How To Import a Contact List

Learn how to import contacts into your account's database

In this article:

1. Preparing Your Data
2. Accessing Imports
3. Imports List Overview
4. Navigating the Imports List: Key Actions
5. How to Import Contacts Into Patch

Preparing your data

Before importing your list of contacts into your database, please consider the following:

1. Organize your list/file
2. Does your list contain everything you need?
   1. First Name
   2. Last Name
   3. Phone Number
   4. SMS Opt-in Status
   5. Email Opt-In Status
   6. Unique Identifier
   7. etc.
3. Clean up your list
   1. Does your list contain duplicate profiles?
   2. Do some profiles have emojis or unnecessary punctuation?
4. File types supported:
   1. .CSV
   2. .XLS
   3. .XLSX

Accessing Imports

To begin importing your contacts, navigate to Account Settings, and select 'Import'.

Selecting this option will bring up the Main View and list all imports for the account.
This will list the historical activity for ALL imports.
You can sort this view by Date, # of Records, Status, Accepted By (User who imported the file)

Imports List Overview

The main view displays key information about your imports:

• Date: Sort by the completion date of the import.
• Number of Records: Sort by the total number of contacts imported.
• Status: Indicates whether the import is completed or not started.
• Accepted By: Shows the User ID of the admin responsible for the import.

Use the eye icon to view details of a completed import. If an import is pending, you can delete it using the trash can icon. To view the imported contacts, click on the person silhouette icon.

Navigating the Imports List: Key Actions

• Inspecting Your Import: To review the details of your import, simply click on the ‘View the import’ option. If the import process is complete, you’ll be able to view the information in a read-only format. However, if the import hasn’t been executed yet, you’ll have the flexibility to make edits to the options.

• Accessing Imported Contacts: Want to see the contacts you’ve just imported? Click on ‘View the contacts imported’ to be directed to the contacts page. Here, you’ll find a pre-selected segment that exclusively contains the contacts from your recent import.

• Initiating a New Import: Ready to bring in more contacts? Select ‘Start new import’ to begin the process afresh.

How to Import Contacts into Patch

Importing contacts into Patch is a straightforward process that allows you to update your contact list with new information efficiently. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you through the process.

To get started select the (+) sign.

Step 1: Configure Import Settings

Begin by configuring your import settings:

• Choose Import Actions:Decide whether to update existing contacts, create new ones, or both. The recommended option is to update existing contacts and create new ones if they are not found. If you opt to only create new contacts, no further selections are needed.
• Select Identifier Field: Choose a contact field to identify and update existing contacts. Options include Email, Phone Number, Patch Contact ID, and other contact fields.
• Update Preferences: Specify how you want to update existing contact fields. You can choose not to overwrite existing data, replace fields with new values if not empty, or increment loyalty points without overwriting other values.
  

After setting up the import configurations, click the Continue button to proceed.

Step 2: Upload & Select Fields

• Upload Your File: Supported file types include .csv, .xls, and .xlsx.
• Select Import Fields: Match the columns from your file to the corresponding fields in Patch. If your first line item is a row of headers and NOT an actual contact, select the option ‘First line of file’ Contains headers (ignore line) and it will skip importing the labels.
• Field Selection: Choose which columns to import by selecting the appropriate field. Only selected fields get imported. Leave any column you do not wish to import unselected.

Step 3: Finalize Settings & Confirm Import

• Set Additional Data Fields: Apply a default tag to all contacts for tracking and segmentation purposes. You can add more field values or group tags if needed.
• Opt-In Actions: Choose whether to send opt-in messages to the imported contacts. Update your SMS settings to ensure messages are sent. Note: In order to send any type of message you will need to update your SMS Settings within your Account Settings in order for the message to actually be sent.
• Initial Confirmation: Type your initials to confirm the import settings and proceed. This step is required for record keeping and liability reasons.

Review the summary of your selections, and when ready, click Confirm & Start Import. If you need to pause the process, use the Do Later button.

Customer Support

If you need help or need assistance determining next steps, please contact our Customer Support team by phone at 888.605.4429 or email at success@patchretention.com.