---
title: "How do you import contacts into Sarbacane Contacts?"
description: "Add contacts to a list by file, manual entry or copy and paste, or complete an existing list."
url: https://help.sarbacane.com/en/articles/210-how-do-you-import-contacts-into-sarbacane-contacts
collection: "How to use"
updated: 2026-11-05
language: en
alternates: [fr, es]
---

# How do you import contacts into Sarbacane Contacts?

Add contacts to a list by file, manual entry or copy and paste, or complete an existing list.

To import contacts into Sarbacane Contacts, open a standard list and choose how to add them: file, manual entry or copy and paste. You then map the columns of your file to the fields of the list. Allow about five minutes with a prepared file.

## Prerequisites

-   A Sarbacane Campaigns license (Sarbacane Contacts is included).
    
-   A standard list: [how do you create a contact list](https://help.sarbacane.com/en/articles/207-comment-creer-une-liste-de-contacts-dans-sarbacane-contacts.md).
    
-   A prepared file: [what should you prepare before importing your contacts](https://help.sarbacane.com/en/articles/119-que-faut-il-preparer-avant-d-importer-vos-contacts-dans-sarbacane-contacts.md).
    

## Steps

### In a new list

1.  After you create the list, the screen for adding contacts opens. On the right, choose **Import a file (.xlsx, .txt, .csv)**, **Manual entry** or **Copy / Paste**.
    
2.  For a file, in the center, drop it into the "Drag and drop a file here to import contacts" box or click **Browse**. The size limit is 100 MB. For copy and paste, separate each address with a comma, semicolon, tab or line break.
    
3.  If your numbers have no country code, choose the country below the box, in **Format phone numbers without any area code** (**France (+33)** by default). A single country code applies to the whole import.
    
4.  The **Correspondence of the columns** screen opens. For each row under **CURRENT COLUMNS**, choose the matching column of your file under **NEW SOURCE**. Only columns with the same header are mapped automatically. For example, map your **pixel** column to **Email pixel tracking consent**. Leave **<None>** if you have no data to map.
    
5.  If your file contains information the list does not have, click **\+ New column**.
    
6.  At the bottom, click **Validate**. For a file import, the contact analysis then starts automatically.
    

### In an existing list

1.  Open the list. At the top left, next to its name, click **•••**, then **Add contacts**.
    
2.  Choose how to add contacts, then your file, as for a new list.
    
    **Important**: if your file comes from a Sarbacane export, first rename the "Email pixel tracking consent" column to **pixel**. Its header contains the word "email": it would not be picked up and the consent would be lost.
    
3.  The **Adding contacts** window opens.
    
    **Caution**: **Replace** permanently deletes all the current contacts in the list. There is no trash for contacts, only for lists.
    
    Click **Complete** to add your contacts to the ones already there.
    
4.  Map the columns as for a new list, then click **Validate**.
    

## Expected result

The contacts appear in the list and the counter updates. The **SOURCE** column shows the name of the imported file. Pixel consent shows as **Active** or **Inactive**, dated the day of the import. Contacts excluded by the analysis are in the list's **incorrect** tab.

## Troubleshooting

### A column from my file doesn't appear

Its header probably contains the word "email", for example in a Sarbacane export. Rename it before importing, unless it is the column with the addresses. If your file contains two "email" or "phone" columns, keep only one.

### Pixel consent wasn't taken into account

Check that the **pixel** column is mapped to **Email pixel tracking consent** at the mapping step: it isn't automatic.

### My dates are not recognized after the import

By default, a new column is a text column. Before importing, tell Sarbacane Contacts that it contains dates:

1.  Next to the list name, click **•••**, then **Manage columns**.
    
2.  To the right of the column, open the type menu and choose **Date type field**.
    
3.  In the list that opens, choose the format used in your file, for example DD/MM/YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD. The order of day, month and year, the separator (/ or -) and whether the time is included must match exactly.
    
4.  At the bottom, click **Validate**.
    

If your dates are stored as text in your file, convert them to a date format in your spreadsheet before importing.

### My list contains duplicates

The contact analysis starts automatically after a file import. If you added contacts another way, run it yourself: next to the list name, click **•••**, then **Analyze addresses**. Excluded contacts move to the **incorrect** tab, with their cause, for example **Duplicate** or **Unknown domain**.

The contact analysis only removes strictly identical rows: the same email address with two different phone numbers stays on two rows. At the time of sending, however, if the **Remove duplicates recipients** option is turned on in the Sarbacane Campaigns settings (it is on by default), only one row per address is kept, with the information from the last row. To send one email per row to the same address, see [why contacts are excluded from my campaign](https://help.sarbacane.com/en/articles/443-pourquoi-des-contacts-sont-ils-exclus-de-ma-campagne-dans-sarbacane-campaigns.md).

## Related articles

-   [What should you prepare before importing your contacts into Sarbacane Contacts?](https://help.sarbacane.com/en/articles/119-que-faut-il-preparer-avant-d-importer-vos-contacts-dans-sarbacane-contacts.md)
    
-   [How to import tracking pixel consent in Sarbacane?](https://help.sarbacane.com/en/articles/404-comment-importer-le-consentement-au-pixel-de-suivi-dans-sarbacane.md)
    
-   [How do you create a contact list in Sarbacane Contacts?](https://help.sarbacane.com/en/articles/207-comment-creer-une-liste-de-contacts-dans-sarbacane-contacts.md)