In Stager you can easily import contacts. And even if you have been using Stager for years, this tool can be useful for you. For example, think of the contacts in your address book, or visitors in your hard-copy mailing lists that you can add.
Importing existing contacts into Stager is part of our Awesome package. If you weren't planning to purchase that package and are still in your Trial period, then quickly use the option to import your data during the Trial!
Importing existing contacts
To import contacts you have to upload a CSV file in Stager, which Stager then reads and checks. After this, the information is entered into the relationship management system. A CSV file is also called a comma separated file and can be opened and created with a spreadsheet program such as Excel, Numbers, LibreOffice or Google Spreadsheets.
A CSV file has a fixed format that can be easily read by computers. Every place has a fixed value. It is important that you create the import file exactly like the example file.
Do you use Microsoft Excel? Excel exports a CSV file with no delimited columns: painful. You can separate the data, but this process often breaks down in Excel. A much more reliable option is to use the free Open Source software LibreOffice and open the sample CSV file (see Step 1) with it.
Step 1: Download the sample CSV file
Your data must be delivered in a CSV file with a specific format. View the sample CSV that you can find on the Import page via Marketing - Contacts - Import.
Step 2: Put your data in the correct format and create the CSV file
Enter the contact details in the example file, or create your own CSV file. It is important that the column layout of your contacts file exactly matches the example file. This means, for example, that the last name must always be in the third column.
Put the data in your file correctly and make sure you meet the following requirements:
Leave the first row in the sample file. This row will not be imported.
The EmailAddress1 field is mandatory for all contacts.
Put Birth Date in the correct format: DD-MM-YYYY.
For country names, use the two-digit letter-codes (ISO) as described on this wiki.
When you save your file, use the "CSV UTF-8". The file is then called .csv.
When you use a different encoding, certain punctuation marks may not be imported properly. Find a how to here.
Step 3: Upload your file in Stager
Drag your file into the large white box on the contact import page.
Stager checks your CSV file and may notify you if there are errors regarding the correct format of data. When all data is OK, the Continue button appears.
Step 4: Check your data
You will see an example of the data you wanted to import. Make sure that all information is in the correct columns. Everything to your liking? Click 'import' at the bottom of the page and Stager uploads.
Step 5: Import data
The import is now scheduled and Stager imports in the background. You can monitor the status on the import page. An import uploading many contacts can take a while.
Step 6: Process existing contacts
Stager checks during the import whether the email addresses of new contacts already exist in your Stager contacts as a primary email. When that is the case, these “duplicate” contacts are shown on the import page as 'overlap'. Click to view the duplicate contacts and then decide what to do with them. You have three options:
- Add: Adds data from your imported contacts to your existing contacts in Stager.
- Overwrite: Overwrites the existing contact’s data with that shown on the Import page.
- Skip: Skips all duplications and overlaps, and only imports new contacts.
'Add' only adds information in empty fields of existing contacts. For example, your current contact has no telephone number and an incomplete address without a house number in the database. In your import file, this contact has the telephone number and a complete address. If you choose the Add option, the telephone number is added, but the address will not be changed, because an address was already entered; even though the house number was missing. With the Overwrite option, the contact receives the telephone number and the address is changed.
How do I find the imported contacts?
Under Marketing - Contacts - Import you can see an overview of previous imports up to the past 3 months. When you click on the blue link with X imported / X total under the contacts column, you will get an overview of all contacts from that import. Here you can edit these contacts or select all of them and send them an email.
When you select all contacts in the overview above, you can edit all your imported contacts at once.