By the end of this guide, you'll know how to manually add individual or multiple leads to your campaign, configure enrichment and import settings, and edit lead information after import to ensure accurate, personalized outreach.

While CSV uploads and integrations handle bulk imports, manual lead import is essential for:

Manual import gives you speed and flexibility when you need to act fast or add just a few strategic contacts.

Before manually importing leads:

Step 1: Open your campaign

Go to Campaigns and select the campaign where you want to add leads.

Step 2: Open the import options

In your campaign, open the Lead list tab, then click Actions.

Then select Import new leads to open the import options.

Use this when you want to add a single lead and immediately fill in details (name, company, etc.).

Step 3: Click “Add one lead”

From the import options, click Add one lead.

Step 4: Fill in lead details

In the Import one lead panel, enter the lead’s Email (required) and optionally add details like phone number, LinkedIn profile, name, company name, and company domain.

Step 5: Import the lead

Click Import this lead to add the lead to your campaign.

Use this when you want to paste a list of email addresses (one per line) to import multiple leads quickly.

Step 3: Choose “Import new leads”

Click on actions, and then select import new leads.

Step 4: Choose “Manual import”

In the import window, select Manual import.

Step 5: Enter email addresses and continue

Type or paste email addresses into the text field (one email per line) and click Continue.

Rules:

Example:

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

💡 Pro tip: You can copy-paste a list of emails from a spreadsheet, document, or text file. Just make sure each email is on its own line.

Step 5: Choose enrichment and duplicate settings, then import

On the enrichment step, select the options you want (for example Find verified emails, Find phone numbers, Find LinkedIn profiles and enrich data, or Verify existing emails), review the duplicate handling settings, then click Import X leads (where X is the number of leads being imported).

💡 Note: Enrichment uses credits from your lemlist plan. Check your remaining credits before enabling additional enrichment options.

Step 6: Confirm leads were imported

Once import completes, you'll see a success message or be automatically redirected to your Lead list.

Check that all imported leads appear in the list.

Step 7: Edit lead information (if needed)

Click on any lead to open their profile and edit details.

Editable fields:

Update any missing or incorrect information to improve personalization.

Step 8: Add custom variable data (optional)

If your sequence uses custom variables (e.g., {{painPoint}}, {{productInterest}}, {{referralSource}}), fill them in manually for each lead.

This ensures personalized emails use accurate data.

Step 9: Save changes

Click Save to update the lead's information.

Step 10: Review and launch

Go to the Review or Launch section of your campaign.

Your manually imported leads should appear in the "To Launch" list.

Review them one more time, then click Launch to start the sequence.

Use manual import when:

✅ Adding 1-10 leads quickly – Faster than creating a CSV for small batches

✅ High-value, time-sensitive prospects – Someone you just met or got referred to

✅ Testing a new campaign – Add a few test leads before scaling

✅ Filling gaps – You discover a few missing leads after bulk import

✅ Event follow-up – Add contacts collected at conferences or meetings immediately

Use CSV import instead when:

✅ Adding 20+ leads at once – More efficient for bulk imports

✅ Importing complex data – Multiple custom variables, detailed information

✅ Importing from CRM or database – Easier to export CSV and import in bulk

Sales Rep Meets Prospect at Conference

A sales rep attends a SaaS conference and has productive conversations with 5 potential customers. She collects business cards and wants to follow up immediately while the conversation is fresh.

Her workflow:

Day 1 (conference day):

Day 1 (evening): 7. Opens each lead profile on her laptop 8. Adds custom variable {{conversationTopic}} based on what they discussed at the conference 9. Reviews sequence to ensure personalization is accurate 10. Launches all 5 leads

Day 2 (morning): All 5 leads receive personalized follow-up emails referencing their conference conversation.

Result:

Key takeaway: Manual import's speed and simplicity enabled same-day outreach, which dramatically increased engagement compared to waiting for a weekly CSV import.

Issue: Some emails aren't importing

Root cause: Invalid email format or emails already exist with duplicate prevention enabled

Fix:

Issue: Enrichment isn't finding data for my leads

Root cause: Leads may have limited public data or emails are personal (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) instead of business emails

Fix:

Issue: I imported leads but they're not showing in my campaign

Root cause: Leads may be in the "To Launch" section, not the main lead list yet

Fix:

Issue: I accidentally imported leads to the wrong campaign

Root cause: Selected the wrong campaign before importing

Fix:

Issue: Custom variables aren't showing up for manual imports

Root cause: Custom variables must be added manually after import or during import if using CSV

Fix:

Keep business cards digital: Take photos of business cards immediately after receiving them, or use a business card scanner app. This makes manual import faster—just copy-paste emails from the app.

Use enrichment selectively: Enrichment uses credits. For high-value leads, enable the relevant enrichment options. For lower-priority leads, skip enrichment and manually add only critical data.

Create a "Quick Add" campaign: Set up a dedicated campaign for fast manual imports (e.g., "Conference Follow-Ups" or "Referrals"). Keep a simple, flexible sequence that works for various contexts.

Add notes immediately: When manually importing, add a note in the lead's profile about where/how you met them. This helps with personalization later and jogs your memory.

Batch manual imports: If you collect 5-10 emails throughout the day, add them all at once in the evening rather than one at a time. This is more efficient.

Verify emails before importing: If you're unsure about email accuracy (e.g., emails from handwritten business cards), use an email verification tool first to avoid bounces.

Use templates for custom variables: If you frequently add similar types of leads manually, create a note template with common custom variable values you can copy-paste into each lead profile.

Test with yourself first: Before manually importing high-value leads, add your own email as a test lead. Launch it, see what the email looks like, and verify personalization works correctly.

Combine with CSV for scale: Manually import 1-5 urgent leads for immediate outreach, then follow up with a larger CSV import for the rest of your weekly lead list.