{"article":{"id":115000719584,"url":"https://sendinblue.zendesk.com/api/v2/help_center/en-us/articles/115000719584.json","html_url":"https://help.brevo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000719584-Import-your-contacts-to-Brevo","author_id":10424752368658,"comments_disabled":true,"draft":false,"promoted":true,"position":0,"vote_sum":232,"vote_count":940,"upvote_count":586,"downvote_count":354,"section_id":202158509,"created_at":"2017-06-05T10:11:05Z","updated_at":"2026-11-03T15:58:19Z","name":"Import your contacts to Brevo","title":"Import your contacts to Brevo","source_locale":"en-us","locale":"en-us","outdated":false,"outdated_locales":[],"edited_at":"2026-07-20T13:18:38Z","user_segment_id":null,"permission_group_id":114904,"content_tag_ids":[],"label_names":["banner_all"],"body":"

Our import tool makes it easy to add your contacts to Brevo. You can upload a file, copy and paste, or manually enter your data before mapping it to the correct attributes. You can choose in which lists to import your contacts and easily blocklist or update them in just a few clicks.

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📹 Watch the video below or follow the written instructions to learn how to import your contacts to Brevo:

Good to know

Before you start

    \n
  1. Ensure your contact list is legitimate and complies with our Terms of Use and best practices (Email, SMS, WhatsApp).
    2. \n
  2. \nCreate your contact import file and ensure your data is clean and well-formatted.
    3. \n

Step 1: Upload your contacts

\n
\n
❗️ Important
\n When importing new contacts, exclude the CONTACT_ID\n column since Brevo automatically generates this value for new contacts,\n and it cannot be changed. We recommend including the CONTACT_ID\n attribute in your file\n only if you want to update your existing contacts through an import.\n
\n

Upload your contacts to Brevo by uploading a file, copying and pasting, or manually entering your data:

    \n
  1. \n Go to CRM > Contacts.\n
    2. \n
  2. \n Click Import contacts.
    \n \n
    3. \n
  3. \n Make sure the Contacts card is selected and click\n Continue.\n
    4. \n
  4. \n Select an import option between Upload a file and\n Copy/Paste: \n\n\n\n \n
    \n
    \n 📂 Upload a file⌨️ Copy/Paste\n
    \n
    \n

    \n To directly upload a file containing all your contacts and\n their\n information\n to Brevo, use the Upload a file option.\n This is\n particularly\n useful when you have a large number of contacts to import. \n

    \n
      \n
    1. \n Select the Upload a file option.\n
      2. \n
    2. \n Select your contact import file or drag and drop it within\n the\n outlined\n area. You will see a preview of the contacts and attribute\n data\n to\n be imported.
      \n \n
      3. \n
    3. \n Ensure your contacts and their data are separated correctly.\n
      4. \n
    4. \n (Optional) Use AI suggestion for data mapping.\n It can take additional time for processing.\n
      5. \n
    5. \n Click Confirm your file.
      \n \n
      6. \n
    \n
    \n
    \n

    \n To quickly import your contacts and their information into\n Brevo,\n you\n can use the Copy/Paste option. Simply copy\n the contacts\n and their information from a file and paste them into Brevo.\n You\n can\n also type everything directly in the field. This method is\n particularly\n useful when you have a small number of contacts to import.\n

    \n
      \n
    1. \n Select the Copy/Paste option.\n
      2. \n
    2. \n Copy your data and paste it into the empty field. Ensure\n each contact's data is on its own line\n and that\n each item is separated by a comma or a tab like this:
      \n \n
      3. \n
    3. \n Click Check the data. You will\n see a preview\n of the contacts and attribute data to be imported.\n
      4. \n
    4. \n Ensure your contacts and their data are separated correctly.\n
      5. \n
    5. \n (Optional) Use AI suggestion for data mapping.\n It can take additional time for processing.\n
      6. \n
    6. \n Click Confirm your data.
      \n \n
      7. \n
    \n
    \n
    \n \n
    5. \n

Step 2: Map your data

Map your data to the attributes in your Brevo account. For instance, if you uploaded the first name of your contacts, match this data to the FIRSTNAME attribute by selecting it in the dropdown. This allows us to upload your data to the right attribute each time. If needed, you can also create new attributes or ignore some data that you do not want to import into Brevo.

