Contacts, opt-in and importing a list

Import contacts from a CSV file or a published Google Sheet. There is no fixed column layout: you tell us which column holds the phone number and which holds the name.

1. 1Open Contacts → Import and pick “Upload a CSV” or “Google Sheet”.
2. 2Name the phone column and the name column (they default to phone and name).
3. 3Tick “Add +91 to numbers without a country code” if your list is written in local format. Numbers already written with a + are left alone.
4. 4Tick “Save the other columns as custom fields” if you want City, Order ID and so on kept on the contact.
5. 5Import, then read the result: new contacts added, existing contacts updated, rows skipped, and why each skipped row failed.

Opt-in — the one box to think about

“These contacts have already opted in” is unticked by default, and should stay unticked unless you can prove it. Ticking it makes the source field mandatory, because you will need that answer if Meta ever asks.

Contacts imported without it start as “No opt-in yet”: they cannot be sent templates or campaigns, but they can opt in simply by messaging you. Marking a purchased or unconsented list as opted-in is the fastest route to complaints, a cut daily send limit and a restricted number.

An import can never revoke a real consent, and it can never re-subscribe someone who opted out. Those rows are reported as skipped with the reason.

Duplicates

Contacts are matched on the normalised WhatsApp number. An existing contact is merged, not replaced — empty cells never overwrite data you already have — and counts as “updated”.

Segments

Segments are live audiences, not snapshots: a contact joins or leaves the moment they match your conditions. The reachable count is lower than the match count whenever some of those contacts have not opted in — only opted-in contacts can be campaigned to.