Essential Steps to Import Contacts Successfully

Moving your list from Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, or a spreadsheet into systeme.io is more than clicking Import contacts. A bad import—duplicates, invalid emails, reactivated unsubscribes, or lists without consent—can trigger blocks, hurt deliverability, and fail GDPR checks. Official help article 4346 outlines preparation, cleaning, segmentation, and safe import.

This guide walks through those steps plus the technical flow from article 238 (CSV, delimiter, column mapping).

Before export:

• Export from your old autoresponder as CSV.
• Review fields: email, first name, last name, status (subscribed/unsubscribed), signup date, tags, last email sent, engagement.
• Document consent: keep opt-in proof (form logs, timestamps)— systeme.io may request it.
• Plan migration timing with deliverability-safe migration (article 4345).

Import only cleaned files:

• Remove duplicates.
• Remove invalid or typo addresses.
• Remove or flag inactive contacts (no opens/clicks in a long period)—consider a re-permission campaign first.
• Use your old tool’s filters to export subscribed vs unsubscribed separately if needed.
• Enable invalid email detection during import when offered.

Do not import purchased lists, scraped emails, or contacts without permission—accounts can be blocked.

If contacts are course students, treat them as a distinct segment:

• Export from your LMS or previous platform with email + name.
• Tag imports (e.g. course-alumni) for automations and access rules.
• Do not auto-subscribe them to marketing blasts unless they opted in to marketing separately from course access.

Segmentation protects reputation and clarity:

1. Create a tag before import (e.g. import-mailchimp-2026) under Contacts → Tags.
2. Import one logical batch per tag (customers, leads, webinar attendees).
3. After import, filter by tag to verify count vs source export.
4. Use tags in automations instead of emailing the whole database at once.

1. First row = headers (email, first_name, last_name, etc.).
2. From Excel: File → Save As → CSV (Comma delimited).
3. One email per row; no blank email column.
4. UTF-8 encoding if names use accents.
5. Remove extra columns you will not map (reduces errors).

1. Open Contacts (CRM) → Import contacts.
2. Upload CSV (drag-and-drop or file picker).
3. Choose delimiter (usually comma).
4. Map columns: match file headers to systeme.io fields—Email is required.
5. Select tag(s) for this batch.
6. Optional: Campaign dropdown to enroll in a sequence—see subscribe on import (article 1062) and map last-sent step/date if migrating mid-campaign.
7. Review consent checkbox / warnings.
8. Click Import.

Rule: Only import people who explicitly consented to receive your emails (article 238).

• Unsubscribed contacts may be imported with unsubscribed status—they must not be emailed again without new consent.
• Do not reactivate inactive or unsubscribed users as “subscribed” to inflate list size.
• Map status column if your export includes it.

1. Contacts → filter by import tag → compare total to CSV row count.
2. Spot-check names and emails.
3. Send a small test segment before a full broadcast.
4. Watch bounce rate on first campaign.
5. Keep import logs and consent records.

• Lawful basis for marketing (consent or legitimate interest where applicable—consult your jurisdiction).
• Update privacy policy if processing changes.
• Inform users if required when moving platforms.
• Do not reuse the list for unrelated purposes.
• Honor unsubscribe and deletion requests promptly on systeme.io.

CSV only?

Yes—convert Excel to CSV first.

Purchased lists?

Not allowed.

Unsubscribes?

Import with unsubscribed status; do not mail them.

Tags?

Create before import; assign during import.

Campaign on import?

Optional; map extra columns for sequence position.

• How to Import or Export a Contact List
• How to Migrate Without Hurting Your Email Deliverability
• How to Manually Clean Your Email List
• How to Subscribe Contacts to a Campaign When Importing

Import into systeme.io with clean data, clear tags, and proven consent—not raw volume.