Not automatically. Zapier (which powers the integration) has built-in deduplication features that check for matching records before creating new ones. However, you should configure your Zap to search for duplicates based on email or a unique identifier to prevent accidental duplicates if the same contact is added in both places simultaneously.

You’ve outgrown Sheets when: your team frequently loses track of who’s handling leads (version control issues), manual data entry becomes a bottleneck, you need automatic follow-up reminders, or you’re managing more than 100+ active leads. At that point, a dedicated CRM like Nutshell saves hours weekly through automation and eliminates human error.

Data syncs within minutes through Zapier, though the exact timing depends on your plan (Free plan checks every 15 minutes; paid plans check more frequently). For near-real-time updates, use immediate triggers whenever possible. Most teams see synced data appear within 5-10 minutes under normal conditions.

Absolutely. Zapier unlocks powerful automations: create Nutshell leads from Sheets rows, log call activities when leads are updated, send automated follow-up emails, or update pipeline stages based on Sheets data changes. This extends your spreadsheet’s capability while keeping Nutshell as your source of truth for customer relationships.

Zapier follows a “last-write-wins” approach—whichever system updates last will overwrite the previous change. To avoid conflicts, designate Nutshell as your primary system and use Sheets for reporting only. Set Zaps to run one direction (Sheets → Nutshell) rather than bidirectional syncing.