;
};
Your contact list is the foundation of your business growth. A well-organized list lets you 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.
## Why this matters
A well-organized contact list is like having a goldmine at your fingertips. Every friend, colleague, former client, and new lead belongs in your system — organized, tagged, and ready for follow-up. Contacts are the lifeblood of your business.
Before importing, make sure your CSV is properly formatted with column headers. The platform uses the headers to map your data to the correct fields.
## How to add and import contacts
In the left sidebar, click **Contacts**. This is your central hub for managing all leads, clients, and prospects.
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. Manual entry is best for individual connections you want to add right away.
Format your existing contact list 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.
Remove any special characters from phone numbers — use digits only. International numbers should include the country code.
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), give it a clear label, and save before importing.
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 carefully, choose how to handle duplicates, and click **Import** to begin.
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.
## 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 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.
Custom fields let you store any data specific to your business. For example, a dropdown field for "Lead Status" with options like Cold Lead, Warm Lead, and Hot Lead — then use these fields to filter Smart Lists and personalize messages.
The import tool gives you options for handling duplicate records — skip duplicates, update existing records, or create new records. Choose the option that best fits your situation.
## Key benefits
Import a large number of contacts at once, saving significant time compared to manual entry.
Smart Lists segment your audience for highly targeted, personalized messages.
Custom fields let you capture and store specific information for tailored communications.
An organized contact list gives you data to track campaign performance and identify engagement trends.
A well-structured contact list grows with your business, keeping communication efficient at any scale.
