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How to Import Contacts from CSV to Contact List

Learn how to bulk import contacts from a CSV file into your contact lists. This saves time when adding many contacts at once and helps you build large lists efficiently.

How to Import Contacts from CSV to Contact List

Before You Begin

  • Owner or admin permissions required
  • A contact list to import into (create one first if needed)
  • A CSV file with: email (required for email lists), phone (required for SMS lists), and optionally name

Steps

Step 1: Open the import interface

  1. Go to Marketing > Email and select Contact Lists, then open the list you want to import into.
  2. Click Import CSV (or Add contacts → Import CSV).

Step 2: Prepare your CSV

If available, click Download template to see the expected format. Ensure your file has valid, properly formatted email addresses (email lists) or phone numbers (SMS lists) with no duplicates.

Step 3: Upload, map, and validate

  1. Click Upload CSV / Choose file and select your file.
  2. Verify the auto-mapped columns (Email → Email, Phone → Phone, Name → Name) and adjust if needed.
  3. Click Validate and fix any errors flagged (invalid emails/phones, missing required fields). Re-upload the corrected file if needed.

Step 4: Run the import

  1. Review the import summary (valid row count, any warnings).
  2. Click Import / Start import and wait for it to complete.
  3. Review the results — successfully imported contacts are available for campaigns immediately; check error details for any failed rows.

Troubleshooting

Import CSV option not visible. Confirm you’re inside a specific contact list under Marketing > Email (not just the lists page) and have permission to manage contact lists.

CSV format errors. Use the downloaded template; verify headers match expected column names and values are comma-separated.

“Email is invalid” / “Phone is invalid” errors. Check for missing @ symbols, invalid domains, incorrect phone formatting, duplicates, or extra spaces.

Import is slow or timing out. Break the CSV into smaller batches (e.g., 100 contacts at a time) and ensure a stable internet connection.

Some contacts weren’t imported. Check the results for per-row error messages; fix the data and re-import the failed rows.

Need a hand?

Email our team at support@joinzipper.com and we'll usually reply within a few hours.

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