Import contacts from CSV

Import is not a “one-time admin chore.” It’s the moment your campaigns become real.

This guide covers Callaro’s contact import wizard end-to-end: how to prepare a CSV, map fields (including custom fields), and interpret import history and errors.

At a glance

The wizard has 4 steps: Upload → Map Columns → Review → Import.
You can map columns to standard fields or to custom fields (cf:<key>).
Import runs as an async job — success is confirmed on the import detail page.

Before you start (what to prepare)

A clean CSV where each row is one contact.
A valid phone number column.
Any fields you want your agent to use at call time (company, timezone, lead source, etc.).

Pro tip: decide “what must be present” before you import

If you want personalized calls, you need consistent fields. A practical minimum for most outbound programs is: phone, first_name, company, and timezone.

Step 1 — Upload

Upload your CSV. The UI will parse headers and show a preview.

If your CSV uses advanced formatting (quoted cells with commas, multiline text), keep it simple for the first pass.

Step 2 — Map Columns

For each column, choose what it maps to:

standard contact fields (phone, first name, last name, email, company, tags, timezone)
custom fields (shown as cf:<key>)
skip (ignore the column)

Watch out: duplicate mapping warnings

The UI warns if multiple columns map to the same target field. Treat this as a blocker — otherwise you’ll import confusing data and spend weeks debugging campaigns that were “fine.”

Step 3 — Review

Review shows:

how many rows will be imported
how many rows are missing a phone number (these will be skipped)
whether any columns remain unmapped

Step 4 — Import

Import creates an async job. After submit, you’ll be taken to an import detail page where you can track progress and errors.

Sample CSV (what “good” looks like)

Use a CSV like:

phone, first_name, last_name, email, company, timezone, tags
plus any custom fields your team cares about (example: lead_source, plan_tier)

Custom fields change the template

If your tenant has custom fields defined, the import template includes them. This is intentional — it keeps your schema consistent.

Auto-create unmapped custom fields (when to use it)

The import wizard can optionally auto-create missing custom fields for unmapped columns.

Use it when:

you’re importing a stable field you’ll reuse (example: lead_source)
you have an owner for your custom field schema

Avoid it when:

the CSV is an experiment with one-off columns
the columns are not meant to live beyond the pilot

What to check after import

Open Import history and ensure the job completed.
Open a sample contact and confirm fields are populated.
If you plan to use segments, build a segment now using the imported fields.

Next: segment and launch

Turn your import into a reusable segment and attach it to a campaign.

Filters and segments Custom fields Campaign Wizard: Audience