Mobile Message allows you to import contacts in bulk using a spreadsheet. This makes it easy to add large contact lists quickly and prepare them for messaging campaigns.
A step-by-step video walkthrough is available at the top of this article.
Where to import contacts
To import contacts:
Log in to your Mobile Message account
Click Contacts
Select Import Contacts
This will take you to the contact import screen.
Preparing your spreadsheet
Your spreadsheet should include one contact per row. At a minimum, we need a column with mobile phone numbers. All other fields are optional.
Common columns include:
Phone number
First name
Last name
Email
Any custom fields you want to store
If the first row of your spreadsheet contains column headings (for example, “Phone Number” or “First Name”), make sure this option is selected during the import process.
Uploading your spreadsheet
On the import screen:
Choose the spreadsheet file you want to import
Select File has header row if your first row contains column headings
Upload the file
Once uploaded, Mobile Message will show you a preview of your spreadsheet data.
Matching columns to contact fields
After uploading, you will be asked to match each spreadsheet column to a contact field in Mobile Message.
For each column:
Select the matching field (such as phone number or first name), or
Choose Do not import for any columns you do not want to include
Only mapped fields will be imported.
Handling duplicate contacts
Next, choose how Mobile Message should handle duplicates.
Duplicates are identified by phone number.
You have two options:
Skip: Existing contact details are kept, and the imported row is ignored
Overwrite: Existing contact details are updated with the new data from the spreadsheet
In most cases, overwrite is useful when you want to refresh or update contact information.
Saving contacts to a list
You can choose to save imported contacts to a list.
This makes it easy to:
Select all imported contacts later
Send messages to the entire group
Reuse the list for future campaigns
You can either:
Select an existing list, or
Create a new list during the import
For example, you might create a new list called “Customer List”.
Starting the import
Once all settings are configured, click Start Import.
For large spreadsheets, the import process may take some time. Please be patient while the system processes your contacts.
Import results and reports
When the import is complete, you will see a summary showing:
How many contacts were imported successfully
How many were skipped or failed
You can download a detailed report to see exactly why any contacts were not imported. This is useful for fixing formatting issues or invalid phone numbers.
After the import
Once the import is finished:
Your contacts are available in the Contacts section
Any lists you selected or created are ready to use
You can immediately send messages to your imported contacts
If you need help preparing your spreadsheet or understanding import errors, our support team is happy to assist.