Import Contacts with GDPR Compliance

Bulk-import contacts from CSV with tag mapping, list assignment, and GDPR compliance.

SendSeven's Contact Import tool lets you bulk-add contacts from CSV files in seconds. Upload a spreadsheet with email addresses, names, phone numbers, and custom attributes. The wizard automatically maps columns, detects duplicates, and verifies GDPR opt-in compliance. Assign contacts to lists and apply tags for instant segmentation — all without leaving the browser. Perfect for migrating from other platforms, building mailing lists from sign-ups, or importing customer databases.

A SendSeven account — sign up free at app.sendseven.com

A CSV file with your contact data (email required, names and phone optional)

Opt-in records or consent documentation for all contacts

Email address, phone (E.164 or local format), or whatsapp_id (digits only)

Phone number — spaces are stripped and a leading + is added automatically (E.164 normalisation)

first_name, last_name, display_name, languages, birthday

tags (comma-separated inside a quoted cell — missing tags are auto-created)

social profiles: linkedin, instagram_handle, facebook, homepage

SendSeven contacts page with the Import button highlighted in the top toolbar

CSV file upload wizard with drag-and-drop area for importing contacts into SendSeven

Custom-data columns turn into custom fields automatically — or map them to existing fields during import. Headers prefixed with custom. auto-map without manual setup. Tags listed in a quoted cell ("vip,newsletter") split cleanly, and any tag that doesn't exist yet is created on the fly.

Field mapping screen showing CSV columns matched to SendSeven contact fields with tag and list assignment options

Import complete confirmation screen showing the number of contacts successfully imported into SendSeven

Re-uploading the same CSV file no longer creates duplicates or asks you to clean them up. "Update existing" is the default mode: matched contacts are refreshed in place across standard fields and custom fields, so your account stays in sync with your source-of-truth spreadsheet or CRM export.

Use when your CSV is the most accurate version. Values in the CSV replace what's in SendSeven. Blank cells in the CSV never wipe existing data, so you can re-export a partial slice without losing anything.

Use when SendSeven has been enriched since the last upload (notes, manual edits, new tags). Only blank fields in SendSeven are filled from the CSV; existing values are kept untouched.

Export your contacts from your CRM weekly, drop the file into SendSeven on the same cadence. No scripts, no API integration — just "Update existing" with the mode that fits. The legacy Auto-merge, Allow, and Block modes are still there for net-new imports.

Subscriptions on import used to be email-only. Now you can subscribe imported contacts to different lists on different channels per import — with a channel-to-list builder right in the wizard.

Each contact is subscribed only on channels they actually have an identifier for. The rest are skipped silently and shown in the summary so you can spot coverage gaps. Opt-in confirmation is still required — subscriptions land in pending until confirmed, fully GDPR-compliant.

  1. Go to Contacts section
  2. Upload CSV file
  3. Map fields and configure
  4. Review and import

FAQ

What CSV format do you support?

SendSeven accepts standard CSV files (.csv) with comma or semicolon delimiters. You need at least one identifier per row: email, phone, or whatsapp_id. Optional fields include first_name, last_name, display_name, phone, whatsapp_id, languages, birthday, tags, social profiles (linkedin, instagram_handle, facebook, homepage), and unlimited custom fields. Quoted commas inside a cell are handled correctly, so tag lists and JSON custom_fields stay intact. Headers are auto-detected — just upload your file.

How are phone numbers and WhatsApp IDs normalised?

Phone numbers are auto-normalised to E.164 on import: spaces are stripped, a leading + is added if missing, and the result is validated. WhatsApp IDs are reduced to digits only (no +, no spaces) — either format is accepted on input. The preview step shows the normalised values before you confirm the import, so you see exactly what will be saved.

How many contacts can I import at once?

You can import up to 50,000 contacts per batch. For larger datasets, you can upload multiple CSV files. Each file is processed independently, and duplicates are automatically detected and merged.

How does GDPR compliance work?

SendSeven verifies opt-in status during import. You can mark contacts as opted-in, opted-out, or pending verification. Opt-out contacts are stored but never included in campaigns. SendSeven maintains audit trails for all imports to support GDPR compliance audits.

What happens with duplicate email addresses?

SendSeven automatically detects duplicate email addresses and merges them intelligently. If a duplicate already exists in your account, you can choose to skip, overwrite, or merge the record. Custom fields are preserved and combined.

Can I assign lists and tags during import?

Yes. You can assign all contacts to a specific list during import, and add tags based on CSV columns or manually. Tags help you segment your audience for targeted campaigns, and you can create new tags on the fly.

What about custom fields and attributes?

SendSeven automatically creates custom fields from your CSV columns if they don't exist. You can map custom fields to existing fields during import, or use the custom.<key> header convention (e.g. custom.company_size) for zero-click auto-mapping. Custom attributes support text, numbers, dates (ISO format YYYY-MM-DD), and single- or multi-select dropdowns. Select-field values are validated against your defined options — mismatches are skipped per cell with a warning, the rest of the row still imports.

Can I re-import the same file to keep contacts fresh?

Yes — "Update existing" is the default mode. Matched contacts are refreshed in place across standard fields and custom fields. Pick Overwrite (CSV wins, blank cells never wipe data) when your CSV is the most accurate version, or Fill empty (only fills gaps) when SendSeven has been enriched since the last upload. Drop the same export into SendSeven on a weekly cadence and your account stays in sync — no scripts, no API integration required.

Can I subscribe contacts to channels other than email during import?

Yes. The channel-to-list builder lets you subscribe imported contacts across email, WhatsApp, SMS, and other channels in a single import — for example, List A via Email + List B via WhatsApp + Lists C and D via SMS. Each contact is subscribed only on channels they actually have an identifier for; the rest are skipped and shown in the import summary. Opt-in confirmation is still required, so subscriptions land in pending status until confirmed (GDPR-compliant).

Can I schedule imports or automate them?

Imports are manual via the UI, but the new "Update existing" re-import mode covers most automation needs without any setup — export from your CRM weekly and drop the file into SendSeven. For programmatic flows, use the SendSeven REST API to create and update contacts. Contact our support team for enterprise bulk integration options.