter the Email column.
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Select (Blanks) to find contacts without an email.
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Delete all these rows.
✅ Why: HubSpot uses Email as the unique identifier for contacts.
Records without emails can’t be matched, updated, or associated correctly.
2️⃣ Step 2: Sort Contacts Alphabetically
Sort your spreadsheet by the Email column (A → Z).
This makes duplicates easier to identify visually and when using Excel tools like conditional formatting.
3️⃣ Step 3: Identify and Review Duplicate Emails
If two or more records share the same email:
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Do not decide alone.
Always confirm with the client which record is the correct or active one. -
Keep one valid record only.
Delete or archive the others in a separate “Removed duplicates” tab for traceability.
💡 Tip: Keeping a backup sheet of deleted records ensures that no data is permanently lost if a mistake occurs.
4️⃣ Step 4: Handle Duplicates for the Same Person (Different IDs)
Sometimes, the same contact appears multiple times with:
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The same email, but
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Different CRM IDs (e.g., two different Pipedrive IDs).
Here’s how to handle this scenario:
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In Excel, go to:
Home → Conditional Formatting → Highlight Cell Rules → Duplicate Values. -
Highlight duplicate emails.
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Delete all non-duplicated contacts — you only need the duplicates for review.
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Check HubSpot to see which record already exists (search by email).
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In your spreadsheet, delete the version that already exists in HubSpot.
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Keep the record that is missing from HubSpot.
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Save the cleaned file and prepare it for import.
🧭 During import, set Email as the unique identifier (not Pipedrive ID or any other field).
HubSpot will automatically update existing contacts with matching emails and create only those that don’t already exist.
5️⃣ Step 5: Repeat the Process for All Objects
Duplicate issues aren’t limited to contacts.
Repeat similar checks for all other objects you’re importing:
| Object | Key Identifier | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Duplicates or blank fields | |
| Companies | Company domain name | Multiple companies with same domain |
| Deals | Deal name or external ID | Duplicate deal names for same company |
| Tickets | Ticket name or ID | Duplicate records with same customer |
| Notes | Associated email/company | Ensure no duplicate notes are reimported |
⚠️ Important:
Always use a two-object limit per import (e.g., Deals + Contacts, Contacts + Company).
HubSpot can’t correctly associate more than two objects in one import file.