Learning Objective
By the end of this guide, you'll know how to assign CSV columns to lemlist default variables (email, firstName, linkedinUrl) during import to ensure your campaigns work properly.
Why This Matters
Incorrectly assigned CSV columns cause campaign failures. Without proper column assignment:
❌ LinkedIn steps skip because
#{{linkedinUrl}}isn't recognized❌ Emails fail because
#{{email}}isn't mapped❌ Personalization breaks (wrong names, missing company data)
Correctly assigning columns ensures:
✅ LinkedIn steps run
✅ Emails send to the right addresses
✅ Personalization works
Default lemlist Variables
lemlist recognizes these default variables:
#{{email}}#{{firstName}}#{{lastName}}#{{picture}}#{{phone}}#{{linkedinUrl}}#{{companyName}}#{{icebreaker}}
Step 1: Open the campaign you want to import leads into
Go to Campaigns, then select the campaign you want to update.
In the campaign, open the Lead list tab.
Step 2: Start a CSV import
From the Lead list, click Actions, then select Import new leads.
Select CSV import.
Click Click to upload (or drag and drop) to upload your CSV file.
Once the file is uploaded, click Continue.
Step 3: Assign CSV columns to lemlist variables
During the “Set up imported custom variables” step, assign each CSV column to the correct lemlist variable type. This is what makes lemlist recognize fields like #{{email}} and #{{linkedinUrl}} in your campaign steps.
If your CSV has multiple email or LinkedIn columns, make sure you assign the exact column you want lemlist to use as the default (#{{email}} and/or #{{linkedinUrl}}).
Example:
CSV ColumnAssign to Email Address #{{email}} First Name #{{firstName}} LinkedIn Profile #{{linkedinUrl}} Company #{{companyName}}
If you need to change a column’s variable type, use the dropdown in the “Variable lemlist type” column, select the correct field (for example, open the dropdown for a column and choose companyDomain).
When you’re done assigning the columns, click Continue.
Step 4: (Optional) Choose AI column use cases
On the “Pick AI columns use cases” step, you can enable or disable suggested AI actions (for example, cleaning names), then click Continue.
Step 5: (Optional) Enrich leads and finish the import
On the “Enrich leads data” step, choose whether you want lemlist to find/verify emails, find phone numbers, or enrich LinkedIn data. When you're ready, click Import leads to finish.
Step 6: Custom Variables
Columns not assigned to a default type become custom variables, named after their column headers.
Example:
CSV ColumnBecomes Job Title #{{Job Title}} Industry #{{Industry}}
Use these in your emails:
Hi #{{firstName}},
I saw you're a #{{Job Title}} at #{{companyName}}...
How You'll Know It Worked
✓ Import completes without errors
✓ #{{email}} and #{{linkedinUrl}} fields are populated
✓ LinkedIn steps don't skip
✓ Emails send correctly
✓ Personalization displays correctly
Troubleshooting
Issue: LinkedIn steps are skipped
Fix: Assign your LinkedIn URL column to #{{linkedinUrl}} during the column assignment step.
Issue: Emails not sending
Fix: Assign your email column to #{{email}} during the column assignment step.
Issue: Accented characters appear as � symbols
Fix: Convert your CSV to UTF-8 encoding before importing. Fix diamond question marks in CSV imports
Related Articles
Import leads from a CSV file – Full CSV import guide
Fix diamond question marks in CSV imports – Convert CSV to UTF-8
Add custom variables to your email – Use custom variables in sequences