Importing Contact Lists (CSV)

Importing contacts in bulk saves time and ensures consistency. Moreover, VoxPria makes CSV imports simple and reliable. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll show you how to import hundreds or thousands of contacts efficiently.

[Screenshot: Contact import page showing CSV upload area] Alt text: VoxPria CSV import interface with drag-and-drop upload zone

Before You Begin #

First, prepare your contact list properly. Additionally, proper formatting prevents import errors:

What You’ll Need: #

• CSV File – Your contacts in CSV format
• Proper Formatting – Phone numbers in correct format
• Column Headers – First row must have field names
• Clean Data – No duplicate or invalid numbers

CSV File Format Requirements #

Your CSV file must meet specific requirements. Furthermore, following these guidelines ensures successful imports:

Required Column: #

• phone_number – Must be present (E.164 format: +1234567890)

Recommended Columns: #

• first_name – Contact’s first name
• last_name – Contact’s last name
• email – Email address
• company – Company name
• timezone – Timezone (e.g., America/New_York)

Optional Columns: #

• Any custom fields you’ve created
• tags – Comma-separated tags
• language – Preferred language code (en, es, fr, etc.)
• notes – Additional information

[Screenshot: Excel spreadsheet showing properly formatted contact list] Alt text: Sample CSV file with correct column headers and data formatting

Example CSV Structure: #

phone_number,first_name,last_name,email,company,timezone
+15551234567,John,Smith,john@example.com,Acme Corp,America/New_York
+15559876543,Jane,Doe,jane@example.com,Tech Inc,America/Los_Angeles
+15555551234,Bob,Johnson,bob@example.com,Sales Co,America/Chicago

Downloading the Template #

VoxPria provides a template to ensure correct formatting. Moreover, using the template eliminates most common errors:

1. Go to EVALUATE → All Contacts
2. Click “Import Contacts”
3. Click “Download Template”
4. Open the template in Excel or Google Sheets
5. Fill in your contact data
6. Save as CSV format

[Screenshot: Import interface with Download Template button highlighted] Alt text: VoxPria contact import page showing template download option

Phone Number Formatting #

Phone numbers must be in E.164 international format. Additionally, this ensures calls connect reliably:

Format Rules: #

• Start with + (plus sign)
• Include country code (US = 1, UK = 44, etc.)
• No spaces, dashes, or parentheses
• Total length: 10-15 digits after country code

Format Examples: #

• ✅ US: +15551234567
• ✅ UK: +447700900123
• ✅ Canada: +14165551234
• ❌ Wrong: (555) 123-4567
• ❌ Wrong: 555-123-4567
• ❌ Wrong: 5551234567 (missing + and country code)

💡 Pro Tip: If your numbers lack country codes, add a formula in Excel: =CONCATENATE("+1",A2) for US numbers.

Step-by-Step Import Process #

Now let’s import your contacts. Furthermore, the process includes validation to catch errors:

Step 1: Navigate to Import #

1. Go to EVALUATE → All Contacts
2. Click “Import Contacts” button
3. The import wizard opens

Step 2: Upload CSV File #

1. Click “Choose File” or drag file to upload area
2. Select your CSV file
3. File uploads and validates automatically
4. Wait for validation to complete

[Screenshot: CSV file uploading with progress bar] Alt text: VoxPria CSV upload progress showing validation in progress

Step 3: Map Columns #

VoxPria automatically maps standard columns. However, you may need to confirm custom fields:

1. Review the column mapping screen
2. VoxPria shows: Your Column → VoxPria Field
3. Adjust mappings if needed using dropdowns
4. Click “Confirm Mapping”

[Screenshot: Column mapping interface showing field assignments] Alt text: VoxPria column mapper showing CSV columns matched to system fields

Step 4: Review Validation Results #

VoxPria validates every row. Moreover, it identifies and reports any issues:

Validation Checks: #

• Phone number format
• Duplicate numbers
• Invalid email formats
• Missing required fields
• Invalid data types

You’ll see three categories:

• 🟢 Valid Contacts – Ready to import
• 🟡 Warnings – Can import but review recommended
• 🔴 Errors – Cannot import, must fix

[Screenshot: Validation results showing valid, warning, and error counts] Alt text: VoxPria import validation results with counts for each status

Step 5: Handle Errors #

If errors exist, you have options. Additionally, you can fix and re-upload or skip errors:

• Download Error Report – See exactly what’s wrong
• Fix and Re-upload – Correct errors and try again
• Skip Error Rows – Import only valid contacts

Step 6: Configure Import Options #

Before finalizing, set import options. Furthermore, these control how duplicates and tags are handled:

• Duplicate Handling
  • Skip duplicates (recommended)
  • Update existing contacts
  • Create duplicates
• Tag All Imported Contacts – Add a tag like “Import 2025-02-02”
• Add to Campaign – Optionally assign to campaign immediately
• Send Welcome SMS – Optional initial contact

Step 7: Complete Import #

1. Review the import summary
2. Confirm total contacts to import
3. Click “Start Import”
4. Wait for import to complete (usually seconds to minutes)
5. Success confirmation appears

[Screenshot: Import success message with statistics] Alt text: VoxPria import complete screen showing success statistics

After Import #

After importing, verify everything worked correctly. Moreover, check a sample of contacts:

1. Go to EVALUATE → All Contacts
2. Filter by the import tag you created
3. Spot-check several contacts
4. Verify phone numbers formatted correctly
5. Confirm custom fields populated

Common Import Errors #

Here are the most common issues and solutions. Additionally, knowing these helps you fix problems quickly:

Error: “Invalid Phone Number Format” #

• Cause: Missing +, no country code, or contains spaces/dashes
• Solution: Format all numbers as +1234567890

Error: “Duplicate Phone Number” #

• Cause: Number already exists in your contacts
• Solution: Choose “Skip duplicates” or “Update existing”

Error: “Invalid Email Format” #

• Cause: Email missing @ or domain
• Solution: Fix emails or leave blank

Error: “File Too Large” #

• Cause: CSV exceeds 10MB or 50,000 rows
• Solution: Split into smaller files

Best Practices #

• ✅ Use Template – Always start with VoxPria’s template
• ✅ Test Small First – Import 10 contacts as a test
• ✅ Clean Data First – Remove duplicates before importing
• ✅ Tag Imports – Always add a date tag (e.g., “Import-2025-02”)
• ✅ Backup Original – Keep original CSV file
• ✅ Verify After – Spot-check imported contacts

Learn more about CSV file format standards.

Related Articles:

• Adding Contacts Manually
• Managing Contact Tags
• Contact Custom Fields