Using CSVs as Filter Criteria

You can upload lists of companies or people via CSV files to use in ad audiences. Here’s how:

Step 1: Click on the "Manage CSVs" Button

Navigate to the filter criteria section and click on the "Manage CSVs" button.

Step 2: Import CSV on the Connections Page

Click on the "Import CSV" button to upload a new CSV file for use in audiences.

Step 3: Select CSV Type (People or Companies)

Choose whether you are importing a CSV for People or Companies. Each type has specific required fields, which are mentioned in the interface.

• You can download a sample CSV to check the minimum required fields for an optimized match rate.

Step 4: Confirm Mappings & Upload the CSV

CSV fields are automatically mapped based on headers, with the option to review and adjust before uploading. Once uploaded, the file will appear in the CSV list within the filter criteria section.

Mapping Fields for People

When uploading a list of people, map the following fields for optimal results:

• First Name

• Last Name

• Company Name

• Company Domain

• Person LinkedIn URL

• Email

Mapping Fields for Companies

For a list of companies, the essential field to map is:

• Company Domain

• Company LinkedIn URL

Step 5: Review and Import

• After mapping, you’ll see how many records are valid and will be imported. Records that cannot be imported will be flagged.

• If needed, you can click on "Reset mappings" to start over.

• Click "Import" to upload the file.

💡 Want to troubleshoot unmatched entries? Use the Download CSV icon to get a list of unmatched records. This file highlights rows with invalid company domains or missing contact/company info — helping you identify and correct inaccurate entries before re-uploading.

Step 6: Set Filter Option

After your file is imported, use the "is within" or "exclude all" filter logic to include or exclude all CSV records from your audience.

Uploading multiple CSVs

You can now upload more than one CSV file for a single audience. In the CSV Imports area, select Upload CSV and choose as many files as needed. For each file, specify whether you want its records included in or excluded from the audience. Primer processes all uploaded files together based on their filter logic, no manual file consolidation is required.

How to improve CSV upload match rates

When using CSVs as filter criteria, you may occasionally see lower-than-expected match rates. Here are the main reasons this can happen, and what you can do to get better results.

Why match rates may be lower?

1. Limited identifiers in your CSV file If your file doesn’t include enough identifying information, Primer can’t make deterministic matches. Including a full LinkedIn profile URL is the best way to increase match rates.

2. Strict deterministic matching Primer only matches when identifiers align exactly with our database, using:

• Email address

• First name + last name + company domain

• LinkedIn profile URL This strict approach helps avoid false positives, even if it means fewer total matches.

3. Primer’s database scope While Primer can access over 1 billion global profiles, the active dataset used for match calculations is limited to ~270 million high-quality records. This helps maintain accuracy and reliability, although it can reduce match rates for more obscure or less complete data.

What you can do to improve match rates

Tip

If you want to troubleshoot unmatched entries, download the unmatched records report after upload. This file will highlight rows with missing or invalid data (like company domains or malformed emails), so you can correct and re-upload them.

Common Questions:

• What is the maximum number of records I can import? There is no limit on the number of records you can import, the only restriction is a maximum file size of 25MB.

• How can I improve the match rate of records in Primer’s database? To maximize match rates, ensure all required fields are mapped and include as much optional data as possible in your CSV.

• How do I properly format CSV files for import?

  Here are the formatting requirements for the CSV imports:

  • People List

    • First Name & Last Name: Use proper capitalization.

    • Domain: Enter the company's primary domain (e.g., sayprimer.com)

    • Person LinkedIn URL: Provide the full LinkedIn profile link.

    • Email: Must be a valid email address.

  • Company List

    • Company Domain: Enter the company's primary domain (e.g. sayprimer.com)

    • Company LinkedIn URL: Provide the full LinkedIn company profile link.