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How To Import a Contact List

Upload a contact list, map your fields, track progress, and jump straight to the imported segment.

What’s in this article

What a contact import is

A contact import lets you bring customer contact information into Patch in bulk.

Common reasons to import contacts:

  • Move contacts from another platform into Patch

  • Add new contacts collected from events, forms, or ticketing tools

  • Update existing contacts with new details (like location, notes, tags, or custom fields)

Before you import

Your file should have:

  • One contact per row

  • Headers in the first row

  • A reliable identifier column (usually Email Address)

Accepted file types:

  • CSV

  • XLS

  • XLSX

Contact import statuses

Each contact import shows a status in the Imports table:

  • Completed: The import finished successfully.

  • Pending: You clicked Save & Do Later in Step 3. The import is saved but not started yet. You’ll have an option to confirm it from the Imports row.

  • Stopped: The import was interrupted and did not finish.

  • Running: The import is currently in progress and shows a progress bar.

  • When a contact import is Running, Patch shows a progress bar on the import row so you can track how far along it is.

  • What you’ll see:

    • Progress bar fills as contacts are processed

    • Records count updates as the import moves forward

Go to imported contacts

You can jump straight from an import to the contacts it brought into Patch.

  1. In Account Settings → Imports, find your contact import

  2. Hover over the action icons on the left side of the import row

  3. Click "Go to imported contacts"

    1. What happens next:

      1. Patch redirects you to the Contacts module

      2. A segment is automatically selected so you only see contacts from that import

    2. Use this to:

      1. Spot check imported contacts

      2. Confirm fields mapped correctly
      3. Quickly build a segment-based campaign or automation

Import name

By default, Patch names contact imports like: Import <timestamp>.
 
You can rename a contact import:

  • From the Imports table (edit icon next to the name)

  • Inside the Import editor

Tip: Name imports so they’re easy to find later, like:

  • VIP list - March 2026

  • Birthday club - Q2 upload

 

Step 1: Upload

  • Go to Account Settings → Imports

  • Click to start a new import

  • Select Contacts as the Import Type

  • Upload your file (CSV, XLS, or XLSX)

  • Use Preview Data (optional) to review a sample of rows before mapping

Step 2: Map

In mapping, you match each column in your file to a Patch contact field.
 
Choose an Identifier (required): Contacts need an Identifier so Patch can match rows to existing contacts.  Most common identifiers:
 

  • Email Address

  • Phone Number (if your list is phone-based)

Tip: Only select one identifier column unless your team has a clear matching strategy.

If contact exists: This controls how Patch handles updates when a matching contact is found. Typical choices:

  • Update/overwrite (replace with the imported value)

  • Skip if exists (keep the current value)

  • Use Skip if exists when you don’t want to overwrite good existing data.

Validation warnings: If Patch detects issues (like a value that doesn’t match a field type), you may see warnings or validation errors.  Use:

  • View Errors (to see what’s wrong)

  • Preview Data (to spot patterns fast)

Step 3: Confirm

In the final step you’ll review and confirm import settings.

  1. Import name: Update the import name (optional).

  2. Messaging opt-in
    1. SMS messaging (for contacts missing an opt-in status)
    2. Email messaging (for contacts missing an opt-in status)
    3. Only select these if you have permission to message these contacts.
  3. Additional fields (apply to all imported contacts): Add a field value that gets applied to every imported contact (example: Source = Spring event).
  4. Automation triggers: You can choose to Skip automations triggered by this import.
    1. This is helpful if you’re:
      1. Backfilling contacts and don’t want messages to send
      2. Testing mapping before turning on automations
  5. Accept liability (required): You’ll confirm you have permission to import and message these contacts by entering your initials.
  6. Click Confirm & Start Import to begin. If you click Save & Do Later, the import becomes Pending until you confirm it.

 

Troubleshooting

  1. 0 contacts imported or lots of skipped rows
    1. Make sure your identifier is mapped correctly (usually Email Address).
    2. Check for blank identifier values (blank emails/phones often cause skips).
  2. Some fields are blank on imported contacts
    1. Confirm each column is mapped to the correct Patch field.
    2. Check formatting (dates, numbers, phone formats).
  3. Can’t find the contacts you just imported
    1. Go back to the Imports table and click Go to imported contacts.
    2. This opens the Contacts module with the import’s segment already selected.