Free template
Networking tracker: Excel with next actions
Keep track of the people you deliberately want to reconnect with. The Excel workbook includes 50 prepared rows, a separate example sheet and a Next actions view. That view shows only pending or replied contacts with a due date you have chosen.
Sent, parked and Do not contact are excluded. A date is your own plan, not an automatic task or an obligation to follow up. The CSV below contains the ten input fields, without formulas or dropdowns.
Ready-to-use workbook with a next-actions view
50 prepared rows, a status dropdown and the Next actions view. Only pending or replied contacts with a due date you deliberately set become suggestions.
See an excerpt from the example sheet
| Name | Status | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Sam (fictional) | sent | Wait for reply |
| Taylor (fictional) | Do not contact | Do not contact |
Fictional entries from Example. My list starts empty. Only some columns are shown here.
Sent, parked and Do not contact are excluded from Next actions. A date is not an obligation to write again.
No sign-up, macros or automated messages. The file sends no notifications. Opening it in Google Sheets uploads it to Google. The CSV alternative below contains no formulas.
A CSV file with no sign-up. Import the columns as text using the instructions below. Downloading alone does not import anything.
UTF-8 with BOM · comma delimiter · header, fictional example row and one empty row. This CSV contains no formulas or automatic reminders.
What the CSV columns mean
| Column | How to use it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The name you use to recognize the contact. The example does not describe a real person. | Alex (fictional) |
| Where we met | A place or conversation context you can honestly refer back to later. | Local developer meetup |
| Introduced by | Optional: who introduced you. Leave it blank when you met directly. | Sam (fictional) |
| Company / role | Record useful professional context, not confidential judgments about the person. | Software developer |
| Follow-up status | Workbook choices: pending, sent, replied, parked, Do not contact. The CSV has no dropdown. | pending |
| What they need | A question or request you actually discussed. Do not fill this with assumed needs. | Link to the talk we discussed |
| What I offered | A promise you made and want to keep. Leaving this field empty is also fine. | Send the talk link |
| Last contact | The date of your last actual exchange, not a message you only planned to send. | 2026-10-01 |
| Next follow-up | A date you deliberately choose. Leave it blank when another contact is not appropriate. | 2026-10-12 |
| Notes | Only useful details voluntarily shared with you. No health details, private conflicts or rumors. | Interested in another technical conversation |
Import the CSV as text
Excel: Data → From Text/CSV. Choose UTF-8 and comma, then Transform Data. Disable automatic type detection or remove the Changed Type step. Select every column and set its data type to Text before loading.
Google Sheets: File → Import → Upload. Choose comma and turn off “Convert text to numbers, dates, and formulas” before importing. If that option is missing, use an importer with text-column controls. This uploads the file to Google; you can use Excel for a local file.
How to use this template
- Start in My list
Open the XLSX file and use the white input cells in My list. Fictional contacts appear only in Example. Read me explains the 50 prepared rows and the calculated columns.
- Choose status and next date deliberately
Choose a status from the dropdown. Only pending and replied can appear in Next actions when their date is due. An empty date does not produce a contact suggestion.
- Review due next actions
Next actions orders due entries by date. Before writing, check whether contact is still welcome. After sending, set the status to sent; the workbook itself sends nothing.
- Respect boundaries and pauses
Use parked when no continuation is planned, or Do not contact when contact is not welcome. These statuses stay out of the next-actions view regardless of the date entered.
Mistakes to avoid
- Automatically chasing an unanswered message
Sent produces no further contact suggestion, even when its date is overdue. Decide for yourself whether another contact would be appropriate at all. An explicit no-contact boundary always takes priority.
- Sharing the file without checking its contents
A tracker can contain personal notes. Keep the file local or share it deliberately with authorized people only. Importing it into Google Sheets uploads the file to Google.
- Adding rows without extending the formulas
The workbook prepares 50 input rows and matching calculation ranges. More contacts require extending formulas, table ranges and validation rules. Adding a new row alone does not guarantee full support.
Frequently asked questions
- Which contacts appear in Next actions?
- Only pending or replied entries with a valid date today or earlier. The view orders due entries by date; entries without a date stay out.
- Why is someone I already messaged missing?
- Sent means wait for a reply here. It does not automatically become another contact task. Parked and Do not contact are excluded as well.
- Does the workbook send reminders or messages?
- No. It calculates a view inside the open workbook. There is no automated sending, LinkedIn connection or transfer of your notes to Endearist.
- How do Excel and CSV differ?
- The XLSX file contains formulas, dropdowns, a blank starting sheet and fictional examples. The CSV contains ten input columns and does not automatically import anything.
Last updated: 2026-10-08
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