Import Contacts FAQs - Online Help | Zoho Campaigns

Import Contacts FAQ

Import Contacts

1. How can you import a list of contacts to the Unsubscribed list? 

To import contacts with the Unsubscribed subscription type:
  1. Navigate to Audience -> Contacts.
  2. Click the Import Contacts button at the top-right.
  3. Choose the file. 
  4. In the Subscription Type field, ensure you choose Unsubscribed.
  5. Then, proceed further with the import process.

2. Why are valid contacts ignored as invalid, bounced, or unsubscribed when importing? 

We use an internal validation system to verify all contacts. If a contact is identified as having an invalid email address due to an incorrect format, or if the contact has previously bounced or unsubscribed, it will be excluded. Ensure that the contacts you're importing have valid email addresses to avoid such issues.

This is the reason there will be a discrepancy in the contact count during the import process. If you have 10,000 contacts to import, but only 9,000 can be imported. The remaining 1,000 contacts would be skipped due for the reasons mentioned above.

If you see an error message, such as “invalid pattern in ignored contacts”, it signifies email addresses with incorrect formats, such as missing @ or domain parts, making them undeliverable and unusable. For example, "johngmail.com", "jane@aol", or "ted@abccom". Always verify the email address of your contacts.

3. How can you view ignored contacts when a file is imported? 

  1. Navigate to Audience -> Contacts.
  2. Click the More Actions (3-dotted) button at the top-right next to the Import Contacts button.
  3. Click Import Summary.

    Contacts -> More Actions -> Import Summary

  4. Click a completed import to open its details. 
  5. Beside the Ignored Contacts' count, you can click the download icon to download the ignored contacts.
  6. Specify a name for the file, choose the file format, and click Download. A file will be downloaded, open it to view the list of contacts that were ignored in the import along with the reason why they were ignored.

4. How do you view all of the imports in Zoho Campaigns? 

To view the imports you have done in your Zoho Campaigns organization:
  1. Navigate to Audience -> Contacts.
  2. Click the More Actions (3-dotted) button at the top-right next to the Import Contacts button.
  3. Click Import Summary.
Here, all of the imports, along with their status, you've done will be listed. You can click a particular import to view details about it, including the list of contacts imported or ignored.

5. What are “Duplicate Contacts" in ignored contacts list after a file has been imported? 

Duplicate contacts refer to the contacts that are already in your account. You selected the Overwrite Contacts option in the duplicate preference handling, but all field values for this contact in the import file are identical to what already exists in your organization.

When you import contacts into Zoho Campaigns, the system automatically performs duplication checks. For example, if the same email address appears multiple times in the file, duplicates are detected and ignored during the import process.

6. What is the maximum file size when importing the contacts? 

The maximum allowed file size is 25 MB. If you have a file that exceeds 25 MB, it’s better to split the file into smaller files—say, five files of 5 MB each—and proceed with the import.

7. Can you select multiple mailing lists when adding or importing contacts? 

Yes. When importing or adding contacts, you can select multiple mailing lists simultaneously. After selecting one list, click another list to select it as well.

8. Does Zoho Campaigns allow you to re-import unsubscribed contacts? 

You can’t change a contact’s status from Unsubscribed to Active manually. You can re-import unsubscribed contacts into Zoho Campaigns, but they’ll remain unsubscribed by default.

If a previously unsubscribed contact is imported, Zoho Campaigns will recognize their unsubscribed status. The contact will be added to your account (if it’s not already), but it will stay on the Do Not Mail list. The contact won’t receive any emails unless they intentionally resubscribe through a double opt-in signup form.

9. How can you import contacts whose email address has + symbol? 

If you have contacts with email address such as john+t@abc.com or jamie+k@abc.com, you can’t import them in Zoho Campaigns. You can manually add them. If you still want to import these contacts, contact our support team at support@zohocampaigns.com and they will assist you.

10. What does marketing and non-marketing subscription types mean? 

Subscription Type can be used to identify the status of contacts to decide if it’s the right time to send them email campaigns and if they want to receive email campaigns.

Marketing: For contacts who have agreed to receive promotional or marketing content from you, such as newsletters, product updates, offers, or event invites, messages sent under this subscription are typically commercial in nature and require explicit consent (opt-in) from the contact.

Non-marketing: For contacts who haven't provided consent to receive marketing emails from you. You may reach out to them again personally if you want their consent for sending marketing emails.

