Step by step process for importing your contact list into Alyce

Thinking about importing your contact list into Alyce? Maybe you’re launching a gifting campaign or just tired of wrangling spreadsheets. Either way, you want the process to be painless, and you don’t want to get stuck with errors or half-imported data. This guide is for anyone who just wants the thing to work — sales ops, marketers, or whoever got “voluntold” to handle this.

I’ll walk you through the entire process, flag the common screw-ups, and help you avoid wasting time chasing down import errors. Let’s get your data into Alyce the right way, so you can get on with the rest of your job.

Step 1: Prep Your Contact List

Don’t skip this. Garbage in, garbage out. Alyce is picky about file formats and required fields, so a little prep here saves a lot of headaches later.

The Basics

  • File format: Alyce wants a CSV file. Excel or Google Sheets is fine to create it, but export as CSV.
  • Columns you need: At a minimum:
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Email Address
  • Recommended extras: Company, Title, Mailing Address, Country. The more you add, the more personalized your gifting can be.

Pro Tips

  • Clean your data: No blank rows, weird symbols, or merged cells. Alyce will choke on these.
  • Consistent formatting: Make sure things like country names and addresses follow the same format throughout the sheet.
  • No duplicate emails: Alyce uses email as a unique identifier. Duplicates mean wasted invites and confusion.

What to Ignore

  • Don’t worry about fancy formatting, colors, or formulas. Alyce ignores that stuff. Just keep it simple.

Step 2: Log In and Find the Import Feature

Alyce’s UI changes now and then, but here’s the standard flow (as of early 2024):

  1. Log in to your Alyce account.
  2. Navigate to "Contacts": Usually in the left sidebar.
  3. Look for an "Import" or "Add Contacts" button: It’s often near the top right.
  4. Download the sample CSV template: If this is your first rodeo, grab their template. It’ll show you exactly what Alyce expects.

Note

If you don’t see "Import," your admin might have locked it down. You’ll need to ask for access, or have them do the import.

Step 3: Map and Upload Your CSV

Here’s where most mistakes happen, so pay attention.

Uploading

  • Click "Import" and upload your CSV file.
  • Alyce will usually preview the first few rows so you can double-check.

Mapping Fields

  • Alyce tries to auto-match your CSV columns to its required fields.
  • Double-check. "First Name" should map to "First Name," etc. If it guesses wrong, fix it.
  • Any unmapped required fields? You’ll get an error — fix these before continuing.

Pro Tip

If you used the Alyce template, mapping is usually flawless. If you built your own, expect to tweak a few columns.

Step 4: Review and Confirm

Before you hit "Import," check for:

  • Warnings: Alyce will flag missing emails, duplicate entries, or weird characters.
  • Sample preview: Skim a few entries in the preview. Does everything look right?
  • Required fields: If you left out anything mandatory, Alyce will block the import. Fix your CSV and try again.

Common Issues

  • Non-ASCII characters: Sometimes names or addresses from non-English sources throw errors. Clean them up in your spreadsheet.
  • Extra columns: Alyce ignores columns it doesn’t recognize, so don’t stress if you have a few extras.

Step 5: Start the Import and Wait

Click "Import" (or whatever they call it this week). Alyce does its thing — this can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on your list size.

  • Small lists (<500 contacts): Usually imports in under a minute.
  • Big lists: Alyce will run it in the background. You’ll get a notification or email when it’s done.

Don’t reload the page or start a new import until this one finishes.

Step 6: Check for Errors and Fix Them

Even with careful prep, something usually goes sideways. Alyce will show you:

  • Successes: How many contacts imported cleanly.
  • Failures: Which rows failed and why (missing fields, bad emails, or duplicates).

Handling Errors

  • Download error log: Alyce gives you a file showing the problem rows and reasons.
  • Fix your CSV: Correct the issues in your original file — don’t try to edit inside Alyce.
  • Re-upload: Import just the fixed rows, not the whole list again.

Pro Tip

If you’re getting a lot of errors, focus on the pattern. It’s usually the same field over and over (e.g., missing email). Fix one, fix them all.

Step 7: Spot-Check Your Imported Contacts

Before launching campaigns or sending gifts, make sure your list looks right:

  • Search for a few contacts by name or email.
  • Check that company names, titles, and addresses imported as expected.
  • If you’re using Alyce’s “Personal Gifting” features, make sure the personalization fields (like job title or company) are filled in.

Don’t skip this. It’s much easier to fix a bad import now than after you’ve sent out 200 gifts to the wrong addresses.

Step 8: Organize and Tag Your Contacts (Optional, but Helpful)

Alyce lets you group contacts with tags or lists. This isn’t required, but it makes future campaigns a lot easier.

  • Create lists: For different campaigns, regions, or teams.
  • Add tags: For things like “VIP,” “Event 2024,” or “Follow-up Needed.”

If you skipped this step, you’ll regret it when you’re searching for specific folks later.

Step 9: Kick Off Your Campaign

Now your contacts are ready, fire up your gifting campaign or whatever you’re planning. Alyce will use the info you imported — so if your data’s clean, your campaign will run smoother.

  • Double-check your campaign settings before launching.
  • If you’re sending physical gifts, spot-check a few mailing addresses. Returns get expensive fast.

What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore

What Works Well

  • Using Alyce’s template makes the process nearly painless.
  • Small, clean lists import quickly.
  • The error logs are actually useful (not always the case with other platforms).

What Doesn’t

  • Dirty data or weird formatting will trip you up every time.
  • Huge lists (10,000+ contacts) can slow things down noticeably.
  • Trying to fix errors inside Alyce is a waste of time — do it in your spreadsheet.

What to Ignore

  • Don’t sweat over column order or extra columns — Alyce only cares about what it recognizes.
  • Don’t bother with formatting (bold, colors, etc.) — it’s stripped out anyway.

Keep It Simple, Iterate As You Go

You don’t need to overthink this. Start with a small batch, get the process down, and then scale up. Most headaches happen when people try to import a monster list in one go without testing. Take it step by step, fix errors as they come up, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you get stuck.

Importing into Alyce isn’t rocket science, but it does reward a little patience and attention to detail. Get your contacts in cleanly, and you’ll save yourself a ton of hassle down the line.