Split a contact list into smaller parts before importing it into Constant Contact

Break up a single spreadsheet (XLS, XLSX, CSV) file, vCard File (VCF), or a text file (TXT) into multiple files before uploading into Constant Contact

Important: CSV files can accommodate up to a million rows of contacts or up to 100 MB of data. If you have a large list, convert your file into a CSV file before you upload instead.

The largest Excel spreadsheet (or TXT file) size that can be imported into your Constant Contact account is 2MB, and it can't have more than 40,000 rows of data. If your spreadsheet is larger, and you're not able to convert it to a CSV file, it needs to be split into parts before it can be uploaded. An easy way to figure out how many spreadsheets you need is to just divide the total number of rows in your spreadsheet by 40,000. Treat any remainder as an additional spreadsheet. To reduce a file that’s over 2MB, you can delete any extra columns that you don’t need. There are specific contact headings that are supported in Constant Contact, and at the bare minimum, an email address is the only data that’s required for a contact.

To split your file:

1. Open the spreadsheet you want to split and copy (Ctrl + C) the header row.
   
   
    
2. Create a second spreadsheet and paste (Ctrl + V) the header row from the first spreadsheet into the first row of the new spreadsheet. If your spreadsheet is so large that you need to split it into more than two parts, repeat this step for each new spreadsheet you create. A missing header row can cause a file import error.
   
   
    
3. In the first spreadsheet, scroll down to the 40,001 row, highlight the next 40,000 rows and cut them from the spreadsheet - you can do this in Excel by holding down the Shift key and clicking on the numbered cell for row 40,001, and then clicking on the numbered cell for the last row you want to include. If you have lots of different columns of contact data in your spreadsheet, you may need to decrease the amount of rows in each spreadsheet so you don't reach the 2MB file size maximum in your new spreadsheet.
   
   
    
4. Paste (Ctrl + V) the data into the second spreadsheet. There should not be a blank row between the header and your data, or it can cause a file import error. Repeat steps until you have multiple spreadsheets that are less than 2MB and have less than 40,000 rows of data each.
   
   

Once your file is split into multiple files, you can import them, one at a time, into your Constant Contact account. During the import process you have the opportunity to select the list you want to add the contacts to, so just choose the same list during each import to recombine your contacts onto a single list.

For more help copying and pasting in Excel, please see Microsoft's Support.

Save Time: If your list is large, we can help you import it. Please contact premiersupport@constantcontact.com and provide the following information: Your account username. A phone number where we can reach you if we have questions. The contact spreadsheets that you want to import. The names of the lists you want to add the contacts to. We will contact you within 48 hours, during our regular business hours (Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., EST), after receiving your request.

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