SmartPush automatically synchronizes your customer data in real time. You can also upload files to import additional contact data for marketing campaigns. Before importing, please ensure the contact information is accurate and that your customers have consented to receive email or SMS marketing messages. Importing contacts with unsubscribed statuses may negatively affect your account reputation and message delivery rate.
In this article
How to import contacts
- The supported formats for uploading files are .xlsx, .xls, .cvs (UTF-8), and .ods.
- The maximum file size is 10 MB.
- The uploaded file can contain up to 150,000 rows. (For additional requests, please reach out to your Merchant Success Manager or contact us at info@smartpushedm.com)
- The first row of the "Bulk Import Template" file cannot be modified. It might cause the upload errors.
- The imported data will only be saved in SmartPush and not synchronized to the SHOPLINE store.
- Instructions and examples for filling in the form:
Field |
Input Rules |
Example |
| First Name | Enter the contact’s first name. | Jason |
| Last Name | Enter the contact’s last name. | Miller |
| Either Email or Phone Number is required. | jason.millbrook@ example.com |
|
| Accepts Email Marketing |
|
yes |
| Phone Number |
|
(555) 012-3456 |
| Accepts SMS Marketing |
|
yes |
| Gender | Use "m" for male, "f" for female, "u" for unknown. | f |
| Birthday | Use ㄍ format "YYYY-MM-DD" or "YYYY/MM/DD". | 1999-10-22 |
| Language | Enter the corresponding code from the Language Code Table. | us |
| Company | Enter the company name. | SHOPLINE |
| Address 1 | Primary address line. | 123 Main Street |
| Address 2 | Additional address information (optional). | Suite 5 |
| City | Enter the city name. | Toronto |
| State/Province |
When entering state or province information, use the full English name:
|
OntarioorUmm Al Quwain |
| State/Province Code | This field auto-fills based on a lookup formula: =IFERROR(VLOOKUP(On,StateCodeTable!B:E,4,FALSE), IFERROR(VLOOKUP(On,StateCodeTable!C:E,3,FALSE), "No match found")) |
(Auto-filled) |
| Country/Region |
When entering country or region information, use the full English name:
|
CanadaorUnited States |
| Country Code | This field auto-fills based on a lookup formula: =VLOOKUP(Qn,CountryCodeTable!A:B,2,FALSE) | (Auto-filled) |
| Postal Code | Enter the postal code. | M5V 2T6 |
| Tags | Separate multiple tags with commas. Supports up to 20 tags; any excess will not be imported. | VIP,friendly |
| Remarks | Displays real-time error messages when data does not meet import rules. | Invalid phone format |
Select a Group
When importing data, you can decide whether to import contacts into a new group.
-
Import to a new group:
A new group will be automatically created for the imported contacts. After import, the new group will appear under Contacts > Segments.
-
Do not select a group:
No new group will be created. Instead, SmartPush will automatically tag the imported contacts with the import date and time (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm Imported file) for future reference.
You can filter out these imported contacts by following the steps below:
- Go to Segments.
- Click Create segment > Add condition.
- Select Others > Import manually, and choose the corresponding import tag to display the contacts from that import file.
Replace Customers
When the Replace existing customers with the same email address or phone number option is checked, if any existing contacts share the same email or phone number as those being imported, the new data will overwrite the existing contact information.
Common upload errors and solutions
Upload failed because the Email/Mobile Number header is missing
If you receive an error message stating that the Email/Mobile Number header is missing, please follow the steps below to resolve it.
Step 1: Check file headers
Ensure that the headers "Email" or "Mobile number" are included in your file.
If either header is missing, add it back to the first row of your file.
Make sure the header text matches exactly with the format in the original downloaded template (case-sensitive).
Step 2: Fix CSV file encoding or format issues
If the headers are correct and your file format is .csv, the issue may be related to file encoding. Try one of the following solutions:
- Convert the file format
Save or export your .csv file as an .xlsx or .xls file, then re-upload it.
- Try using different office software
If you are using Microsoft Office, try opening and saving the file in WPS Office instead. This can permanently resolve certain CSV compatibility issues.
- Ensure UTF-8 encoding support
The upload may fail if your computer does not support UTF-8 encoding. Enable UTF-8 using one of the methods below:
Method 1: Change default system encoding to UTF-8 (Windows 10 only)
- Open the Start menu > Settings > Time & Language.
- Click Language on the left panel.
- Select Administrative language settings on the right.
- Click Change system locale settings.
- Check Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 for worldwide language support, then click OK.
- Restart your computer, re-save your .csv file, and upload it again.
Method 2: Re-save the file with UTF-8 encoding using Notepad (Windows only)
- Right-click the .csv file and select Open with Notepad.
- Go to File > Save As.
- In the Encoding dropdown, select UTF-8.
- Keep the file extension as .csv and save it.
- Re-upload the file to SmartPush.
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