> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.itellico.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Import Contacts

> Bulk import contacts from CSV files with validation, preview, and import history

export const Screenshot = ({lightSrc, darkSrc, alt, caption, maxWidth = "880px"}) => {
  return <div style={{
    margin: "1rem auto",
    maxWidth,
    width: "100%"
  }}>
      <Frame>
        <img className="block dark:hidden" src={lightSrc} alt={alt} />
        <img className="hidden dark:block" src={darkSrc} alt={alt} />
      </Frame>
      {caption ? <p style={{
    marginTop: "0.5rem",
    fontSize: "0.875rem",
    color: "inherit",
    opacity: 0.8
  }}>
          {caption}
        </p> : null}
    </div>;
};

Use contact import to load many contacts from a CSV file.

**Access:** Open **Contacts**, click **Add Contacts**, then choose **Import CSV**.

## Use Import When

* you already have contact lists in a spreadsheet or CRM export
* you need to load many contacts faster than manual entry
* you want campaign-ready lists with names, phone numbers, and tags

For a small number of records, manual entry is usually faster. Use import when you are moving a list into the platform.

## File Requirements

| Requirement           | Value       |
| --------------------- | ----------- |
| **Format**            | CSV         |
| **Max size**          | 5 MB        |
| **Header row**        | Required    |
| **Required field**    | `number`    |
| **Practical row cap** | 50,000 rows |

Common optional columns:

* `firstName`
* `first_name`
* `lastName`
* `last_name`
* `email`
* `tags`

For tags, separate multiple values with `|` (for example `vip|sales|us`).

The importer also recognizes common phone header aliases such as `phone`, `phone_number`, and `phoneNumber`. There is no separate mapping step, so keep headers close to the supported names before uploading.

## Before You Upload

Clean the CSV first so the import goes smoothly:

* keep one contact per row
* make sure phone numbers are in a consistent international format
* remove columns you do not need
* use simple, stable tag values
* check that the header row is present

## Import Flow

<Screenshot lightSrc="/images/manage__import-preview-light.png" darkSrc="/images/manage__import-preview-dark.png" alt="Import from CSV dialog showing required columns, example rows, file upload dropzone, and import history link" />

<Steps>
  <Step title="Upload file">
    Select a CSV in the import dialog.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Preview">
    Review parsed headers, row count, and a 10-row preview.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Validate">
    Confirm required columns and check validation messages before continuing.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start import">
    Confirm import and let it run as a background job.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Import History

Import history tracks each job with status and progress:

* Pending
* In Progress
* Completed
* Failed

When error reports are available, you can download per-job error CSV output.

## Notes

* Very large files are surfaced during preview so you can split before importing.
* The platform matches existing contacts by phone number, updates name and email fields when present, and applies tags from the import.

## What To Do After Import

After the job completes:

1. Open **Contacts** and spot-check a few records
2. Verify tags and phone numbers look correct
3. Add the imported contacts to a campaign if needed
4. Download the error CSV if some rows failed validation

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Contact Management" icon="address-book" href="/manage/contacts/overview">
    Organize and edit contacts after import
  </Card>

  <Card title="Campaign Management" icon="bullhorn" href="/manage/campaigns/overview">
    Add imported contacts to outbound campaigns
  </Card>
</CardGroup>