Import Customers via CSV File | Bulk Upload Contacts with AiTrillion

Import your Customers using CSV file

Introduction:

Importing customers using a CSV file allows you to quickly add multiple contacts to your store in one go. Instead of creating customer profiles manually, you can upload a properly formatted CSV file containing customer details such as name, email address, phone number, tags, and other relevant information.

This feature is especially useful when migrating from another platform, adding offline customers, or uploading contacts collected from events, forms, or third-party tools. By importing customers via CSV, you can efficiently grow your database and start targeting them with email campaigns, SMS marketing, segmentation, and automation workflows.

In this article, we will guide you step-by-step on how to import your customers using a CSV file and ensure the data is mapped correctly for accurate and seamless integration.


Notes

Note: Customers can be imported via a CSV file. The following are the steps to import customers. Remember we do not permit cold emailing, so the customers you are importing must be related to you in some way. e.g. retail store customers, prospective customers who visited your stall in a show and filled out a form, etc.

Step 1: Go to 
Customers >> Import



Step 2: Click on the Upload CSV button in the top-right corner of the screen.



Step 3: You will be redirected to Step 1, where the following details were asked:



1. Compliance Notice: This section reminds you that:

  • All contacts must have provided explicit permission to receive marketing emails.

  • Lists containing purchased, rented, or scraped contacts are not allowed.

  • You must describe how and where the contacts were collected.


2. Certify List Compliance: ✔ I agree to the Terms of Service above. You must check this box to confirm that your contact list complies with AiTrillion’s permission-based marketing policy.

3. Where did you obtain these contacts from?

Enter the source of the contacts, such as:

  • Shopify store

  • Website signup form

  • Event registration

  • Offline store

  • Facebook/Google lead ads

This helps maintain transparency and compliance.


4. Source Description (Required – Minimum 20 characters): Provide a brief explanation of how the contacts were collected.
Example:

  • “Customers signed up via website popup form.”

  • “Collected through checkout opt-in on Shopify store.”

This field is mandatory.


5. Is this list containing double opt-in customers?
Check this option if your contacts confirmed their subscription through a second verification step (double opt-in).
Double opt-in lists typically improve email deliverability and compliance.
Notes
Note: Double opt-in is mandatory to import the CSV file.

6. Browse File: Click Browse file to upload your CSV file containing customer data.

7. First row of file is header row: Keep this option checked if your CSV file includes column names (e.g., Email, First Name, Phone) in the first row. This helps the system correctly map your data fields during import.

8. What do you want to do with these contacts?

Choose one of the following options:

  • Update existing contacts, add new contacts
    Updates existing records and adds new contacts if they do not already exist.

  • Add new contacts
    Only adds new contacts. Existing contacts will not be modified.

  • Update existing contacts
    Updates only existing contacts. No new contacts will be added.

  • Unsubscribe both new and existing contacts
    Marks both imported and existing contacts as unsubscribed.

  • Unsubscribe only existing contacts
    Unsubscribes contacts that already exist in the system.


9. Once everything is done, click on the Next button
Notes
Note: File columns can be customized for mapping using Custom Fields. For guidance, Click Here.


Step 4: You will be redirected to Step 2, where you need to map the fields.




Step 5: Now, you will be redirected to Step 3, where the following details were asked:



1. Do you want to add these contacts to any lists?
Add your lists → Choose list

Use this option to add the imported contacts to an existing list.

  • Click Choose list to select one or more existing lists.

  • All imported contacts will be added to the selected list(s).

  • This is useful when you want to group imported contacts for campaigns, automation, or segmentation.


2. Do you want to add contacts to a new list?

Create new list

Check this option if you want to create a new list specifically for this import.

  • Once selected, you will be prompted to enter the list details.

  • This is helpful when importing contacts from a new source (e.g., event, pop-up campaign, or offline store).

3. Do you want to remove these contacts from any lists?

Remove your lists → Choose list

Use this option if you want to remove the imported contacts from specific existing lists.

  • Click Choose list to select the list(s) from which the contacts should be removed.

  • This helps clean up outdated or incorrect list assignments.


D. Review all the entered details. If any detail needs to be edited, then click on the Back button and modify the detail step-wise. After completing the process, click on the Next button.

Step 6: Now, you will be redirected to Step 4, where you need to review all the import details. Once everything is done, click on the Finish button.

Notes
Note: If you would like to receive an email notification after the customer import is complete, check the Send email option and enter the email address.




Info
Note: If you want to receive an email on import process completion, then enter your email.


Notes

Note: If you are importing the customer status, enter Active or Inactive in the respective column to map this field correctly. Any other values or blank fields will be treated as Active, and the customer will be marked as an active customer.


Once everything is completed, you will get the option to Download failed CSV with all the details like Created Count, Updated Count & Error Count


Important Notes

  • Ensure your CSV file contains valid and permission-based contacts only. Purchased or third-party lists are not allowed.

  • Remove generic or role-based email addresses (e.g., info@, admin@, support@) before importing.

  • Keep the first row as the header row to enable accurate field mapping.

  • Make sure column names clearly match the system fields (e.g., Email, First Name, Phone).

  • During mapping, verify that each column is correctly assigned to the appropriate field to avoid data mismatch.

  • If importing customer status, only use “Active” or “Inactive.” Any other values or blank fields will be treated as Active.

  • You can choose to update existing contacts, add new contacts, or unsubscribe contacts based on your import requirement.

  • Double-check list selection if you are adding or removing contacts from specific lists.

  • Always review the import summary (Step 4) before confirming the import.

  • If needed, enable email notification to receive confirmation once the import process is complete.

  • After import, verify the contacts from Customers > All Customers to confirm successful data upload.


Next⏭️


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