Tutorial: Address Book - Import Contacts

Import Specifications

You can have up to 2,500 contacts in your address book (per account). Please contact us if your list exceeds 2,500 emails and you would like to discuss options.

You can import the following fields. * Field length will be truncated to this # of characters

Required Fields: First Name (50*), Last Name (50*), Email
Suggested Fields: Company (150*), Category (50*), Birthday, Anniversary, Start Date

Your import file will need to be a 'comma delimited' .csv or .txt file
Click here to view a sample .CSV file which can also be used as a template.

Follow these instructions if you are using contact manager software:

How to Import Contacts

Go to My Account > Address Book and click the 'Import' tab.
Click the "Choose File" button to select your .csv file
Optional fields:

Enter a "category for new contacts" if you want to assign all NEW content this new category
Existing contacts will not be affected unless you check the box "For existing contacts, replace category with this NEW category." If you check this box then both new contacts and existing contacts will be updated.
Provide a "start date" for new contacts

Click the "Continue" button
You will be able to review your contacts before finalizing the import. You can cancel your import at any time by clicking the "Cancel Import" button.
Based on the data we detect in your file, you may see the following screens.

Incomplete Contacts: If your file contains contacts that are missing a first name, last name or email address, you will see these records for review. They will not be imported. Click the button to "Skip All" or "Cancel"
Contacts with Invalid Email Addresses: If your file contains contacts that do not have a valid email address, you will have the opportunity to change them on this screen. They will not be imported unless you make changes that make the email addresses valid. Click the button to "Update with Changes" or "Skip All"
Duplicate Email Addresses in Import File: Our address book does not allow multiple contacts with the same email address. If your file contains contacts with the same email address, you will be prompted to select which record you want to import. Select which record to keep in each grouping and click the button to "Update with Changes" or "Cancel"
Address Book Match on Email but Different First and Last Name: If your file contains a match with an email address in your address book but the record has a different first and last name, you will see these records for your review. Select "skip" if you do not want this contact imported. If you select "update current with new," the import contact data will replace what's already in your online address book for that contact. When you have completed your review of all records on this page, click the button to "Update with Changes" or "Cancel."
Address Book Match on First and Last Name but Different Email: If your file contains a match with the first and last name of a contact in your address book but the record has a different email address, you will see these records for your review. Select "skip" if you do not want this contact imported. If you select "update," the import contact data will replace what's already in your online address book for that contact. If you select "create new contact," a new contact will be created in your address book. When you have completed your review of all records on this page, click the button to "Update with Changes" or "Cancel."

Review Contacts Before Import: This is the final screen you will see before import.

If your fields are not lining up properly or you receive an error message, click "cancel import" and view our list of most common import problems further down on this page
If your contacts look correct, click the 'Add Contacts to Address Book' button

When your contacts have been imported, you will see a report with the total number of contacts added for each type listed below as well as the first name, last name and email address of those contacts. If your contacts did not import at all, your exported file may have errors in it

Import Total
New Contacts
Updated Contacts
Updated Contacts with a new email address
Unsubscribed Contacts that were not imported

thumb_up Important Notes

If an import contact has an empty data field, the corresponding address book field will not be affected. For example: Your import contact does not have a birth date and your matching address book contact does. The address book birth date field will keep the original data.

Most Common Import Problems

The File is Not in the Correct File Format

The file must be saved as a "comma delimited" text file with the file extension .csv or .txt

Open the file and re-save it in the proper format with the correct file extension (.csv or .txt) and then try re-importing the file

Just changing the file extension will not solve the problem

Column Headings are Missing or are Incorrect

Add the correct field headings in any order but they must be the FIRST LINE of the file

The field headings need to be: First Name, Last Name, Email, Company, Category, Birthday, Anniversary, Start Date

You do not have to include every field listed above but every column must have the correct heading for the data it contains

Contact is Missing Information

Contacts that do not have a first or last name or valid email address will be skipped and not imported

Change your contact's information to contain the required fields and re-import the file

Check for Unusual Characters in the File

Remove unusual characters and re-import the file

The First and Last Name are in the Same Field or Column

You will need to separate this information into 2 fields

MS Excel enables you to easily do this by using the 'Convert Text to Columns Wizard'

Change the information and re-import the file

thumb_up Important Notes

The email address field is the 'unique identifier' for each contact. This is used to see if a contact already exists in your online address book.

All uploaded contact data will replace what's already in your online address book for that contact

If an uploaded contact has an empty field, the corresponding online field will not be affected.

If an uploaded contact has an identical first and last name as an existing online contact – but a different email address – you will be prompted to either:

over-write the old email address or
keep both records

Address Book & Contact Management keyboard_arrow_right Import Contacts

Import Specifications

How to Import Contacts

thumb_up Important Notes

Most Common Import Problems

thumb_up Important Notes

Next Tutorial: Search & Edit Contacts double_arrow