Importing is the fastest way to add a large number of contacts to your account. Whether you are uploading a member roster, a CRM export, a client list, or contacts from a previous messaging platform, the import tool matches your spreadsheet columns to contact fields and adds everyone to your database in one step.
Before You Import
Prepare Your Spreadsheet
Your spreadsheet should include a column for mobile phone numbers at minimum. For the best results, also include columns for first name, last name, email, and any other data you want to associate with your members.
Accepted formats: CSV and Excel files (XLS, XLSX).
Clean Your Data
Review your spreadsheet before uploading to catch common issues:
- Remove duplicate phone numbers.
- Ensure phone numbers are in a consistent format (10-digit US numbers work best).
- Fill in missing first names where possible — personalization tags will not work for members without a name on file.
- If your spreadsheet includes a mix of contact types (for example, members and staff in the same file), add a column that identifies each type. This will be useful for creating groups and dynamic groups after import.
Understand Matching
The import tool uses phone numbers to match members. If a phone number in your spreadsheet already exists in your account, the system updates the existing record rather than creating a duplicate. During import, you will see a match rate indicating how many members were matched to existing records versus newly created.
How to Import members
Step 1: Navigate to members
Click Contacts in the left-hand navigation and locate the Import or Bulk Add Contacts option.
Step 2: Upload Your File
Click the upload area and select your spreadsheet file, or drag and drop it into the window.
Step 3: Map Your Columns
The import tool displays your spreadsheet columns and asks you to match each column to a member field in the platform. Map columns like:
- Phone number → Mobile Phone
- First name → First Name
- Last name → Last Name
- Email → Email
- Any additional columns → appropriate custom fields
If your spreadsheet has columns that do not match any existing member field, you can create a new custom field during the mapping step or skip that column.
Step 4: Select a Group (Optional)
Choose which group the imported members should be added to. If you do not select a group, all members will be added to All members by default.
Step 5: Review and Confirm
Review the column mapping and member count before confirming the import. The system will show you how many new members will be created and how many existing members will be updated.
Step 6: Complete the Import
Click Import to finalize. Depending on the size of your list, the import may take a few moments. Once complete, you will see a summary of the results, including the match rate and any records that could not be processed.
After Importing
Verify Your Data
Spot-check a few contact records to make sure the data mapped correctly. Open a few contacts and confirm that names, phone numbers, and custom fields are populated as expected.
Handle Incomplete Data
It is common for imported lists to have missing data — members without email addresses, missing last names, or incomplete custom fields. You can address this over time by:
- Sending a survey campaign to collect missing information (see Surveys).
- Using the Inbox to ask individual members for missing details.
- Updating records manually as new information comes in.
Send a Welcome Message
If you are importing contacts from a previous texting platform, send a message introducing your new number:
Hi
{first_name}, this is [Your Name] from [Organization] 🙂 We have a new texting number. If you would like to save a member Card, we'll be using this number going forward — just text member.
This helps members recognize the new number and saves it to their phone.
Tips & Best Practices
- Import your most important group first. Get your primary audience set up before moving on to secondary lists.
- Use a column to distinguish contact types (member, staff, prospect, etc.) so you can create dynamic groups that automatically segment them after import.
- Do not worry about duplicates. The import tool uses phone numbers to match existing records. If a member already exists, their information is updated rather than duplicated.
- Check your match rate after import. A high match rate means most of your members were already in the system. A low match rate means most were new additions.
- Create custom contact fields before importing if your spreadsheet has data that does not map to standard fields. See Contact Fields.
Common Questions
Can I import members into multiple groups at once?
You can select one group during import. To add members to additional groups, create a dynamic group based on a shared attribute or manually add members to additional groups after import.
Is there a limit to how many members I can import at once?
There is no hard limit for standard imports. Very large lists may take longer to process. If you encounter issues with a very large file, try breaking it into smaller batches.