\n
\n
\n Select an existing attributeCreate a new attributeIgnore data\n
\n
\n
    \n
  1. \n Click the Contact attribute dropdown.\n
    2. \n
  2. \n Select the desired attribute.
    \n \"CONTACT_import_select_attribute_gif_EN.gif\"\n
    3. \n
\n
\n
\n
💡 Good to know
\n When importing phone numbers, such as SMS, WhatsApp, and landline\n numbers, you are required to select a country code. This country\n code will be\n applied to all phone numbers in your file that do not already have a country code.\n For example, if you choose France as the country code, any number\n without a country code will automatically be assigned the French\n country code +33.\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

\n If the attribute you want to match your data with doesn't exist,\n you can create it directly from this step.\n

\n
    \n
  1. \n Click the Contact attribute dropdown.\n
    2. \n
  2. \n Under Contact attributes, click Add a new attribute.\n
    3. \n
  3. Enter the attribute name.
    4. \n
  4. \n Click Create.\"contacts_import_create_attribute_en.gif\"\n
    5. \n
  5. \n (Optional) For category-type and multiple-choice attributes,\n create the set of possible values and click\n Save category items.\n
    6. \n
\n
\n
\n

\n If you included some data that you do not want to import to Brevo,\n you can ignore it.\n

\n
    \n
  1. \n Click the Contact attribute dropdown.\n
    2. \n
  2. \n Select Do not import.
    \n \"contacts_import_ignore_attribute_en.gif\"\n
    3. \n
\n
\n
\n

Once you are done mapping your data, click Confirm mapping.

Step 3: Select a list

Choose the list(s) to which you want to add your contacts. You can select a single list or multiple lists, or you can create a new list. To learn more about lists, check our dedicated article Create folders and lists to organize your contacts.

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\nSelect an existing list Create a new list\n
\n
    \n
  1. Go to the Select a list tab.
    2. \n
  2. Select the list(s) to which you want your contacts added.
    \n
    3. \n
  3. Once you are done, click Confirm your list.
    4. \n
\n
    \n
  1. Go to the Create a list tab.
    2. \n
  2. Enter the list name.
    3. \n
  3. Select the folder in which the new list should appear or create a new folder.
    \n
    4. \n
  4. Click Create list.
    5. \n
  5. Once you are done, click Confirm your list.
    6. \n
\n

Step 4: Finalize your import

Before confirming your import, you need to confirm several important settings regarding how your contacts will be imported and how they should be subscribed to your communications:

Contacts management

\n
\n
❗️ Important
\n Before activating a setting, review its consequences carefully, as some\n settings may irreversibly overwrite existing data or\n blocklist your imported contacts.\n
\n

    \n
  1. \n Update the attributes of the existing contacts
    Activate\n this option to overwrite existing contacts in Brevo\n with the data from your file. Deactivating this option will keep the\n contacts that have already been imported to Brevo unchanged.\n
    2. \n
  2. \n Import empty fields to erase existing attribute data
    Activating\n this option will result in empty fields in your import,\n erasing any attributes that currently contain data.\n Deactivating this option ensures that the empty fields will not affect\n your existing data.\n
    3. \n
  3. \n
    \n Blocklist the imported Email contacts
    Activating\n this option will blocklist your imported contacts from receiving\n your email campaigns. \n
    \n
    4. \n
  4. \n
    \n Blocklist the imported SMS contacts
    Activating\n this option will blocklist your imported contacts from receiving\n your SMS campaigns. \n
    \n
    5. \n
  5. \n Blocklist the imported WhatsApp contacts
    Activating\n this option will blocklist your imported contacts from receiving your\n WhatsApp campaigns. 
    \n
    \n
    \n
    💡 Good to know
    \n To blocklist contacts who\n negatively impact your metrics by reporting\n you as spam, not opening your messages, and so on, we recommend\n using the\n Blocklist the imported Email/SMS/WhatsApp contacts\n options.\n
    \n
    \n
    6. \n

Opt-in agreement

You should use Brevo to send emails, SMS, or WhatsApp messages only to contacts who have explicitly consented to receive your communications. Review our guidelines to ensure you are only importing legitimate contacts, and then check the I confirm that my new import adheres to these conditions box.

Step 5: Confirm your import

After completing the import process, click Confirm your import to start importing your contacts to Brevo. You will then be redirected to the Contacts page.

\n
\n
💡 Good to know
\n Large files and successive file imports may take longer to process.\n
\n

Step 6: View your import report

Once your import is completed, a banner that summarizes the details of your import will be displayed and you will receive an email notification. To view your import report, click See import report in the banner or click the bell icon 🔔 at the top-right and click the link in your last notification.

From there, you will find:

    \n
  1. The import date.
    2. \n
  2. The source.
    3. \n
  3. The number of imported contacts, including new contacts, updated contacts, and unchanged contacts.
    4. \n
  4. (Optional) Error messages if you import a contact ID that does not exist or an email address in the wrong format. You can download the table with the error messages to easily correct your data before re-importing it.
    5. \n
  5. Information about which list(s) the contacts were added to and whether they were blocklisted from Email, SMS, or WhatsApp.
    6. \n
\n
\n
💡 Good to know
\n You can download the import report by clicking the printer icon\n 🖨️ at the top-right and selecting\n Save as PDF.\n
\n

⏭️ What's next?

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