How to import contacts

Upload, map, and review

1. Open Audience → Add contacts → Import. Upload a CSV with headers, or paste a spreadsheet or a single email/phone column. The limit is 5,000 contacts and 10 MB per CSV.
2. Map each column using the searchable Import as menu. All supported contact fields and your active custom fields appear. Choose Create a custom field to enter a name and type. Email or phone must be mapped; ignored columns are skipped.
3. Existing contacts match by email or phone. Nonblank imported fields update the matched contact; blank or unmapped cells keep saved values. A first-name-only update keeps the saved last name. Custom fields update only when supplied, and tags are added without removing existing tags. Previous email/phone values stay linked. A row whose identifiers point to different people is skipped.
4. Choose Review import. Import source records whether the list came from Stan, a CSV file, or a pasted list; it does not add tags.
5. Under Tags (optional), remove the suggested tag to import without a list tag, select existing tags, or create new ones. You can add multiple tags. A mapped Tags column still adds each row's own tags.
6. Blank statuses default to subscribed. Change When subscription status is blank to Import as unsubscribed if needed. A mapped opt-out overrides this fallback; existing unsubscribes and blocks remain protected.
7. Confirm the contacts' permission, then choose Begin import. Keep the window open while uploading. Once processing begins, the import continues in the background.

Keep or discard your draft

Clicking outside never dismisses the import. Close or Escape asks before discarding uploaded or pasted data; Keep editing preserves your progress. Refreshing or closing the tab also warns about unsaved changes. Drafts are not saved after you leave. Closing is disabled during upload.