Import contacts from an Excel file

Introduction

Artshell's advanced import feature allows you to add or update multiple Contacts at once using an Excel file, without having to manually create or edit individual records.

You can use this feature both to import your address book for the first time and later to add new Contacts or update existing ones.

If, on the other hand, you need to import a large amount of data and would prefer to let our team handle it for you, you can use the Concierge service.

In this guide, we'll look at how to properly prepare the Excel file, import it into Artshell, and manage any updates to existing " Contacts " files.

Before you begin

To use the advanced import feature correctly:

Use only the Excel template provided by Artshell;
Use the template in the same language as your Artshell account: Italian, English, or French;
Do not modify or translate the headers in the first line;
Save the file in .xlsx format;
Do not apply filters or formatting to the cells.

Important

Artshell uses column headers to correctly identify the fields to be imported. For this reason, the template language must match the language set in your account, and the headers must not be modified or translated.

Check the data before importing

Before importing your contact list, we recommend that you verify the quality of the data you want to enter into Artshell.

Specifically:

Delete the " Contacts " that are no longer needed;
Check that the email addresses are valid and free of typos;
Check that the First Name, Last Name, and Company fields are filled in correctly;
Check for any duplicate Contacts entries.

The Contacts section Contacts Artshell is closely linked to the Email and Newsletter section, which allows you to send messages to your recipients within the same interface.

This is very convenient, but it also requires some care: for example, if you use personalized greetings like Hello #name or Hello #company, make sure the fields have been filled in accurately. Otherwise, you risk unprofessional results, such as a Hello [empty field] (if the data is missing) or a Hello Tina instead of Hi Antonia, if the contact was saved inaccurately.

Step 1: Download the Excel template

You can download the Excel template in two ways:

directly from this article, right here: DOWNLOAD THE EXCEL FILE;
From the Settings panel → Import → Contacts → Download the Excel template. If you download the template directly from Artshell, make sure your account is set to the language you'll use for the import.

Step 2: Compile the file

The template consists of two opening lines.

Riga	Contents
First line	Contains the column headers. Do not modify this.
Second line	It contains code examples that you can use as a reference. You can delete it before importing.

Tips for filling out the form:

• Notes on columns: Hover over the column headers to view the notes.

• Sample row: You can keep the second sample row while you're filling out the form and delete it only after you've entered your Contacts. This will allow you to refer to the sample descriptions if you have any questions.

Each subsequent row in the Excel file corresponds to a contact record . Fill out one row for each contact you want to import.

Take a moment to review the columns in the file. If a piece of information is not available or not relevant, you can leave the corresponding cell blank.

Similarly, if you don't need certain columns for any contacts, you can leave them blank or delete them entirely from the file. For a detailed description of all available fields, you can also refer to the article Add a Contact.

Read the instructions for filling out the form in more detail

Name	text
Last name	text
Company	text
Contact type	text
Location	text
Tags	text - separate with commas
Email description	text - presence of default options
Email	text and number
Phone description	text - presence of default options
Phone	number
Name and address	text
Go	text and number
City	text
Zip code	number
Province/Region/State	text
Country	text, from the Nations sheet
Link description	text - presence of default options
Link	URL
Company name	text
Billing method	text and number
Billing ZIP code	number
Billing City	text
Province/Region/State of billing	text
Billing country	text, from the Nations sheet
VAT ID	number
Tax ID number	text and number
Billing email	text and number
Nationality	number, from sheet, nationality
Date of birth	number
Month and date of birth	number
Year of birth	number
Notes	text and number

Before importing

Once you've finished typing, delete the sample line and verify that:

the model's language matches the language of your Artshell account;
the headers in the first line have not been modified or translated;
no new columns have been added;
there are no filters;
the cells do not contain any formatting, such as bold, italics, colors, or links;
The file is saved in .xlsx format.

If you have copied data from another Excel file, we recommend that you use the " Clear Formatting " command before continuing.

Step 3: Import the file

Once the file is ready—and does not contain any filters or formatted elements—it's time to upload it to Artshell. Follow these steps:

Click the icon in the lower-left corner to open the settings.
Select the " Import" option.
Select Contacts.
Click the " Browse " button and select the file you want to import from your computer.
Click the Import button and wait for the upload to complete.

The time it takes to import depends on the number of Contacts entries in the file and the speed of your Internet connection.

Important

By accepting Artshell's terms and conditions, you have declared that you have the appropriate authorization to manage all the information on the Contacts that you are uploading.

