How to Enrich a CSV or Excel File

You've got a CSV export from your CRM, an Excel spreadsheet of event leads, or a contact list from a trade show. The problem? It's incomplete. You have names and companies — maybe a few domains — but no verified professional emails, no phone numbers, no LinkedIn profiles.

That's exactly what data enrichment solves. This guide walks you through how to turn a raw CSV or Excel file into a complete, actionable B2B prospecting database — step by step, no technical skills required.

Why Enriching a CSV or Excel File Matters in 2026

Data enrichment means completing an existing file with additional information: verified professional emails, phone numbers, LinkedIn URLs, firmographic data (industry, company size, location). The goal is straightforward: take a raw list and turn it into a qualified, workable database.

With that context in mind, let's go through the process step by step.

Step 1: Prepare Your CSV or Excel File

Before enriching anything, your file needs to be properly structured. A poorly organized file produces enrichment errors and inconsistent results.

Minimum data you need (and what you can get from it):

Columns to check before importing:

• Headers are clear and sit in a single row (no merged cells)
• Data is consistent within each column (no mixing first and last name in one cell)
• Special characters are properly encoded (UTF-8 recommended)
• No completely empty rows in the middle of your data

Expected result: A clean file with distinct columns for each data type, ready to import into Google Sheets.

Step 2: Import Your CSV or Excel File into Google Sheets

Google Sheets is where Derrick runs natively — so this is the mandatory step before any automated enrichment.

For a CSV file:

1. Open Google Sheets and create a new spreadsheet
2. Click File > Import
3. Select your CSV file from your computer
4. Under separator type, choose "Detect automatically"
5. Select "Replace spreadsheet" or "Insert new sheet(s)" based on your preference
6. Click Import data

For an Excel file (.xlsx):

1. Go to drive.google.com
2. Drag and drop your Excel file directly into Drive
3. Right-click the uploaded file > Open with > Google Sheets
4. A Google Sheets version opens automatically

Expected result: Your file is visible in Google Sheets, with columns properly separated and data readable. Check that special characters (accents, etc.) display correctly.

Step 3: Install and Set Up Derrick in Google Sheets

Derrick is a Google Sheets add-on that lets you enrich B2B data directly from your spreadsheet, with zero technical setup.

Installation:

1. In Google Sheets, click Extensions > Add-ons > Get add-ons
2. Search for "Derrick" in the Google Workspace Marketplace
3. Click Install and grant the requested permissions
4. Derrick now appears in your Extensions menu

First launch:

1. Click Extensions > Derrick > Open
2. Sign in to your Derrick account (or create a free account)
3. The Derrick panel opens on the right side of your spreadsheet

Expected result: The Derrick panel is open in Google Sheets and your available credits are displayed. You're ready to run your first enrichment.

Step 4: Enrich Your Data — Available Workflows

This is the core of the guide. Derrick offers several enrichment types depending on what data you start with and what you want to get back. Here are the most commonly used workflows for enriching a CSV or Excel file.

Find Professional Emails

What you need: First name, last name, and company domain (or company name)

How to do it:

1. In the Derrick panel, select "Lead Email Finder"
2. Map the columns for first name, last name, and domain/company
3. Select the destination column for the emails
4. Click Run to enrich all selected rows

Derrick finds the professional email for each contact and validates it in real time. You get a verified email with a confidence indicator — no guessing.

For a deeper dive into verifying your email list, check out our guide on email verification.

Find Phone Numbers

What you need: The contact's LinkedIn profile URL

How to do it:

1. In the Derrick panel, select "Phone Finder from LinkedIn"
2. Map the column containing LinkedIn URLs
3. Select the destination column for phone numbers
4. Run the enrichment

If your file doesn't yet include LinkedIn URLs, start with the step below first.

Find LinkedIn Profiles

What you need: First name, last name, and (optionally) company name

How to do it:

1. Select "LinkedIn Profile Finder" in Derrick
2. Map the first name, last name, and company columns
3. Run the search

Derrick finds the matching LinkedIn profile URL for each row. This data can then feed into the Phone Finder or LinkedIn Profile Scraper for deeper enrichment. Learn more about the lead enrichment feature.

Enrich Company Data

If your file contains company names or domains, you can automatically pull in firmographic data:

1. Select "LinkedIn Company Scraper" or "LinkedIn Company Finder"
2. Map the column with the company name or LinkedIn company URL
3. Run the enrichment to get: industry, headcount, location, description, LinkedIn URL

All available enrichment workflows are listed on the Derrick data enrichment page. You can also explore the company enrichment feature for a full breakdown.

Expected result: Your file now has new columns filled with enriched data. Depending on the quality of your input data, completion rates typically range from 60% to 85%.

Step 5: Clean and Normalize Your Enriched File

Enrichment can generate duplicates or inconsistently formatted data. Before using your file in a campaign, a cleanup pass is essential.

Remove Duplicates

If your file has the same contact appearing multiple times — for instance, from two different source lists — Derrick handles this natively.

1. Open the Derrick panel
2. Select "Remove Duplicates"
3. Choose the column to deduplicate on (email, LinkedIn URL, etc.)
4. Derrick identifies and removes duplicate entries

More details on the Remove Duplicates feature page.

Normalize Your Data

Well-normalized data improves deliverability and CRM consistency. Derrick's Data Normalization feature:

• Splits first and last names stuck in the same cell
• Detects format inconsistencies (capitalization, extra spaces, stray characters)
• Standardizes data so it's ready for your sequencing tool or CRM

Verify Enriched Emails

If you used the Lead Email Finder, emails are already validated in real time. But if your original file already contained emails you're not sure about, run the Email Verifier on your full list before exporting. This eliminates hard bounce risks before you hit send.

Expected result: A deduplicated file with normalized data and verified emails — ready to import into your CRM or cold email tool.

Step 6: Export Your Enriched File to Your CRM

Once your file is enriched and cleaned in Google Sheets, you have two options:

Option 1: Manual CSV export

1. In Google Sheets, click File > Download > Comma-separated values (.csv)
2. Import the CSV into your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive) following that tool's native import flow

Option 2: Automate with Zapier or Make Derrick integrates with Zapier, Make, and n8n. This lets you build an automated workflow where every new row added to your Google Sheet gets enriched automatically and pushed to your CRM — no manual steps.

Common Errors (and How to Fix Them)

Problem 1: Low match rate — few emails found

Problem 2: CSV imported incorrectly — all data in one column

Problem 3: Special characters showing as garbled text (encoding issue)

Problem 4: Duplicate rows after enrichment

Problem 5: Enriched emails bouncing in your campaign

Key Takeaways

• A raw CSV or Excel file isn't prospecting-ready — enrichment is what makes it actionable
• Input data quality directly determines your completion rate: first name + last name + domain = best results
• Importing into Google Sheets is the mandatory first step to use Derrick
• Core workflows: Email Finder, Phone Finder (from LinkedIn), LinkedIn Profile Finder, Company Scraper
• Always clean before exporting: remove duplicates, normalize data, verify emails
• Around 30% of B2B data decays every year — enrich your database regularly, not just once

Conclusion: Your CSV File Is Just One Step Away from Being Useful

Enriching a CSV or Excel file no longer requires a data team or technical expertise. With the right workflow — import into Google Sheets, enrich with Derrick, clean up, and export — any SDR or growth marketer can turn a raw lead list into a complete prospecting database in under 20minutes.

Next time you receive an incomplete lead file, don't let it sit in a folder. Enrich it. Every missing column is a missed contact opportunity.