How to upload contacts

Learn how to add contacts to a list in FosterFlow. Uploading contacts is essential when getting started, particularly if you are migrating from another platform or pulling in information from offline data sources.

Create contact list

Before uploading your contacts, you need a designated list to store them in.

1. Navigate to the Contact lists page.
2. Click the Create contact list button in the upper right corner to generate a new list.
3. From this dashboard, you can view all existing lists, see the estimated total users, and manage them using the action icons (add users, refresh, copy, or delete).

Upload a CSV to a contact list

If you have an existing database of users, importing them via CSV is the most efficient method.

Format your CSV

To ensure a successful upload, your CSV file must adhere to FosterFlow’s system requirements.

File Content Requirements:
* HEADER ROW: The file must include a header row with labels for each column. This enables the system to understand and map the content correctly.
* IDENTIFIER: The file should contain a unique identifier (like an Email address) to uniquely identify and unify a user.
* OPT-IN Information: If your file includes phone numbers and email addresses, it is highly recommended to also include user OPT-IN information. If opt-in information is missing, FosterFlow will automatically set it to ‘yes’.
* Row Limit: Ensure that your file contains no more than 2 million lines of data.

Data Format Requirements:
* Phone numbers must be in the E.164 format.
* The character encoding must be UTF-8.
* Dates, such as birthdays, must be in the YYYY-MM-DD format.

Template File

We recommend using the standard import template to structure your data correctly before uploading.

Your CSV should include columns matching the properties you wish to import, such as:
* First Name
* Last Name
* Email Opt-In
* Email
* Global Unsubscribe

Import the File

1. On the Contact lists page, click the Add user icon (the figure with a plus sign) under the Actions column for your desired list.
2. Select the option to upload a CSV file.
3. Review the upload requirements, attach your properly formatted CSV, and click Save to process the upload.

Add manually

If you only need to add a handful of individuals to your list quickly, you can use the manual addition tool instead of uploading a full CSV.

1. Access the add user actions for your specific list and choose to add contacts manually.
2. In the Add manually window, fill out the following fields for the new contact:
3. Email (required as an identifier)
4. First Name
5. Last Name
6. Click OK to add the subscriber.

Once the process is complete, FosterFlow will look for any existing profiles with that same email. It will either create a brand new profile or update the existing user profile with the information you provided.