Import contacts

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Home > Set up > Import contacts

Learn how to add contacts to your system by importing your list in bulk in Ontraport.

In this lesson you'll learn:

Different ways to add contacts to Ontraport
How to export a contact list from another system
How to prep a file for import
How to import a contact list

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Transcript

The fastest way to get your existing list into Ontraport is a bulk import. In this lesson, you'll prep your file, walk through the five import steps, and see what happens after you submit. Start by exporting your contacts from your old software. Open the file in a spreadsheet and make sure every piece of data has its own clearly labeled column, like First Name or Email. Then save it as a CSV file. A few tips. To tag contacts as you import them, add a Tags column. For more than one tag, separate the names with commas in the same cell. If you've set any custom fields as required, include them, or the import will fail. For dates, use the same date format you picked in your localization settings. You'll find them under your profile icon, then Administration, Data, Localization. For dates with times, use a UNIX timestamp or 24-hour time. Ontraport reads them in your account's timezone. Go to Contacts, then Settings, and click Import Contacts. For other records, like Deals or Companies, hover over that object in the main navigation bar and click Settings, then Import. Drag and drop your CSV, or click Browse Computer. Your past files are listed under Upload History, so you can re-import one with a click. Next, check the preview. If your first row holds headers like First Name and Last Name, check "Don't include header row." Now choose how to handle duplicates. Merge and underwrite is the default and the right pick most of the time. It only fills in fields that are blank. Merge and overwrite replaces data you've already saved, so use it with care. It's handy for fixing data in bulk, like adding missing area codes to phone numbers. Create new entry makes a new record for every row, which can leave you with duplicates. Then choose the field that identifies duplicates. We recommend Email. If some of these contacts can't receive marketing email, like people who unsubscribed in your old system, check "Import these contacts with bulk mail set to Transactional Only." That gives you a suppression list. Role-based addresses, like info@ or sales@, come in as transactional only automatically. Check each item in the Usage Agreement to continue. Ontraport matches columns that share a name with a field. For any column it can't match, pick a field from the dropdown, or click Create New Field to make a custom one. If you include city, state, zip code or country, each contact's time zone updates automatically. If you use Companies, which is available on Plus and above, you can link contacts to their company. Add a company name column, choose the Company field, and click into it to pick its name field. The last step is optional. Rules act on your contacts as they come in, like adding a tag or starting an automation. Click Add and name the rule. Use Add Condition to target only some contacts, then Add Action to choose what happens. Click Save, then Submit. You'll land back in your Contacts collection. Every import goes through approval, and some lists get a manual review. If yours does, your account administrator may get some questions by email. Until approval, contacts show as Pending review. You can't send them bulk email yet, but you can still email them one at a time. You'll get a confirmation within 24 hours. Once approved, your contacts switch to single opt-in. If a review takes longer than 24 hours, email support@ontraport.com. While you wait, open a few records and check the data. If something's off, fix your file and re-import it. So: prep a clean CSV, walk through the five steps, pick your duplicate and email settings carefully, and wait for approval before you send. Next up, we'll add users and set their permissions.