Step by step guide to importing and segmenting contacts in Kuration

If you’re staring at a mess of spreadsheets and half-baked contact lists, you’re not alone. Getting your contacts into a new tool is nobody’s idea of fun, but it’s the only way to get value out of something like Kuration. This guide is for anyone who wants real, working contacts inside Kuration—organized, deduplicated, and primed for actual marketing, not just “imported” for show.

Here’s how to get your contact data into Kuration, clean it up, and segment it in a way that won’t make you want to scream later.

Step 1: Prep Your Contacts Before Import

Let’s be blunt: Garbage in, garbage out. Before you even touch Kuration, spend a little time prepping your contacts. It’ll save you hours of pain.

What to do:

  • Hunt down your sources: Look for the master list, not just random exports from Mailchimp, HubSpot, Gmail, or wherever else you’ve stashed people.
  • Consolidate into one spreadsheet: Try to get all your contacts into a single CSV or XLSX file. If you’ve got duplicates, don’t worry—we’ll deal with them.
  • Standardize columns: At minimum, you want columns for:
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Email
  • Company (if relevant)
  • Tags or Notes (optional, but handy)
  • Clean up the junk: Delete obvious spam, test records, or people you know you shouldn’t email (like your own team, unless they’re supposed to be there).
  • Check for missing emails: No email? No import. Kuration and pretty much every other tool needs this as the unique identifier.

Pro tip: Don’t overthink it. You don’t need every field perfect—just avoid importing obvious messes that’ll haunt you later.

Step 2: Format Your File for Kuration

Kuration expects a certain structure when you import. If your file is weird, the import will choke or create a mess of custom fields.

How to format:

  • Save your spreadsheet as a CSV (.csv). Excel files usually work, but CSVs are safer.
  • Make sure the first row contains headers (no blank rows above).
  • Avoid weird characters or emoji in column names. Stick to plain English.

What works: Clean, simple files.
What doesn't: Nested data, merged cells, or notes jammed into random columns.

Step 3: Start the Import in Kuration

Now you’re ready to actually use Kuration.

  1. Log in to your Kuration account.
  2. Navigate to Contacts. Usually in the main menu—look for “Contacts” or “People.”
  3. Click Import or Add Contacts. There should be a button for this. If you don’t see it, you might not have permissions—ask your admin.
  4. Upload your CSV file.
  5. Map your columns: Kuration should prompt you to match your spreadsheet columns to its fields. Double-check these:
    • First Name → First Name
    • Last Name → Last Name
    • Email → Email
    • Any custom fields? Decide if you want to map them or skip.
  6. Preview your import: Kuration usually shows you a preview. Look for obvious errors—garbled names, wrong emails, etc.
  7. Start the import. Hit the button and wait.

What to watch out for:

  • If your import fails, it’s usually because of missing required fields or funky data in your file.
  • Some tools throttle big imports or require verification if you’re importing more than a few thousand contacts.

Step 4: Clean Up Duplicates and Errors

Don’t assume your import was perfect. Even the best-prepped file can sneak in duplicates or bad data.

How to check:

  • Use Kuration’s built-in “Merge Duplicates” or “Find Duplicates” feature (if available).
  • Sort by email and scan for obvious repeats.
  • Check for missing names or emails that look fake (e.g., test@example.com).

Delete or fix what you can now. It’s a pain, but it’s a lot easier now than after you’ve started segmenting or sending emails.

Step 5: Tag and Segment Your Contacts

This is where most people get lost, or worse, overcomplicate things. Segmentation just means dividing your list into groups you can actually use.

Start simple:

  • Tags: Add easy-to-understand tags like customer, lead, event-2024, etc.
  • Lists or Segments: Kuration might let you create saved segments based on filters (e.g., “All customers in California”).
  • Basic segments to consider:
    • By status: Customer, Lead, Unqualified
    • By source: Website, Event, Referral
    • By activity: Opened last email, Attended webinar

How to segment in Kuration:

  1. Filter your contacts by the criteria you care about (tags, field values, etc.).
  2. Create a segment or saved search—different platforms use different terms, but the idea is the same.
  3. Name segments clearly. “2024 Event Attendees” beats “Segment 7.”

What to avoid:

  • Don’t create 17 segments on day one. Start with broad groups, then refine as you learn what actually matters.
  • Avoid cryptic tags or segments—nobody will remember what “Q2-INT” means in six months.

Step 6: Test Your Segments Before You Use Them

Before you blast out an email to a segment, make sure it’s pulling the right people.

How to check:

  • Spot-check a few records in each segment. Are they who you expect?
  • If Kuration lets you preview segment members, use it.
  • Send a test email to yourself or a small group first.

Why bother? Because nothing burns trust faster than sending the wrong message to the wrong people. (Yes, this happens. A lot.)

Step 7: Keep Your List Healthy (and Your Sanity Intact)

Great, your contacts are in Kuration and segmented. But lists rot fast if you ignore them.

Best practices:

  • Regularly clean out bounces and unsubscribes.
  • Merge duplicates every couple of months.
  • Add new contacts in batches, not one at a time (unless you like busywork).
  • Update segments as your needs change—don’t treat them as set in stone.

What to ignore:
Don’t get distracted by every new “AI-powered” segmentation feature unless you know you need it. Most people get 90% of the value from clear, simple segments.

Wrapping Up

Getting your contacts into Kuration isn’t flashy, but it’s the foundation for any marketing or outreach you actually want to do. Keep your imports clean, your segments simple, and don’t be afraid to adjust as you go. When in doubt, focus on what you’ll actually use—not on building “perfect” lists. The less you overthink it, the more likely you’ll stick with it.