Email Import: How to Upload & Manage Contact Lists

Definition

Email import is the process of uploading email addresses and contact data from external sources into an email marketing platform, CRM, or verification service. This typically involves uploading CSV or Excel files containing subscriber information, mapping data fields to the destination system, and processing the contacts for use in marketing campaigns or verification workflows.

Common Use Cases

Migrate contacts when switching email service providers

Upload purchased or acquired business contact lists for verification

Import leads collected from trade shows, webinars, or events

Consolidate subscriber lists from multiple sources into one platform

Bulk upload customers from an e-commerce platform for email marketing

Import contacts from CRM systems for targeted campaigns

Upload historical email data for re-engagement campaigns

Verify large contact databases before major email campaigns

Why Email Import Matters

Email import enables you to consolidate contacts from multiple sources into a single marketing platform or verify existing lists before sending campaigns. Without proper import capabilities, you would need to manually add contacts one by one, which is impractical for lists of any significant size. Efficient import processes also help maintain data integrity by detecting formatting issues, duplicates, and invalid entries during the upload process.

How Email Import Works

Email import begins by exporting your contacts from the source system as a CSV or Excel file. You then upload this file to your destination platform, which analyzes the columns and prompts you to map fields like email address, first name, and company to the corresponding fields in the system. The platform validates the file format, checks for duplicates against existing contacts, and processes the import. Most systems provide a summary showing successful imports, duplicates skipped, and any errors encountered.

Best Practices

Always verify imported email addresses before sending campaigns

Clean and format your CSV file before importing to reduce errors

Map fields correctly to preserve important subscriber data

Remove obvious duplicates and invalid entries before uploading

Start with a small test import to verify mapping is correct

Document the source and date of imported contacts for compliance

Segment imported contacts separately until you verify their quality

Check import results and address any errors or warnings

Frequently Asked Questions

What file formats are supported for email import?

Most email platforms support CSV (Comma Separated Values) and Excel formats (XLS, XLSX). CSV is the most universal format and works across all platforms. Some services also support TXT files with tab or semicolon separators, or direct imports from other platforms via API integrations.

Should I verify emails before or after importing?

Ideally verify emails before importing to your email marketing platform. This prevents invalid addresses from entering your system and potentially hurting your sender reputation. Many verification services let you upload and verify lists, then download only the valid emails for import.

How do I handle duplicate contacts during import?

Most platforms offer options to skip duplicates, update existing records, or create duplicates. The best practice is to skip or update duplicates to maintain a clean list. Before importing, you can also use Excel or spreadsheet tools to identify and remove duplicates from your source file.

What should I do if my import fails?

Check the error report provided by your platform to identify specific issues. Common problems include incorrect file encoding, missing required fields, or formatting errors in email addresses. Fix the issues in your source file, ensure proper UTF-8 encoding, and try importing again with a smaller batch first.

Email Import

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