How to import contacts to your audience

Our import tool helps you add contacts to Dynosend. Upload CSV file or type info directly into the import table. You can also auto-update multiple existing contacts at once.

Before you start

Here are some things to know before you begin this process.

To get started, you'll need CSV file containing the contacts you want to import to your audience.
Create new custom fields if you have additional data you want to import.
If your import brings your total contact count to the the limit of your pricing tier, the rest of your contacts won't be imported to your audience.

NOTE:

The field names in your CSV header don’t need to exactly match your custom fields. We will try to match them automatically during import. Just make sure the data in each column is valid for the field listed in the first row.

Import new contacts

To import your contacts to Dynosend, follow these steps.

Click on Audiences.
Open the dropdown menu for the desired audience and click on Import
Click on the file selection field, select your CSV file from your device and click on Next.
You will now map the CSV file columns to your custom fields by dragging them and dropping them over the columns.
Click Next to choose whether you want to tag your contacts or not.
Click Next to select merging options to determine how Dynosend behaves when adding any existing contacts.
Click Import now to start the import.

Once finished importing, you will see a DONE badge on the import job in your imports history and how many contacts were imported. If you choose the merge options that do not add new contacts, you will see 0 contacts were added.

Merge options

Import and merge new data only (recommended)

When a contact exists only new data will be added. If the contact doesn't already exist, it will be created.

EX: Consider an existing contact with the following fields:

First Name: John
Last Name: Perez
Country: Mexico

If you map any columns from your CSV file to these fields, the existing values will remain unchanged. For instance, if your CSV includes:

First Name: (new value)
Last Name: (new value)
Country: (new value)

Dynosend will not update John's first name or last name, and the country will remain as Mexico. By selecting this option, you can only populate fields that are currently empty.

Import and merge new data for existing contacts only

This option allows you to add new data only to existing contacts. If a contact is found, only new data will be merged based on the mappings provided.

The key distinction between this option and the previous one is that it does not create new contacts. If a contact cannot be found, it will be ignored during the import process.

Import and overwrite any data that exists

When a contact exists all mapped fields will be overwritten. If the contact doesn't already exist, it will be created.

WARNING: Exercise caution when using this option, as all mapped fields will overwrite existing data. If you're unsure whether this is the best option for your needs, we recommend exporting all your contact data before proceeding with this import option. This way, you'll have a backup of your data in case you need to restore it.

EX: With this option, all mapped fields will overwrite any existing data in your contacts. For example, consider an existing contact with the following fields:

First Name: John
Last Name: Johnson
Country: USA

If you map any columns from your CSV file to these fields during the import process, the existing values will be replaced even if the CSV value is empty.

Any fields that you map on the mapping page will completely overwrite the existing data in the contact profile.

Import and overwrite any data that exists for existing contacts only

This option allows you to overwrite any data only for existing contacts. If a contact is found, data will be overwritten based on the mappings provided.

The key distinction between this option and the previous one is that it does not create new contacts. If a contact cannot be found, it will be ignored during the import process.

Import new contacts only

If a record already exists, it won’t be modified. This option only imports new records.