Importing Contacts

Instead of adding contacts one by one, you can import multiple contacts at once using a CSV file. This is useful when you have a large list of customers to add or when migrating from another system.

WhatsApp contacts

CSV import creates WhatsApp contacts (identified by phone number). Facebook Messenger and Instagram contacts cannot be imported via CSV — they are created automatically when a customer messages you through those channels.

Opening the Import Drawer

1. On the Contacts page, click the Import Contacts button in the header
2. A side drawer opens with the import workflow

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Screenshot: Import Contacts side drawer

import-drawer.png

1. Navigate to Messaging → Contacts
2. Click the "Import Contacts" button in the header
3. Capture the import drawer showing the download sample and upload sections
Save to: static/img/screenshots/contacts/importing-contacts/import-drawer.png

Step 1 — Download the Sample CSV

Click the Download Sample CSV link to get a template file. This shows you the exact format your file needs to follow. Open the sample in a spreadsheet application (like Excel or Google Sheets) to see the expected columns.

tip

Always start with the sample CSV to make sure your data is in the right format. This avoids errors during import.

Step 2 — Prepare Your File

Fill in your contact data following the sample format. Make sure:

• The file is saved as a .csv file
• Phone numbers include the country code
• Required fields are filled in for each row

Step 3 — Upload the CSV

Click the upload area or drag and drop your CSV file. Only .csv files are accepted.

Step 4 — Preview and Validate

After uploading, you'll see a preview table showing your data with validation results:

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Screenshot: Import preview table showing valid and invalid rows

preview-table.png

1. Upload a CSV file with a mix of valid and invalid contacts
2. Capture the preview table showing row numbers, names, mobile numbers, groups, and validation status
Save to: static/img/screenshots/contacts/importing-contacts/preview-table.png

Column	Description
Row #	The row number from your CSV file
Name	Contact name from the file
Mobile	Phone number from the file
Group	Group assignment from the file
Status	Validation result — Valid (green check) or Invalid (red X)

Invalid rows

If a row is invalid, you'll see a red X with a list of errors explaining what's wrong. Common errors include:

• Missing required fields (name or phone number)
• Invalid phone number format
• Duplicate phone numbers

Summary

Below the preview table, you'll see a summary:

Metric	Description
Total	Total number of rows in your file
Valid (green)	Number of contacts that will be imported
Invalid (red)	Number of contacts that have errors and will be skipped

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Screenshot: Import summary showing total, valid, and invalid counts

import-summary.png

1. After uploading a CSV, capture the summary section showing total, valid (green), and invalid (red) counts
Save to: static/img/screenshots/contacts/importing-contacts/import-summary.png

Step 5 — Import

Click the Import Valid Contacts button to add all valid contacts to your list. Invalid rows are skipped — they are not imported.

After the import completes, you'll see a confirmation message. The imported contacts will appear in your contact list.

warning

Only valid contacts are imported. Review the invalid rows and fix the errors in your CSV file if you need to import those contacts too. You can re-upload the corrected file to import the remaining contacts.

Error Handling

If the import encounters any issues after processing (such as server errors), you'll see an error message with details. In this case:

1. Check the error message for guidance
2. Fix any issues in your CSV file
3. Try the import again

info

Importing contacts with phone numbers that already exist in your contact list will not create duplicates. Existing contacts are matched by their phone number.