Complete Guide to Importing Contacts to Kartra

Gather your contacts

Think of all the places where you’ve collected business leads or customer information. These can include:

• CRM Tools (like MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, or HubSpot)
• Email Lists from newsletters
• Webinar Registrations
• Sign-ups from Your Website (via opt-in forms or landing pages)

Format your CSV file

Kartra supports files in CSV or TXT format (CSV is simpler to use). Follow these guidelines for a smooth import:

• File size limit: 999 MB per upload
• Maximum rows: 20,000 contacts per file
• Maximum columns: 55 columns per file
• Character limit: 255 characters per field

Tips for preparing your file

1. Separate full names:
   • If your file has a “Full Name” column, split it into two columns: “First Name” and “Last Name.”
   • This ensures Kartra can correctly match the name fields.
2. Format lists and tags:
   • If you have multiple lists or tags for a contact, separate them with a semicolon.
     
   • Example: Newsletter Subscriber; Webinar Attendee
   • Character limit: Ensure each list or tag entry is under 255 characters. Longer entries will be trimmed, which may cause data loss.
3. Remove empty columns:
   • Delete any columns that have no data to keep your file clean and prevent upload errors.

Edit your file with a spreadsheet tool (if needed)

1. Open your file in a spreadsheet tool like:
   • Microsoft Excel
   • Apple Numbers
   • Google Sheets
2. Make necessary changes:
   • Split full names into first and last names.
   • Format lists and tags with semicolons.
   • Delete empty columns.
3. Save your file:
   • After making changes, save or export the file as a CSV.
   • Important: Simply renaming the file with “.csv” will not work. Make sure to use the “Save As” or “Export” function in your spreadsheet tool to properly convert it to CSV format.

Upload your contacts to Kartra

Watch: Upload a CSV file and match fields to create new contacts in Kartra

1. Log in to your Kartra account
2. Create an import
   1. Go to Contacts > Imports.
   2. Click the + Import button in the top right corner.
3. Upload your CSV file
   1. Drag and drop your CSV file into the upload area, or
   2. Click “Browse file” to locate and select your file.
4. Verify the file upload
   1. When the upload is complete, you’ll see the message, “Records successfully uploaded!”
   2. Click Save & Next at the bottom of the page.
   3. Check to ensure your data appears correctly in the table on the “Map Fields” page.

Tip: If your contact data doesn’t look right during the Map Fields step, don’t worry! You can restart the import easily:

1. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Back to return to the Upload Contacts step.
2. Click Reset to clear the imported data and try again with your corrected file.

Map your fields

Important: The Email field is required for all contacts.

1. Map each column
   1. Click the drop-down at the top of each column.
   2. Select the correct field in Kartra (e.g., First Name, Last Name, Email).
2. Handle custom fields (Optional)
   If your CSV has data that doesn’t match Kartra’s default fields (e.g., Age, Interests):
   1. Scroll to the Custom Fields section in the drop-down menu
   2. Select an existing custom field or click “Create new field” to add one.
3. Save as a template (Optional)
   If you plan to import similar CSV files in the future:
   1. Click Templates in the top right corner.
   2. Select Save template to save a copy of this mapping.
4. Finish mapping fields
   1. Review your selections to ensure that all columns have been matched or ignored as intended.
   2. Click Save & Next at the bottom of the page.

Assign Tags

Tags help you label contacts based on behavior or characteristics.

1. Click the dropdown in the Tags module.
2. Select an existing tag or click “Create New Tag.”

Examples:

• “Webinar Attendee”
• “Newsletter Subscriber”
• "Presale Buyer"

Add to Lists

Lists help you group contacts for specific communications.

1. Click the dropdown in the Lists module.
2. Select an existing list or click “Create New List.”

Examples:

• “Master Mailing List”
• “Weekly Updates”
• "Product News"

Add to Sequences

Select a sequence to add contacts to an automated series of emails or other actions.

1. Click the dropdown in the Sequences module.
2. Select a sequence and the step where you want people to start in the series.

When you’re done, click Save & Next.

Watch: Set automation and complete the import questionnaire

The questionnaire helps Kartra ensure your contacts are valid and comply with anti-spam rules.

1. Explain the source of your contacts
   1. Describe how you collected and used these contacts.
      • Example: “These contacts signed up via an opt-in form on my website (yourdomain.com) and were stored in a CRM account. The last email sent to this list was on Nov 14, 2024.”
   2. Provide the name(s) of services where your contacts are stored. In most cases, this is where you downloaded the CSV file for this import.
   3. Upload supporting images or documents (Optional)
      • If your website or other opt-in source is not live, you can provide screenshots showing open and unsubscription rates from a recent email sent to the leads.
2. Verify your website
   • Enter the URL(s) where contacts opted in (e.g., yourdomain.com).
   • Save the module.
3. Verify your ownership of the website domains
   1. Enter an email address linked to your domain (e.g., [email protected]).
   2. Click Send to receive a verification code in your email inbox.
   3. Back in Kartra, enter the code and click Check.
   4. Save the module.
4. Confirm data privacy compliance
   Check the boxes to confirm your contacts were collected through proper opt-in methods (not scraped or purchased).
   1. You must confirm that your contacts have given you permission to store their personal data and send them commercial communications.
      • Consent is required for compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and similar privacy regulations.
   2. Save the module after making your selections.
5. Confirm and submit the import
   1. Ensure that all sections are saved.
   2. At the bottom of the page, click “Save & Submit.”
      • If the Save & Submit button is greyed out, check to make sure all modules on the page are saved.
   3. After submission, you’ll see a message: “We’ll review them in the following 24 hours.”

Track your import status

Go to Contacts > Imports to see all imports:

• Click the Import name to edit it (if in draft) or see a summary (if submitted).
  

Check the status:

• In review = Still in progress
• Green = Approved
• Red = Declined

If declined, Kartra will let you know what’s needed to approve it.