Import a list of SMS-only contacts without email addresses from a file or spreadsheet

Import a file of SMS contacts who have provided you with an SMS phone number and their consent to receive SMS messages from you, but didn't provide an email address

Did you know? SMS-only contacts don't count towards the contact tier for your email marketing plan. If you later obtain email addresses from your SMS-only contacts, they begin counting towards your contact tier. SMS-only contacts can also be imported into your account before you add the SMS add-on to your email plan or complete your SMS registration.

If you've been capturing SMS contacts through another SMS provider, you can import them into Constant Contact to use with our SMS tools as long as you have a valid SMS phone number and consent date. SMS contacts aren't required to have an email address, but you can always add them later if you want to start sending email marketing messages.

• Prepare your file with SMS information
• Upload a file of SMS contacts
• View all of your SMS-only contacts

Did you know? If you need to create a single contact or copy and paste in a handful of contacts, you can include the SMS phone number and consent date, too!

Prepare your file with SMS information

Save time: Are you importing both email and SMS contacts? Make sure your file is formatted correctly to include email-only contacts or email and SMS contacts.

To prevent import errors, take some time to format your file or spreadsheet before you upload it into your Constant Contact account. Formatting helps us make sure that your data is translated into the right place in your contact record:

• Use a compatible file type and organize the content so there aren't multiple tabs.
• Make sure that your file has a column labeled "SMS phone number" and a column labeled "SMS consent date" (see image below).If you upload SMS contacts without a consent date, they're put in the "SMS no permission set" status and can't be sent SMS campaigns until they opt in.
• Label the rest of your column headings so that Constant Contact can recognize them. SMS-only contacts don't require an email address, but all the other contact details and custom fields you create are up to you.
  Note: Your file can include tags, too!
• Format your SMS phone numbers and consent dates so they can be recognized during the import process. If the formatting isn't compatible, it results in import errors.
  Note: If using Excel, the SMS phone number field should be formatted as "Phone Number," or as "Text" if the phone number is in an international format. The SMS consent date field should be formatted as "Date" or "Custom - General."
• Make sure there aren't any accented characters in your file name.
  
   
   

Did you know? Both email and SMS marketing through Constant Contact are permission-based, which means your contacts have to opt in themselves. If you need some help growing your SMS list or have email contacts you'd like to invite to opt into SMS marketing, we can help you grow your list with consent!

Upload a file of SMS contacts

1. In the menu on the left-hand side of the page, click Contacts > All contacts.
2. Click the Add contacts button in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
   Note: If you're already in the Contacts dashboard, click the Add Contacts button on the right-hand side of the page from the Lists, Segments, Tags, or Contacts tab.
   
    
    
3. From the Add contacts overlay, click the Upload from file.
   
   
    
4. Depending on your computer, use File Explorer or Finder to select the file or spreadsheet you want to import.
   
   
    
5. We have a set of standard contact headings that are automatically matched to your spreadsheet. Review your file columns and make sure the headings are correct. Only the first two contacts from your spreadsheet will be displayed to show you what kind of data is in each column.

• If your file column heading is missing a name or if the heading doesn't match the column contents, choose the correct file heading from the drop-down menu.
• If your file has headings that don't match the standard fields recognizable in Constant Contact, click +Create custom field from the drop-down menu.
  Note: Please don't recreate an existing column heading using a custom field. Doing so can cause issues when you try to use it later.
  Important: It's a violation of our Terms of Service to store Sensitive Information in a custom field. Please see our Terms of Service for additional information on Sensitive Information.
• Select Skip field from the drop-down menu if you don't want to import a column of data from your spreadsheet.
• Formatting errors need to be corrected before you can import your file. Just hit the Back button at the top of the page to re-import your corrected spreadsheet.

6. Click Continue.
   
   
    
7. Confirm that you have consent to send SMS marketing messages to your imported contacts.
8. Choose the list you want to add your contacts to, or create a new list. You can create and select multiple lists to suit your needs. If you don't select a list, it's totally fine! We'll automatically generate a list for you, which you can rename later.
9. (Optional) Select a tag or create a new tag to apply to your contacts.
10. Click the Import button.
    
    
     

If the file you uploaded held a large number of contacts, you're taken directly to your Contacts Activity page to check the progress of the import. If your contacts have any errors that need to be corrected, you can resolve them from the Contacts Activity page. Otherwise, you'll see a message at the top of the screen indicating that your import was successful. Once your contacts are imported, you're ready to start segmenting them into meaningful audiences or send them an SMS message.

View all of your SMS-only contacts after importing

Once your SMS contacts are imported, you can find them by viewing the list you added them to or searching by their status:

• View and manage contacts on an individual contact list
• View a group of contacts based on their email or SMS status

Important: Though you can import SMS contacts at any time, before you can send SMS marketing messages, you must first add the SMS marketing add-on to your email plan and complete the SMS registration process. Some plans include SMS marketing by default.

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