Valley
Data Management

CSV Uploads Guide

How to import prospect lists from Clay, Apollo, your CRM, or any other source into Valley.

What CSVs Are For

Use CSV uploads when you have a specific list of prospects you want to reach:

  • Clay enriched lists with custom data

  • Apollo exports with verified contact data

  • CRM exports (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.)

  • Event attendee lists from conferences or webinars

  • Account-based target lists

  • Any spreadsheet with LinkedIn profile URLs

CSV Format

Required Column

Optional Columns

  • First Name

  • Last Name

  • Company

  • Title/Role

  • Email

Technical Requirements

  • File format: .csv only (not .xlsx or .xls)

  • No special characters in column headers (use letters, numbers, underscores)

  • One prospect per row

  • Clean data: remove duplicates before uploading

  • Verify LinkedIn URLs are complete and valid

Example CSV

linkedin_url,first_name,last_name,company,title
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johndoe,John,Doe,Acme Corp,VP of Sales
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janesmith,Jane,Smith,Beta Inc,Head of Growth
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobwilson,Bob,Wilson,Gamma LLC,Director of Marketing

Upload Limits

  • Maximum: ~3,000 prospects per import

  • Recommended: 200-500 prospects per campaign for best performance

Smaller, focused lists typically outperform large generic lists. If your list is over 3,000, split it into multiple campaigns.

How to Upload

  1. Click "Create Campaign" in your Valley dashboard

  2. Select "CSV Upload" as your campaign source

  3. Click "Choose File" and select your .csv file

  4. When the create campaign window opens, select both Connect and InMail

  5. Valley processes the file and scores each prospect against your ICP

  6. Configure campaign settings (product, writing style, research agents, daily limits)

  7. Enter Training Mode, review messages, give feedback

  8. Click Launch

After Upload: Two Critical Steps

Step 1: Delete Low ICP Fits

After launching, immediately remove low-fit prospects:

  1. Click the three dots menu on the campaign card

  2. Select "Delete Low ICP Fits"

This focuses your sending volume on the prospects most likely to respond.

Step 2: Use One List Across Both Outreach Types

For maximum coverage, use one CSV upload and select both Connect and InMail in the create campaign window.

Valley automatically determines which prospects can receive Connect or InMail. You do not need to upload the same CSV twice or create separate campaigns from the same list.

Troubleshooting

Prospects Won't Upload

  • Check that LinkedIn URLs are full and valid (e.g., linkedin.com/in/jane-doe)

  • Verify no typos or missing characters in URLs

  • Make sure the file is .csv format, not .xlsx

Valley requires valid LinkedIn URLs. Without them, prospects can't be processed. If your CRM export doesn't include LinkedIn URLs, enrich the list through Clay or Apollo first.

ICP Scoring Seems Off

If prospects are scoring as Low/Medium when you expected High, review your ICP definition in Studio. Your ICP filters may be too narrow or misaligned with the list you uploaded.

Duplicates

Valley deduplicates within a single campaign automatically. Clean your CSV before upload so the best-fit prospects move through the campaign cleanly.

Tips

Enriched lists from Clay or Apollo give Valley more context for personalization. The more data you provide (company info, role details, recent funding), the better Valley's messages will be.

Don't reuse the same CSV forever. Refresh your lists every 30-45 days to capture new prospects entering your ICP.

Lists from Clay, Apollo, or similar tools that include detailed company and contact data produce noticeably better personalization than bare-bones lists with just names and LinkedIn URLs.

Was this helpful?
Was this helpful?