Before you start
Before uploading, create any necessary contact attributes (e.g., Order Number, Customer Type) in Superchat so you can map your CSV data fields correctly during import. Also, ensure your CSV data is properly formatted. You can find all formatting guidelines in the FAQ section below.
Who can import contacts?
Role | Permission |
Admin | Can create contact imports, view and delete historic imports |
Supervisor | Can create contact imports |
Member | Can create contact imports |
How to import contacts on Desktop
1. Go to Contact Hub.
2. Click Import.
3. Upload your CSV file with the contacts.
4. Review the your import in the file preview:
If everything looks correct, click Next.
If there are issues, check the error handling section at the bottom of this article.
5. Confirm if the first row is a title / header row.
Select Yes if the first row contains column names (e.g., “Name”, “Phone Number”, “Email”).
Select No if the first row already contains actual contact data.
6. Map your CSV columns to the contact attributes you created in Superchat, click Next.
7. Optional: Add the imported contacts to one or more contact lists.
8. Finish the import. The upload may take a few minutes to process. You will receive an email once the import is finalised.
How to import contacts on Mobile
On the mobile app, you can grant Superchat access to your phone’s contacts and choose to upload either selected contacts or all contacts.
How to import contacts:
Navigate to Settings in the Superchat mobile app.
Tap Import Contacts.
Allow the Superchat app to access your phone contacts.
Choose whether to upload all contacts or select specific contacts.
Complete the import.
⚠️ Important:
This may include personal contacts you might not want to share.
Any contacts you import will be visible to all users in your workspace.
FAQ
Data Formatting & Requirements
What is the correct format for phone numbers?
What is the correct format for phone numbers?
Phone numbers must follow the E.164 format, which includes the + sign and country code (e.g., +4915123456789).
What is the correct format for email addresses?
What is the correct format for email addresses?
Emails must be valid email addresses (e.g., max.mustermann@gmail.com).
If an email address is invalid, it will be ignored during import and not added to the contact.
What is the correct format for dates and date + time?
What is the correct format for dates and date + time?
Date only: Use YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., 2025-07-22).
Date + time: Use YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SSZ (e.g., 2025-07-22 10:15:00Z).
Note: The system expects the time in UTC. If you access Superchat from Germany, a timestamp like 2024-08-22 10:15:00Z (UTC) will automatically be converted and displayed as 12:15 local time.
What is the correct format for numbers?
What is the correct format for numbers?
Only integers are supported (e.g., 1200).
Decimals are not supported — if you upload 4.5, only 4 will be imported and everything after the decimal point will be ignored.
Do not include currency symbols or thousand separators (e.g., $1,200 → 1200).
What is the correct format for dates and date + time?
What is the correct format for dates and date + time?
Date only: Use YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., 2025-07-22).
Date + time: Use YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SSZ (e.g., 2025-07-22 10:15:00Z).
Note: The system expects the time in UTC. If you access Superchat from Germany, a timestamp like 2024-08-22 10:15:00Z (UTC) will automatically be converted and displayed as 12:15 local time.
What is the correct format for single- and multi-select attributes?
What is the correct format for single- and multi-select attributes?
Single-select: The value must exactly match one of the predefined options (e.g., VIP).
Multi-select: Separate each option with a comma (e.g., Option 1, Option 2, Option 3).
Troubleshooting & Errors
Why does my CSV preview look incorrect (columns or characters are off)?
Why does my CSV preview look incorrect (columns or characters are off)?
This usually happens because of the wrong file encoding or delimiter.
How to fix this issue?
Save your CSV in UTF-8 encoding.
Choose the correct delimiter (comma
,or semicolon;) in the preview settings.
Why might a contact fail to upload?
Why might a contact fail to upload?
Common reasons include:
The contact record does not contain a valid phone number or email address (at least one of these is required for a contact to be imported).
Duplicate entries based on unique identifiers (e.g., same email or phone number).
Exceeding file or field size limits. The file size limit is 20MB and you can import up to 10.000 contacts per CSV file.
Why are some data fields for a contact empty even though they were provided in the CSV?
Why are some data fields for a contact empty even though they were provided in the CSV?
If certain fields appear empty after import, it usually means the data didn’t pass validation or wasn’t in the correct format.
In these cases, Superchat does not import the invalid value and simply leaves the attribute empty (null) for that contact.
Check the formatting rules above (e.g., E.164 phone numbers, valid email, correct date formats, exact matches for select attributes) and correct your CSV before re-uploading.
Other Common Questions
How many contacts can I upload at once?
How many contacts can I upload at once?
You can upload up to 10.000 contacts per CSV file.
The maximum file size is 20 MB.
If your file exceeds either limit, split it into smaller files and upload them separately.
Can I upload multiple email addresses or phone numbers per contact?
Can I upload multiple email addresses or phone numbers per contact?
No, currently each contact supports only one primary email and one primary phone number during import. However, you can manually add additional emails and phone numbers in the contact sidebar within the Unified Inbox or Contact Hub.
What happens to already uploaded contacts if I import them again?
What happens to already uploaded contacts if I import them again?
When you import a contact that already exists in Superchat, we match it using the email address and/or phone number and update it based on these rules:
If the existing contact has no value for a field → the imported value is added.
If the existing contact has a different value → the imported value overwrites the old one.
If the existing contact already has a value and the import has no value → we don’t change anything (the existing value stays).
How can I update contacts using the contact import?
How can I update contacts using the contact import?
You can bulk-update contacts by re-importing them with updated data.
Include each contact’s email or phone number (for matching).
Any new or changed attributes will update automatically based on the these rules:
Missing values get added,
Different values overwrite old ones,
Empty values in the import won’t remove existing data.