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Your contact list is the foundation of your business growth. A well-organized list allows you to segment your audience, send targeted messages, and run personalized campaigns at scale. This lesson covers adding contacts manually, formatting CSV files for import, creating custom fields, and importing your list.

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How to add and import contacts

1

Navigate to Contacts

In the left sidebar, click Contacts. This is your central hub for managing all leads, clients, and prospects.
2

Add a contact manually

Click the Add Contact button (the + icon). Fill in the essential details:
  • First name and last name
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Any additional fields relevant to your business
Click Save to add the contact.
3

Prepare your CSV file for import

If you have an existing contact list, format it as a CSV file with clearly labeled column headers. Key columns to include:
  • first_name
  • last_name
  • email
  • phone
You can also add columns for address, company name, or any custom data you want to import.
4

Create custom fields (if needed)

If your CSV includes data that does not map to a standard field (such as lead status, birthday, or membership level), create custom fields first.Go to Settings > Custom Fields and click Add Field. Choose the field type (text, dropdown, number, or date) and give it a clear label. Save before importing.
5

Import your contact list

In the Contacts section, click Import and upload your CSV file. The importer will ask you to map each column header to the corresponding field in the platform.Review the mapping, choose how to handle duplicates, and click Import to begin the process.
6

Organize with Smart Lists

After importing, use Smart Lists to segment your contacts by tags, engagement, purchase history, automation enrollment, or any custom field value. Smart Lists update automatically as contacts meet your filter criteria.

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Key points

Manual addition works best for immediate connections you want to add one at a time. For larger lists, CSV import is the most efficient approach. Both methods result in contacts that can be used in campaigns, automations, and pipelines.
Each column in your CSV must have a header that maps to a field in the platform. Extra columns without matching fields will be ignored unless you have a corresponding custom field. Remove any special characters from phone numbers — use digits only.
Custom fields let you store any data specific to your business. For example, you might create a dropdown field for “Lead Status” with options like Cold Lead, Warm Lead, and Hot Lead. These fields can then be used to filter Smart Lists and personalize messages.
The import tool gives you options for how to handle duplicate records — you can choose to skip duplicates, update existing records, or create new records. Choose the option that best fits your data situation.

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Key benefits

  • Efficiency: Import a large number of contacts at once, saving time compared to manual entry.
  • Organization: Use Smart Lists to segment your audience and deliver highly targeted, personalized messages.
  • Personalization: Custom fields let you capture and store specific information for tailored communications.
  • Analytics: Importing and organizing contacts gives you data to track campaign performance and engagement trends.
  • Scalability: A well-structured contact list grows with your business, keeping communication efficient as your audience expands.
Last modified on March 4, 2026