11. How do you map Zoho Creator fields with Zoho Campaigns fields? 

A. Setting up Sync and Field Mapping:

To map Zoho Creator fields with Zoho Campaigns fields, follow these steps:
  1. First, ensure you have integrated Zoho Campaigns and Zoho Creator.
  2. Once done, navigate to Settings -> Integrations -> Apps.
  3. Under the Connected Apps section, click Zoho Creator.
  4. Click Create Sync.
  5. You need to set up the sync first:
    1. Choose the Zoho Creator application to sync.
    2. Choose the Form Name from this application.
    3. Set the Sync Frequency between Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.
    4. Select the Sync Time and time zone.
    5. If you have multiple workspaces, choose the desired Workspace of Zoho Campaigns.
    6. Select a lists under Add to List field. Choose the Subscription Type between Marketing and Non-Marketing.
    7. Select the Topics, and the Lawful basis for communication.
    8. Click the Save and Next button.
  6. Now, you need to map the fields:
    1. Under the Zoho Creator Fields column, choose the fields from the form you chose.
    2. Under the Zoho Campaigns Fields column, choose the corresponding field that you want to map against the Zoho Creator field.
    3. If no suitable field is available, click the Add New Field option available when selecting a field for Zoho Campaigns, provide a name for this field and click Add.

This maps Zoho Creator fields with Zoho Campaigns fields. Two-way sync isn't possible with this integration. Sync is permanent.

B: Creating a new sync:

To initiate a new sync between Zoho Creator and Zoho Campaigns, follow these steps:
  1. Navigate to Settings -> Integrations -> Apps.
  2. Under the Connected Apps section, click Zoho Creator.
  3. Click Create New Sync at the top-right.
  4. Here, you either choose the same Zoho Creator application, but a different form than the first form you chose [OR] choose a completely different application and choose a form from that application.
  5. Continue with the set up, then map the fields, and initiate the sync.
This initiates a new sync between Zoho Creator and Zoho Campaigns.
Idea
Basically, you can set up new syncs based on the number of applications present in Zoho Creator and the number of forms present under each application. If you have three applications and each application has three forms, you can set up nine different syncs. You cannot set up another sync for the same form, though.

12. How do you create a new sync for the Zoho Contacts integration with Zoho Campaigns? 

With the Zoho Contacts integration, you can only add one sync. Multiple new syncs aren't possible. When you're integrating the two apps you need to set up the sync:
  1. Navigate to Settings -> Integrations -> Apps.
  2. From the left pane, click Zoho.
  3. Click Zoho Contacts.
  4. Click the Connect button.
  5. In the slide-in window that appears, you must set up the one and only sync.
  6. Fill the details for the sync:
    1. Under the Workspaces field, select your Zoho Campaigns workspace.
    2. Select the list you want to sync under the Add to List field. Alternatively, if you want to sync contacts from Zoho Contacts to a new list, create a new list using Create List button; specify the name and description for the list and click Create.
    3. Select the Subscription Type between Marketing and Non-Marketing.
    4. Choose the Topics and select the Lawful basis for communication.
    5. Select the Sync Time and time zone.
  7. Click Initiate.
Once the sync is completed, you’ll see the Configuration screen of the sync where you can find essential information about the sync. 

13. How do you import contacts from Zoho WorkDrive? 

To import contacts from Zoho WorkDrive, follow these steps:
  1. Navigate to Audience -> Contacts.
  2. Click the Import Contacts button at the top-right.
  3. Click the Import from Cloud button.
  4. By default the WorkDrive tab should be visible in the left.
  5. Here, there are two scenarios:
    1. If you don't have a WorkDrive account:  Click the Setup your team button. In a new tab that appears, select the plan and proceed creating the account. Once done, come back to Zoho Campaigns, refresh the tab, click the Import from Cloud button, select the file from WorkDrive, and click Attach.
    2. If you already have a WorkDrive account: Simply select the file you want to import and click the Attach button at the bottom-right. This assumes you have both the Zoho Campaigns and Zoho WorkDrive accounts under the same email address.
  6. Once the file is selected, select the duplication preference, choose subscription type, lists, topics, and proceed with the field mapping.
  7. After mapping the fields, you can complete the import.
This imports contacts from Zoho WorkDrive.

14. How can you map additional fields in a Shopify sync? 

To map additional fields in the Shopify sync:
  1. Navigate to Settings -> Integrations -> Apps.
  2. From the left side, click e-commerce.
  3. Click Shopify to open its integration settings.
  4. Click the Field Mapping tab at the top.
  5. Click the Edit button at the far right.
  6. Click the + icon at the end of the last field to include new fields.
  7. Choose a field from Shopify side. 
  8. Choose a corresponding field from Zoho Campaigns side. If no suitable field is available, click the Add New Field option. Specify the field name and click Add.
  9. Click Save.
This maps additional fields in a Shopify sync.

15. Can you have more than one sync for Shopify integration?

No, you can only have one sync for Shopify integration with Zoho Campaigns. Multiple syncs cannot be set up. 

