Import Contacts
1. Click on the Contacts tab on the left sidebar
2. Click on the New Contact dropdown in the top right, and select Import people
3. Select the contact type that you are importing
Subscribed
Subscribed contacts represent contacts that have fully opted in to receive SMS from you / your company. They are able to receive both campaigns and inbox messages.
Leads
Leads represent contacts that have not fully opted in to receive SMS from you / your company. They are able to be messaged 1-on-1 in the inbox, however they will not be included in any campaigns. Any unknown numbers that message you will be created as a lead, and you can continue the 1-on-1 conversation with them in the inbox.
Mixed types
Mixed types are a more advanced upload option for the Textla pros. If your CSV has a type column with different subscribed and lead statuses attached to each contact, this will allow you to upload your list and assign these types to the contact list.
4. Select how the file will be imported, and upload the csv file. For information on how to format your CSV files, click here.
New contacts only
This will create all new contacts in the list. Any contacts that already exist in Textla will be skipped and remain the same.
New & existing contacts
This will create all new contacts and update any existing contacts from the upload
Custom settings
Allows you to toggle either
Update contact info
Edits basic contact information if toggled on
Update contact type
Edits contact type (Subscribed, Lead or opt-ed out) if toggled on
5. Now, make sure all your columns are assigned to the correct label. You can manually change them by clicking on the dropdown. You also have the option to not import certain columns by clicking the import check box for those columns. To finish this step, click the Import button in the bottom right.
6. Next, you can bulk assign Tags, Groups, or Keywords by selecting any of your choice from the dropdown. This will bulk assign these to all the contacts you are currently uploading. You can also create a Group or Tag by clicking in to the line, typing the name, and hitting enter or return on your keyboard. Once you are done, click the Continue button. Here are some more articles on creating Groups, Tags, and Keywords.
7. The last step in the process is the Finish Import page. You can see how many contacts were created, updated, and returned errors. If receive a large amount of errors back and would like to look into them, you can download the Errors CSV by clicking the button in the bottom left.
8. When you are finished, click the Done button in the bottom right