Import contacts

Import a CSV or Excel file to add contacts or update the ones you have. You say what each column holds and whether these people gave consent. i-Connect checks the whole file and shows you the result before anything changes.

Before you start

• You need a .csv or .xlsx file with a header row and a column of WhatsApp numbers.
• A CSV can use commas, semicolons or tabs, in UTF-8. In an Excel file, only the first sheet is read.
• Create any extra fields first, in Contacts → Fields & tags. You can't add one during an import.
• Know how these people agreed to hear from you. See Imports need attested consent.
• Owners, Admins and Managers can import.

Import a file, step by step

1. Go to Contacts → Imports and click New import. You can also click Import on All contacts.
2. Under 1. Choose a file, pick your file. It uploads straight away.
3. Under 2. Map columns, check what each column is imported as. See Column mapping.
4. Under 3. Options, set:
   • Default country: used for numbers written without a country code.
   • Tag to apply: optional, added to every row.
   • Update existing contacts: on by default. See Contacts you already have.
5. Under 4. Consent, choose the Purpose. Tick the statement only if it's true.
6. Click Check the file. Nothing is imported yet.
7. Read What will happen. It shows what each row would do.
8. Click Import with the number of contacts, for example Import 1,200 contacts.
9. You see a progress bar, then the Import report. You also get an "Import finished" notification.

Column mapping

i-Connect suggests a mapping from your column names, and shows a preview of each column. Check it before you go on.

• Each field takes one column. If two columns map to the same field, you'll see an error.
• Dates can be YYYY-MM-DD, DD/MM/YYYY or DD-MM-YYYY.
• Yes / no fields accept yes, no, y, n, true, false, 1 and 0.

Purpose and attestation

Purpose is Marketing or Utility (orders, appointments). The statement changes with it, for example:

These contacts gave consent to receive WhatsApp messages from your organisation for marketing.

• Ticked: i-Connect records you, the time and this text as the evidence. New contacts are recorded as Opted in for that purpose.
• Not ticked: new contacts get Unknown consent, so they won't receive marketing.

Only tick it if it's true. A list you bought, scraped or collected for another purpose isn't consent. Leave it unticked if you aren't sure.

Duplicates in the file

Numbers are compared after they're converted to full international format, so 98123 45678 and +91-98123-45678 count as the same number. The first row is used. Later rows with that number are skipped, not merged, and listed as "Duplicate of an earlier row".

Contacts you already have

A row whose number is already a contact is matched to that contact. It doesn't create a second one.

The consent change applies even when Update existing contacts is off. That option controls details only:

• On: name, email and fields are filled in from the file, and tags are added to the ones the contact has. An empty cell changes nothing.
• Off: their details and tags stay as they are.

An import never turns an opt-out into an opt-in. Opted-out contacts still get their other details updated when the option is on, and are counted under "Opted out (consent unchanged)". Only the person can reverse their own opt-out.

Numbers that aren't contacts but opted out, were erased or were blocked earlier are not added back. Existing contacts you blocked are skipped.

What happens next

• Consent is checked again each time you send, so a contact added today can't receive something their consent doesn't allow.
• An import can start sequences. New contacts count for A contact is created, new tags for A tag is added, and changed values for A field changes. Entry rules still apply. Check your active sequences before you import a tag that starts one.

Limits

What can go wrong

• The button says Map a column to Phone. No column is set to Phone. Set one.
• "The file has no header row or no data rows". Check the first sheet or the first lines of the file.
• Invalid numbers. A row is skipped when the number isn't valid for its country, or is a landline or service number. Check Default country if many rows fail.
• Rows were skipped. Click Download skipped rows (the button shows the number) for a CSV with each row, its value and the reason. It also lists rows imported without an email or field value. Fix them and import that file. Rows already imported are matched, not doubled.
• "Import stopped". The rows processed so far are kept. The message says how many.

The Imports page

Contacts → Imports lists your last 50 imports with their status, rows, and how many were created, updated and skipped. Click a file name to open its report. If an import is ready, open it and start it from there.

Export contacts

Export gives you a CSV of your contacts. Only Owners and Admins can export.

1. Go to Contacts → All contacts.
2. To export part of your list, choose a Segment.
3. Click Export. The download starts when the file is ready.

• The file has phone, name, email, tags, marketing consent, utility consent and the date added. Erased contacts aren't included.
• Only the Segment filter applies. Search, Tag and Marketing consent filters don't. To export a tag, build a segment for it first.
• The download stays valid for 24 hours, and only for the person who started it.
• Each export and download is recorded in the audit log.