Importing contacts is supposed to be simple. But if you’re reading this, you already know it’s not always smooth sailing. This guide is for anyone who’s hit a wall trying to import contacts into Reachout — whether you’re staring at a cryptic error, or half your data vanished into thin air. Let’s cut through the noise and get your contacts where they belong.
Step 1: Check Your File Format — It’s Usually the Culprit
Most import headaches start here. Reachout expects a very specific kind of file: a CSV (comma-separated values). Not Excel. Not Google Sheets. Not some ancient .txt.
Here’s what to watch out for:
- File type: Make sure you’ve actually exported or saved the file as
.csv. Sometimes Excel will default to.xlsx— that won’t work. - Encoding: Reachout likes UTF-8 encoded files. If your contacts have weird-looking characters (like “José” instead of “José”), your file’s probably not UTF-8.
- No hidden formatting: Extra tabs, formulas, and merged cells in Excel can break things.
Pro Tip:
Open your CSV in a plain text editor (like Notepad or VS Code) before importing. If you see a mess of commas and plain text, you’re good. If it looks like a spreadsheet, start over.
Step 2: Clean Up Your Columns
Reachout needs your columns to match what it expects. That means:
- Consistent headers: Use standard column names. “First Name,” “Last Name,” “Email” — not “FName” or “Surname.”
- No empty columns: Delete any columns you’re not using. Blank columns can confuse the importer.
- No formulas: Only plain data. Formulas or references from Excel won’t import.
Common Gotchas:
- Multiple emails or phone numbers in one cell: Split them into separate columns, or pick the main one. Reachout won’t parse a big text blob.
- Special characters: Emojis, tabs, or line breaks inside cells can break things. Clean them out.
- Date formats: Use ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD) if you’re importing dates. Otherwise, you’ll see things like “01/09/2023” turn into “9th of January” or worse.
What to Ignore:
Don’t bother cramming every possible data point into your import. Stick to what you actually need — it’s easier to add a field later than clean up a mess.
Step 3: Watch Out for Duplicates
Nobody wants a contact list full of doubles. Reachout tries to catch duplicates, but only if the fields match exactly. Common trip-ups:
- Whitespace: “john@example.com” and “ john@example.com ” are seen as different. Trim spaces.
- Case sensitivity: Some systems see “John@example.com” and “john@example.com” as different. Standardize everything to lowercase if you can.
- Partial matches: Two contacts with the same phone number but different emails? Reachout might not flag them as duplicates.
How to Fix:
- Use Excel’s “Remove Duplicates” tool before importing — but double-check what fields you’re matching on.
- Sort your data and scan for obvious repeats.
Reality Check:
No import tool is perfect at catching duplicates. Expect to do some manual cleanup after the first import. It’s not fun, but it’s reality.
Step 4: Map Your Fields Properly
When you upload your file, Reachout usually asks you to map your columns to its fields. Easy to gloss over, but here’s where things go sideways fast.
Don’t just click Next. Instead:
- Double-check each mapping: Is “Mobile” going to “Phone Number,” not “Notes”?
- Look for unmapped columns: If Reachout says “Unmapped,” it’s not going to import that data.
- Ignore what you don’t need: If you have columns you don’t use, don’t map them. Less clutter later.
If You Mess Up:
You can usually re-import and overwrite. But if you imported bad data, it’s faster to delete the whole batch and start fresh.
Step 5: Handle Errors Like a Detective
Even if you do everything right, Reachout might spit out an error. Here’s how to decode them:
Typical errors and what they really mean:
- “Invalid file format”: Your file isn’t a CSV, or the encoding is off. Go back to step 1.
- “Missing required fields”: Reachout needs at least a name and an email or phone number. Anything less, and it’ll complain.
- “Duplicate entry found”: See step 3 — you’ve got a double.
- “Unknown column header”: There’s a typo or an extra space in your header row.
- “Upload failed, try again later”: Sometimes, it’s just a hiccup on their end. Wait a few minutes and try again.
Don’t Waste Time:
- If the error message is useless, import a tiny test file (just one or two contacts). It’s much easier to spot what’s wrong.
- If all else fails, Reachout’s support is decent — but you’ll get faster answers if you can say, “Here’s my file, here’s the exact error.”
Step 6: After the Import — Verify, Don’t Assume
Congrats, your file went through! Now check your work.
- Scan your contacts: Are names, emails, and phone numbers in the right places?
- Spot-check for weirdness: Mangled characters? Blank fields? Anything obviously off?
- Test a search: Find a contact by name or email. If they don’t show up, something’s off.
If You Find Issues:
- Use the “Undo” or “Delete Import” (if Reachout offers it) and go again.
- Don’t try to fix hundreds of errors inside Reachout. It’s almost always faster to fix the CSV and re-import.
Step 7: Learn From the First Run
Nobody nails it on the first try. The good news? The second import is almost always smoother.
- Save a clean “template” CSV: Once you’ve nailed the formatting, keep a blank version for next time.
- Document your mapping: Jot down which columns go where. Future-you will thank you.
- Don’t overthink it: The simpler your data, the fewer things will break.
Pro Tips & What to Ignore
- Don’t try to import images or attachments: Reachout doesn’t support them. If you need them, you’ll have to upload separately or use a note field.
- Avoid massive imports: If you have thousands of contacts, break the file into smaller chunks. It’s easier to troubleshoot.
- Don’t obsess over perfection: Get your main fields right. You can always add more detail later.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Importing contacts into Reachout isn’t rocket science, but it does reward a methodical approach. Clean your file, keep your columns simple, and don’t be afraid to start over if something looks off. The less you try to do at once, the less likely things will break. Fix what matters, ignore the rest, and get back to work.