Create a Mailchimp Audience
Create your Mailchimp audience so you can import and collect new contacts for your emails.
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Our import tool helps you add or update contacts in Mailchimp. Import from a connected app, upload a comma-separated value file (CSV), copy and paste contacts from a spreadsheet like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, or type info directly into the import table. You can also auto-update multiple existing contacts at once.
In this article, you'll learn how to use our import tool to add and update contacts in Mailchimp.
Here are some things to know before you begin this process.
To save time and effort, Mailchimp lets you connect six of the most commonly used integrations and will import contacts for you. Here’s the list of currently supported apps:
To connect another app and import contacts to Mailchimp, follow these steps.
That’s it! You’ve now connected your app and Mailchimp will import contacts.
The file import process has two parts: First, you'll prepare your spreadsheet of contacts outside of Mailchimp and save it as a CSV file. Next, you'll use our import tool to upload your file and add your contacts to your Mailchimp audience.
To prepare your file for import, follow these steps.
Next to your Email Address column, create and label additional columns for First Name, Last Name, and any other information you want to import to Mailchimp.
To learn how to format phone numbers, birthdays, mailing addresses, and other types of data, check out Format Guidelines for Your Import File.
Paste your contacts' information into the relevant fields in the spreadsheet.
Nice job! Now that you've prepared your CSV file, you're ready to import.
Note
Need help saving your spreadsheet file in CSV format before you import? Check out these CSV tips from Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. Or, download our sample CSV import file and replace the sample emails with your own data.
To import your contacts to Mailchimp, follow these steps.
Use the Select a status drop-down to choose the status of the contacts you're about to import.
The available statuses for contacts are:
If you import subscribed contacts, be sure that you have permission to send them marketing.
That's it! After the import is finished, we'll send a notification to the email address associated with your username.
You can directly paste new contacts from a spreadsheet or list.
To paste your contacts, follow these steps.
Use the Select a status drop-down to choose the status of the contacts you're about to import.
The available statuses for contacts are:
If you import subscribed contacts, be sure that you have permission to send them marketing.
That's it! After the import is finished, we'll send a notification to the email address associated with your username.
Note
You may need to update your contacts’ data if they’ve been in your audience for a while. Use our import tool to quickly update multiple contacts at once.
This option replaces existing audience field information with new information from your import file. You’ll follow the same process to import new contacts, but there are a few extra things to consider.
Proceed with a file import, and follow the steps to upload your file and match your columns. On the Organize step of the import, check the box next to Update any existing contacts.
That's it! When you import, we'll handle the rest by scanning your contacts and updating their information.
Need some help with contact imports?
Troubleshooting Contact Imports
Want to reverse a contact import? Undo a Contact Import
Don't need that audience anymore?
Delete an Audience
Now that you know how to import contacts, here are some other things you can do to manage and grow your audience.
Getting Started with Your Audience
Manage important information about your audience. Use Mailchimp’s powerful marketing tools to help understand how contacts interact with your online store and send segmented emails.
View Your Contact Import Results
See how many contacts were added or updated, and whether there were any addresses with syntax errors.
About Signup Form Options
Grow your audience by attracting new subscribers. Use signup forms to extend your marketing reach and help expand your business.
Technical Support
Have a question?
Paid users can log in to access email and chat support.
Create your Mailchimp audience so you can import and collect new contacts for your emails.
Certain audience field types, like addresses and phone numbers, require a specific format. Learn about field types, and how to format them to work with Mailchimp.