Fix the structure before individual values: one row per contact, one type of information per column, and a source your team can identify.
Build a simple file structure
The phone number is the only field required to send. First and last name help people recognize records and support personalization, but they can remain optional. Add only fields that will change targeting or copy.
Remove merged cells, subtotal rows, and multi-level headings. If the file has no header row, identify each column by its position during mapping.
- One row represents one contact.
- One column contains one data type.
- Phone numbers remain text.
- Dates use a consistent format.
- Empty values stay empty.
Map columns instead of renaming them
A flexible importer lets you choose the phone, first-name, and last-name columns. Teams do not need to rebuild every file exported from another tool.
Preview several rows before confirming. A one-column shift can turn a postal code into a phone number or a company name into a first name.
Turn useful columns into custom fields
People should not enter JSON to create contact data. Each selected column becomes a visible field such as city, plan, account manager, appointment date, or product preference.
Do not import a column just because it exists. Every field adds maintenance work and another opportunity to personalize a campaign with stale information.
Handle duplicates and invalid rows
The same phone number may appear several times with different names or values. Define a rule: keep the newest row, fill empty fields, update the existing contact, or ask for a decision.
Put rejected rows in a downloadable report. The user should know whether a row had no phone number, an invalid number, a duplicate, or a value the importer could not interpret.
- Contacts created.
- Contacts updated.
- Duplicates skipped or merged.
- Invalid phone numbers.
- Incomplete rows.
Import into the right contact group
Choose the destination contact group as part of the import. This removes a second step and reduces the chance of launching from a broad, generic list.
After exclusions, show the final number of usable contacts. That total, rather than the raw spreadsheet row count, is the number that should guide campaign planning.