16. You want to map the Shipping Code field from a table in Zoho Books, but you can’t find it under the pre-mapped fields. How do you map it? 

Since there is no default Shipping Code field in Zoho Campaigns, you can add a new field during the sync set up. First, you need to integrate Zoho Books with Zoho Campaigns. During the integration, you will set up the sync and map the fields. Once that is done, if you want to sync data from the Shipping Code field to Zoho Campaigns you can follow the below steps:
  1. Navigate to Settings -> Integrations -> Apps.
  2. Under the Connected Apps, click Zoho Books.
  3. Click the Field Mapping tab at the top.
  4. Click the Edit button at the far right.
  5. Click the + icon at the end of the last field to include new fields.
  6. Choose the Shipping Code field from Zoho Books side. 
  7. Click the Zoho Campaigns field drop-down, click the Add New Field option. Specify the field name as Shipping Code and click Add.
  8. Click Save.
This maps the Shipping Code field from Zoho Books.

17. You’ve synced contacts from Zoho Books. Out of 100 contacts, only 75 of them were synced. Why did this happen? 

This may happen if those contacts have already been added to Zoho Campaigns as subscribers, so you’ll need to check if those contacts. There can be other reasons why some of the contacts were ignored. You can view the sync history to find out why this happened.

To view the details of the sync:
  1. Navigate to Settings -> Integrations -> Apps.
  2. Under the Connected Apps, click Zoho Books.
  3. Click the Sync History tab at the top.
  4. Click the download icon next to the Skipped Contacts.
  5. Specify a name for the file, choose the format, and click Download. A file will be downloaded containing the list of contacts that weren't synced along with the reason.

18. Can you have multiple syncs in Zoho Analytics integration?

Yes, you can have multiple syncs. But, you cannot choose the same Table for multiple syncs. One table can be a part of one sync only. 
NotesNote: You can select only one database and one table combination at a time to create a sync.

19. You want to map the Product Category field from a table in Zoho Analytics, but you can’t find it under the pre-mapped fields. How do you map it? 

Since there is no default Product Category field in Zoho Campaigns, you can add a new field during the sync set up. First, you need to integrate Zoho Analytics with Zoho Campaigns. During the integration, you will set up the sync and map the fields. Once that is done, if you want to sync data from the Product Category field to Zoho Campaigns you can follow the below steps:
  1. Navigate to Settings -> Integrations -> Apps.
  2. Under the Connected Apps, click Zoho Analytics.
  3. Hover over the sync for which you want to include a new field.
  4. Click the More Actions (3-dotted button) at the far right of this sync.
  5. Click the Edit option.
  6. Click the Field Mapping tab at the top.
  7. Click the + icon at the end of the last field to include new fields.
  8. Choose the Product Category field from Zoho Analytics side.
  9. Click the Zoho Campaigns field drop-down, click the Add New Field option. Specify the field name as Product Category and click Add.
  10. Click Save.

This maps the Product Category field from a table in Zoho Analytics.

20. Can you sync a Zoho Analytics query table with a Zoho Campaigns mailing list? 

Yes, you can sync a Zoho Analytics query table with your Zoho Campaigns list. Query tables contain data filtered from multiple Zoho Analytics tables based on a Select query. You can import query tables data as contacts into a mailing list.

For example, you have a query table containing details of customers who have purchased your products stored in the tables Sales-2017 and Sales-2018. You can import these customers into a list called "Purchased" in your Campaigns account and use this list to send them newsletters related to product updates.

21. Are there any limits to the number of segments, lists, or topics I can create in Zoho Campaigns? 

You can create any number of segments in Zoho Campaigns to categorize your contacts because currently there’s no limit. While there's no limit to the number of contacts you can add to a list, it’s usually dependent on the number of contacts you've purchased if you're in the paid plan of Zoho Campaigns.

In the Free plan, you can have 2,000 contacts. You can add all 2,000 contacts to a single list. Similarly, if you're in the Standard or Professional plan but have purchased 5,000 contacts, you can add all of them to a single list depending on your preference. If you want to manage all of your contacts in a single list, you can do that. If you want to spread your contacts across multiple lists, you can do that, too.

As of now, there isn't a limit to the number of lists you can create in Zoho Campaigns.

22. How do you map a field from you file for which no suitable pre-defined field is available from Zoho Campaigns? 

When importing contacts, you may have a field in your import file containing data you want to bring into Zoho Campaigns for your contacts. But you won’t find a suitable field from Zoho Campaigns to map it against.

In such cases, Zoho Campaigns allows you to create a custom field in the field mapping section of the import screen itself. In the field mapping section, the left column displays the fields from your import file. The right column comprises the Zoho Campaigns fields, which you need to map or select against the corresponding fields from your file.

