Prepare contact import files and fix import problems
Prepare the current template, review phone and column formats, and check Pending, Success or Failed import results.
Prepare and validate the file before importing a large contact list. The Contacts importer accepts one CSV, XLS or XLSX file, up to 10 MB, and offers column mapping for CSV files.
Start with the current template
- Open Contacts → Import in the correct business/location.
- Click Download example template. Use the download available on that page so you start with the current headings.
- Replace the example rows with your own contacts and keep a copy of the source file.
Contact import upload area, accepted formats, template link and Import contacts button.
The template reviewed for this guide contains these headings: Phone Number, First Name, Last Name, Email, Street, Neighborhood, City, State, Postal Code, Country and Description.
Put each person's information in the corresponding columns. Do not place a whole address into Email or use a name column for a phone number. If your file contains other headings, review the available mapping rather than assuming they will become the intended standard fields.
Check the file before attaching it
- Phone numbers: retain all digits and the intended country information consistently. Keep the column as text in your spreadsheet where possible; check for scientific notation, missing leading zeros or altered values.
- Rows: use one contact per row and remove example rows, unrelated totals and accidental blank records.
- Names and email: keep first and last names in separate columns when provided. Review unexpected spaces and incomplete email addresses.
- Addresses: separate the address components using the template headings.
- CSV structure: export a proper CSV from your spreadsheet so commas or line breaks inside values do not shift data into another column.
- Additional fields: use clear, consistent headings. Extra columns captured during an import can appear in the profile's Custom Fields tab.
The current example template does not include a Date of Birth heading. Use the contact's date picker for manual birthday updates; do not assume an unlisted birthday format will be recognized by the importer.
Submit and review the job
- Choose Attach a file or drag your prepared file into the upload area.
- Review the selected file and any CSV column mapping presented. Match each supplied column to its intended destination before continuing.
- Click Import contacts.
- Review Recent imports, whose columns include Date, Type, Status and Result. Use Refresh to update the status.
- Pending: the job has not reached a completed status. Do not immediately submit the same file again.
- Success: the job reports completion. Still inspect representative contacts and fields to confirm the data matches your source.
- Failed: review any information displayed in Result and the file checks above before retrying.
Result may show a dash rather than a detailed explanation. Do not interpret a dash as a count of imported or failed rows.
Resolve missing or unexpected data
- Search Contacts by a source phone number, not only by the expected display name.
- Compare standard fields with the source row and open Address and Custom Fields when relevant.
- Check for records that already existed before the import. Do not assume repeated imports merge, overwrite or deduplicate them in a particular way.
- Correct the identified file issue. Before retrying, determine whether any intended records already exist so you avoid an unnecessary duplicate submission.
If a job remains Pending, fails without an explanation or produces incorrect fields, give support the job date/time, file type, status, visible error and affected column headings. Share a minimal example through a private support channel instead of an entire customer list whenever possible.