How to replace a spreadsheet CRM with Layer UI

Estimated time: 30 minutes · 7 steps

63% of small teams still track customers in spreadsheets (Layer UI Survey, 2025) — usually because every 'real' CRM they've evaluated felt too expensive or too heavy. Layer UI is the lightweight middle path: a real CRM at spreadsheet-class effort. This guide migrates a typical 200-row spreadsheet in 30 minutes.

1. Step 1

   Audit your spreadsheet

   Open your customer spreadsheet and identify the columns: name, email, company, status/stage, value, notes, last contact date.

2. Step 2

   Standardize statuses

   Make sure status values are consistent ('Lead', 'Qualified', not 'lead' and 'qualified'). Fix obvious typos. This pays back during import.

3. Step 3

   Export as CSV

   From Google Sheets/Excel: File → Download/Export → CSV (UTF-8). Save locally.

4. Step 4

   Import to Layer UI

   In Layer UI CRM, click 'Import → CSV'. Upload, map columns (Layer UI auto-detects most), and confirm. The status column maps to pipeline stages.

5. Step 5

   Clean up duplicates

   Layer UI flags potential duplicates after import. Review the list and merge — typically takes 2-5 minutes for a 200-row import.

6. Step 6

   Set follow-up reminders

   For any contact whose 'last contact' is >30 days old, click 'Set follow-up' to schedule an AI-drafted follow-up.

7. Step 7

   Archive (don't delete) the spreadsheet

   Move the original spreadsheet to a 'Archive' folder for 30 days as a fallback. After 30 days of confident Layer UI use, delete it.