Bulk import is a two-step process on purpose: you upload a file, you are shown exactly how its columns will be read, and only when you confirm is anything written. Nothing is saved from the upload step alone.
How it works #
-
Upload a CSV
Press Bulk upload on the Contacts page and choose your file. CSV up to 5 MB. -
Let it guess the columns
The header row and a few sample rows are read, and a mapping is proposed — which column is the phone number, which is the name, and so on. The guess is a starting point, not a decision. -
Check the mapping
The confirm screen shows each contact field beside the column feeding it, with sample values from your actual file, so a wrong guess is visible before it matters. -
Optionally drop it into a list
You can send the import straight into a new or existing contact list rather than only the general contacts pool. This is almost always what you want when the file represents a segment. -
Confirm
Now the rows are written and the uploaded file is discarded.
Preparing the file #
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Phone number required | The only genuinely required column. International format is safest. Numbers are normalised, so formatting differences do not create duplicates. |
| Name | What your team sees in the inbox, and available as a campaign variable. |
| Optional, stored on the contact and usable as a campaign variable. | |
| Header row | Detected automatically. A file with no header still works — you map by column position instead of name. |
Where to go next #
Contacts
The people you reach on WhatsApp — searchable, assignable, blockable and opt-out aware.
Contact lists
Named segments of contacts you can point a campaign at.
Broadcast campaigns
Send an approved template to a contact list, schedule it, and track sent / delivered / read / failed per recipient.