Import Contacts

Import a list of email contacts in your Contacts section by uploading a CSV file. 

Table of contents

• Importing Contacts
• Guidelines for importing a .csv file
• Tips and tricks for importing contacts

Importing Contacts

1. Go to Contacts in the navigation bar. 
    

   

2. Select Add contacts in the top right. 
3. For an import using a .csv file, choose Import contacts.

4. Export your current list (from Excel, or any other database) as a .csv file. We have published some guidelines to ensure a smooth import of your CSV file. 

   1. If contacts will be divided into separate lists, it is best to break up the .csv file into the lists before uploading to the platform

5. Drag and drop the .csv file(s) into the "Import contacts" box, or click the "Select a File" button and select the file from the computer.

   

6. When the file has been added, the platform will ask you to map your file's values with the correct contact fields (i.e. last names are in the "last name" column). Once ready click Next.

   1. If you have empty fields, use the pagination to help identify values. Each value only has to be mapped once.

      

       

7. In the import options set up the List settings:
   • Access - Select in what languages the list should be available.
   • Update data of contacts if email address already exists - If there are existing contacts in the CSV file you can opt to update the contact details (except for the email address) in the platform with the new data in the CSV. 
   • Add contacts to one or more lists - Select this option if you wish to add the contacts to a list
     • Add contacts to existing lists - Select the lists in the List dropdown.
     • Create new list - In the List title field fill out the name for the list.
   • Restrict user access - Restrict the access to this list to a selection of users. Select the users with access from the list.
     
     
8. Check 'This person gave me permission to email them' to proceed adding the contact. To comply with GDPR regulations this step is mandatory. 
9. Select Next, the platform will start uploading the CSV file into the platform. This might take a few moments, during this time you can track the progress and any new, duplicate or failed uploads.
10. After the upload is finished you can download the report.  

The List will now appear in the Lists dashboard and in any of the selected accounts.

Tips and tricks for importing contacts

Here are some tips to follow when migrating contact lists into Contacts to ensure a smooth and successful migration process:

Clean up your existing data

Before starting the migration process, it is important to ensure that your existing data is clean and accurate. This can be done by removing duplicate contacts, correcting any misspelled names or incorrect contact information, and verifying email addresses and phone numbers. Since the email address is the primary identifier of a contact within Presspage, all contacts need to contain at least an email address.  

Create a mapping of your fields

Creating a mapping of your fields is an important step in the migration process. This involves mapping the fields in your existing contact list to the corresponding fields in the Presspage CRM. This will ensure that all the information in your contact list is accurately transferred to Presspage.  

Maintain your contact lists

Keep the contacts in their representative lists by exporting and importing the lists separately. Presspage allows imported contacts to be added to a new list or existing list, so you can maintain the same lists as in your old CRM.  

Test the migration with one list

Before migrating all contact lists, it is important to test the migration process. This can be done by migrating a small subset of your data first and verifying that the data has been migrated correctly. This will help you identify any issues before migrating all your data.

Monitor and maintain

After the migration is complete, it is important to monitor and maintain your new CRM. This involves regularly checking for accuracy and updating any changes in your contact list. Maintaining list hygiene is recommended after sending out each email campaign; hard bounced addresses should be checked and updated or removed where necessary as bounce rates may impact deliverability.

Guidelines for creating a compatible .csv file

Below are guidelines to ensure a successful import.

• The email address is a unique identifier, any email address can only occur once in the database.
• The first row must be a header row, containing column names, such as First Name, Last Name, Email Address.
• The field separator must be a comma or semicolon (, or ;).
• If there are fields that contain one of those separators, they must be wrapped by quotes (e.g. "example1,example2").
• Use UTF-8 encoding
• The platform has fields for Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Notes. You can store the social media profiles of your contacts as well as some custom notes.
• In Excel, choose CSV (comma delimited) when exporting the spreadsheet to CSV. 
  • In Google Sheets, this should happen automatically.
• To prevent having a lot of empty value fields when mapping your file with the fields, copy your header on the first row, so all values are populated (as a result row 1 and 2 should have the same values).