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Importing contacts

Import contacts from a CSV file in the admin panel, how each address is checked, and the setup the import needs.

The Contacts list has an Import button. You upload a CSV file, map its columns to contact fields, and Odden imports the rows in the background. Rows that could not be imported are kept in a file you can download, with the reason on each row.

What can be imported

Field Notes
Email Required. Lowercased and trimmed.
First name, last name, job title, phone Optional
LinkedIn URL Must be a URL
Timezone A timezone identifier such as America/New_York
Lifecycle stage, lead status The stored value (in_progress) or the label (In Progress)

Column headings are matched to fields automatically where they look familiar (E-mail, Surname); you can correct the mapping before importing. The import's sample file shows the expected shape.

How addresses are checked

Each row goes through email validation before it is saved:

Result What happens to the row
Valid, or unknown (the lookup could not be completed) Imported with that status
Risky: typo in a well-known domain, disposable provider, shared mailbox such as info@ Imported, and flagged with the reason so sending can hold it back
Invalid: malformed, or a domain that accepts no mail Not imported; listed in the failed rows with the reason

Nothing is dropped silently: every row is either imported or listed with a reason.

Existing contacts

When a contact with the same email already exists you choose, per import:

  • Skip it and list the row as failed (default). The existing contact is untouched.
  • Update it with the values in this file. Only the columns you mapped, and only where the file has a value, are changed.

A repeated address within the same file counts as an existing contact from its second row on.

Setup

The import uses Filament's import feature, which needs its tables, a queue worker, and database notifications. If your application has not set this up:

bash
php artisan vendor:publish --tag=filament-actions-migrations
php artisan make:queue-batches-table
php artisan make:notifications-table
php artisan migrate

Run a queue worker (php artisan queue:work), or set QUEUE_CONNECTION=sync to import inside the request, which is only suitable for small files.

Permissions

The Import button is shown to users who may create contacts. An import does not check policies row by row, so the create ability is what gates it. Failed-rows files repeat the uploaded values, and cells starting with =, +, - or @ are neutralised so a spreadsheet will not run them as formulas.

Large files

The DNS part of validation is cached per domain, so a big list costs roughly one lookup per distinct domain, not per row. If lookups are slow in your environment, set ODDEN_EMAIL_CHECK_DNS=false: rows are then imported with the offline checks only and an unknown status until you run ValidateContactEmailAction on them.