Expanding your Manychat contact list has never been easier! You can import your external contacts, including WhatsApp phone numbers, by uploading a CSV file or manually creating individual contacts. This allows you to quickly expand your contact list and start engaging with your customers through WhatsApp broadcasts or individual messages — provided you have their consent to receive WhatsApp communications.
⚠️Note! Importing WhatsApp contacts is available to all users with a PRO subscription and an active WhatsApp channel connection. Please note that it is not available during the trial period.
⚠️Note! Before importing data to your contact list you must obtain appropriate consent to send messages in compliance with WhatsApp Business Policy. All contacts will be automatically considered opted-in to the bot.
Manually creating individual contacts
To create a new individual WhatsApp contact, navigate to the Contacts tab and click the Create New Contact button:
Complete the required fields and select the Save Phone for WhatsApp Conversations option:
Once completed, click the Create button to add the contact to your Manychat account.
Importing contacts via CSV file
To import your contacts via CSV, navigate to the Contacts tab and click the Import button:
Upload the CSV file containing the contact list you want to import. Ensure that you have selected the correct file and have obtained consent to send messages to all the contacts being imported. Then, click Next.
Match the necessary columns to the appropriate System and Custom fields.
⚠️ Note! The WhatsApp channel stores contact phone numbers in the WhatsApp ID system field. To enable WhatsApp messaging for imported contacts, make sure to map the column containing WhatsApp phone numbers to the WhatsApp ID system field.
If you have an SMS channel connected and wish to use the same phone numbers for sending SMS messages, simply select the SMS option during the import process:
In the next step, review the details before proceeding with the import. If needed, you can add tags to the contacts being imported. Adding tags can help organize your contact list and streamline future campaigns or automations.
Once everything is set, click Confirm to complete the import process.
The contact import process may take some time, depending on the number of contacts. A circular progress bar will indicate the import's progress. Once completed, you will see the total number of contacts that were created, updated, or ignored.
Reasons why contacts may be ignored during import
Contacts may be ignored during the import process for the following reasons:
- Country code for WhatsApp numbers: If the phone numbers in your CSV file do not include a country code, those contacts will not be considered "Opted-in" for WhatsApp and may be ignored. Make sure to include the country code for all phone numbers before importing.
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CSV Format and Field Matching: The CSV file must be properly formatted, with columns correctly mapped to the appropriate System and Custom Fields in Manychat. If the system cannot find matches for WhatsApp or Phone fields, it will create a new contact. However, improperly formatted files or mismatched fields may result in contacts being ignored.
Using WhatsApp ID in automations
To use a client's phone number in conditions within WhatsApp automation, select WhatsApp ID from the list of System Fields.
Important notes
💡To send a message to newly imported contacts on WhatsApp, whether individually via Live chat or through a broadcast, you will need to use a Message Template. This specific message format allows businesses to reach out to contacts who have shared their phone number but have not yet communicated with your business account via WhatsApp. For more information, please refer to the article How to use WhatsApp Messages Templates in Manychat.
💡For detailed guidance on broadcasting through the WhatsApp channel please refer to the article Broadcasting in WhatsApp.
If you encounter difficulties with the guidelines in this article or any other issues with importing contacts, please contact Manychat Support for assistance.