Say that you have a Date of Birth field in your file, and you want to have this information in Zoho Campaigns as well. This field will be a date field. In this case, you can create a custom field during the field mapping process itself.

Here are the steps:

1. After uploading the import file, you'll set the subscription type and select lists.
2. Next is the field mapping section. Assume that you have a Date of Birth field in your file. This will be displayed on the left column under Fields in File.
3. Click the New Custom Fields button at the top-right.
4. Select the Date of Birth field by hovering over it and ticking the checkbox to its left.
5. Under the New Field Name column, specify the name for the custom field you want to create in Zoho Campaigns.
6. Under the Data Type column, select Date.
7. Click Create.
7. You'll see that the Date of Birth field you created is mapped against the Date of Birth field from your file.
8. Choose the date format as MM/DD/YYYY.
9. Once you've confirmed that every field has been mapped correctly, you can proceed further.

23. Why are some of my contacts ignored?

The table below lists each reason a contact may be ignored, what causes it, and the steps you can take. Where no fix is available, the status is noted accordingly.

Reason
Why it happens
How to fix it
Empty Email Address
The email field is empty for this contact in the import file.
Add a valid email address for the contact in your import file.
Empty Contact Details
Both the email and mobile fields are empty for this contact in the import file.
Provide data for at least one field, either email or mobile, in your import file.
Invalid Format
Both the email and mobile fields have data, but one or both are in an invalid format.
Make sure the email address is in a valid format and the mobile number follows the E.164 format.
Invalid Format Email Address
Only the email field is mapped, but the email address is in an invalid format.
Correct the email address in your import file to match the standard email format (for example, name@domain.com).
Invalid Format Mobile Number
Only the mobile field is mapped, but the mobile number is in an invalid format.
Correct the mobile number in your import file to follow the E.164 format.
Group Email Address Not Allowed
The contact's email is a role-based or generic address, such as info@, administrator@, careers@, service@, or support@. Zoho Campaigns does not permit these addresses to protect your sender reputation.
Remove role-based email addresses from your import file and use individual contact addresses instead. Learn more about role/group addresses
Duplicate Entry In File
The same email address appears more than once in the import file.
Remove duplicate entries from your file and keep only one occurrence of each email address.
Duplicate Contact
You selected the Overwrite Contacts option in the duplicate preference handling, but all field values for this contact in the import file are identical to what already exists in your organization.
If you don't want to modify this contact, remove the contact from your import file. If you want to modify a field data for this contact, update at least one field value before importing again.
Non-marketing Contact Limit Exceeded
Your organization has reached the limit of 1,000,000 non-marketing contacts. No additional non-marketing contacts can be imported.
This is a system limit. These contacts cannot be imported.
Marketing Contact Limit Exceeded
Your organization has reached the marketing contact limit for your current plan.
Upgrade your plan to increase your marketing contact limit.
Unsubscribed Contact Limit Exceeded
Zoho Campaigns allows a contact's subscription type to be changed up to three times per month. Your organization has reached its monthly limit, which is three times your plan's contact limit. For example, on a 10,000-contact plan, up to 30,000 subscription type changes are permitted per month.
Contact the support team at support@zohocampaigns.com for assistance.
Hard Bounce
The contact's email address has previously hard bounced. Importing hard-bounced contacts can negatively affect your domain reputation.
Remove hard-bounced contacts from your import file. These contacts should not be re-imported.
Do Not Mail
The contact is on the Do Not Mail list in your organization, typically because they have unsubscribed. Contacts in this list cannot be re-imported.
No action can be taken. Contacts on the Do Not Mail list cannot be imported.
Awaiting Confirmation
The contact signed up through a form but has not yet confirmed their subscription via the double opt-in email.
Ask the contact to complete the double opt-in confirmation, or resend the confirmation email from your organization settings. Once confirmed, the contact will be added. Learn more about managing double opt-in.
Invalid Contact
The contact was processed during import, but the email address failed backend validation. The contact is moved to the Invalid Contacts view, and the import summary is updated to reflect them as ignored.
Contact the support team at support@zohocampaigns.com if you believe these contacts are valid and want them added to your organization.
Invalid Line
A row in your CSV file could not be read due to a formatting issue. This only occurs with CSV files.
Review the affected row in your CSV file for formatting issues, such as missing commas or line breaks. If the issue persists, contact the support team at support@zohocampaigns.com.
 
To reduce ignored contacts in future imports, check your contact list for data quality before uploading. Make sure email addresses are valid, mobile numbers follow the E.164 format, and role-based or generic email addresses are removed. For guidance on preparing your file, see Best practices for importing contacts. For any issues that need hands-on help, reach the support team at support@zohocampaigns.com.