Upload your contacts into the ContactMonkey Directory by CSV, then send an SMS campaign to them from Compose & Send. Use this method when you want to store contacts and reuse lists across campaigns — for a one-off send without saving contacts, click here.
Before You Start
Your CSV must meet these requirements before you upload it:
- File format: CSV with UTF-8 encoding
- First column header:
PhoneNumber - Phone number format: Country code + number, digits only (no
+, parentheses, dashes, or spaces)- Example: +1 (234) 456-7890 becomes 1234567890
You can prepare your file in Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers. A sample file is attached for reference.
Note: Keep best practices in mind when building your file:
- Keep each header on a single line — don't use
ALT+ENTERor line breaks inside a header cell. - Avoid mixed-type columns (for example, a column that's numeric in most rows but text in a few). If you need an ID column, format it as text consistently (for example,
externalId). - If you edit the file in Excel, watch for auto-reformatting — especially leading zeros, long numbers, and dates.
Step 1: Upload Your File
- Click Directory at the top of the ContactMonkey dashboard
- Select Sources
- Locate the Upload a CSV tag and select Upload a file
-
Browse and select your CSV file, then complete the field mapping — make sure
mobilePhonemaps to the Phone Number (CSV) field - Click Import Contacts
- Confirm the upload finishes successfully — your contacts will populate in Recipients
Step 2: Create Contact Lists
Recipients must be added to a contact list before you can send to them.