Import a list of unsubscribed contacts from another provider

Upload a file of unsubscribed contacts from a different email marketing service into Constant Contact to prevent accidental mailings

Did you know? Before you import your file, prevent import errors by making sure your file is formatted so Constant Contact can recognize all the information.

Contacts are considered unsubscribed if they opt out by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in one of your emails or ask not to receive your mailings in some other way. If you're moving from another email marketing service and have a list of unsubscribed contacts, or you've been keeping track of them on your own, it’s important to add them to your Constant Contact account. This keeps you compliant with the CAN-SPAM Act and prevents you from accidentally sending unwanted emails if the contact is accidentally included on your contact list.

1. In the menu on the left-hand side, click Create > Add contacts.
   
   
   
   
2. At the bottom of the Add contacts page, click the "Add unsubscribed email addresses" link.
   
   
   
   
3. From the Add unsubscribed email addresses page, click the Choose button.
   
   
   
   
4. Depending on your computer, use File Explorer or Finder to select the file or spreadsheet you want to import.
   
   
   
   
5. Click the Continue button.
   
   
   
   
6. Review the sample of contact information from your list to make sure the Constant Contact fields match the column headings from your file. To change the column headings, click on the drop-down menu in each row to select a new one. Select "Skip Column" if you don't want to import a column of information. If you don't see the correct heading on the list, select "Create Custom Field" to create a new one.
   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.
7. Click the Continue button.
   
   
   
   
8. (Optional) If you want to filter your unsubscribed contacts by the reason they unsubscribed or by the email platform they originally unsubscribed from, add a tag to all the contacts you're importing.
9. Click the Import button.
   
   
   
   
10. Click the Add Unsubscribed contacts button.
    
    
    
    

Once a contact has an "Unsubscribed" status, you won't be able to send emails to them. However, if an unsubscribed contact later rejoins your mailing list through any of our sign-up tools, you can start sending emails to them again.

Get permission: Using sign-up forms ensures that you receive and document express consent from your contacts, which satisfies Constant Contact's email permission policy as well as GDPR and CASL regulations.

Questions?