Once the import is complete

Once the operation is complete, Artshell displays a summary showing:

How many Contacts were imported: Contacts were successfully imported as new records;
How many Contacts entries were merged: Contacts entries were identified as already present in the database and therefore updated with the data from the file;
Errors: Contacts that were not imported due to compilation errors.

If merged Contacts s or errors are detected, you can click " Download Report " to obtain an Excel file with details of the affected Contacts s.

If some Contacts entries have been merged, it means that Artshell recognized them as already existing in the database. Below, we'll look at the criteria used.

Update existing " Contacts " entries

Advanced import isn't just for adding new Contacts —you can also use it to update multiple records that are already in Artshell.

When you import the file, Artshell checks whether the " Contacts " entries match any existing " records " entries. If it finds a match, instead of creating a new " record " entry,it merges the data and updates the existing contact.

This allows you to perform multiple imports over time to expand, supplement, or update your contact list.

How Artshell Recognizes a Contact

Artshell uses various recognition criteria, following a specific order of priority.

Priorities	Criterion	How It Is Used
1	Primary Email (Email 1)	If available, Artshell searches for a record account with the same primary email address.
2	First Name + Last Name	If Email 1 is left blank, Artshell searches for an record with the same first and last name.
3	Company	If the above criteria are not available, Artshell searches for a " record " with the same company.

Primary Email – Email 1

If Email 1 is filled out, it is the first criteria used by Artshell.

If a contact with the same primary email address already exists in the database, Artshell recognizes the contact and updates the existing record .

First Name and Last Name

If Email 1 is left blank, Artshell checks to see if the First Name and Last Name fields have been filled in.

If it finds a record with the same combination, it updates that record.

If there are multiple Contacts accounts with the same first and last names, the record account created first is updated.

Company

If neither Email 1 nor First Name and Last Name are available, Artshell uses the Company field.

If multiple records entries list the same company, the record entry created first is updated.

Tip: Use Email 1 as a reference for updates. For Contacts without an email address, it’s best to use First Name and Last Name. The Company field is less specific and can more easily correspond to multiple records.

What happens if there are Contacts ?

If the same email address appears in multiple records contacts, Artshell must determine which record to update.

In this case:

If the same email address appears in multiple records, the record which that address is listed as Email 1—that is, as the primary address (the first one, at the top of the record )—is updated;
If the same address is entered as Email 1 in multiple records , the record —that is, the one created first— is updated.

However, if the email address is entered in an Excel file in a column other than "Email 1"—for example, "Email 2"—the system may not recognize the contact as already existing and may create a new record.

For this reason, before importing an update, it is important to check for any duplicates and ensure that the address to be used as a reference is entered in the Email 1 column.

If you know there are duplicates in your database, a good approach might be:

export Contacts Excel;
identify duplicate email addresses, for example by using Excel's conditional formatting;
Identify the Contacts and decide which information you want to keep;
prepare an initial import file for Contacts , which can be updated more easily;
Prepare a separate import file for the duplicates after you have corrected and cleaned them up.

How the data is updated

When Artshell recognizes an existing contact, the system updates the record according to the following rules:

Empty fields: these are populated with the values from the Excel file;
Pre-filled fields: these are overwritten with the new values from the Excel file;
Tags: Any new email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses are added to those already associated with the contact.

For tags, email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses, Artshell never performs a "subtraction" during import. This means that this information can be added via an Excel file, but it is not removed if it is already present in record .

Update Contacts more quickly

If you need to update many " Contacts " that are already in Artshell, you can start by exporting the database to retrieve the data used to identify them.

You can speed up the process by following these steps:

Select the Contacts want to update or edit;
Export these Contacts Excel;
Copy the entire column (Email1 or Company) from the exported file—if you’re using First Name and Last Name to update the data, you’ll need to copy and paste both of these columns;
Paste the data into the corresponding column in the Excel import file : Email1, or Company, or First Name and Last Name if you are not using an email address;
Fill in only the columns corresponding to the fields you want to update or add;
Upload the updated file using the import feature (Settings → Import → Contacts).

This way, you use data that is already in the system and is accurate, reducing the risk of errors or duplicates and making the update much faster and more efficient.

Note: If you also use Contacts in the Email and Newsletter sections, Artworks or Events sections, avoid deleting all records s and then reimporting them. Deleting Contacts s could break links to other content and compromise newsletters that have already been sent, as well as their associated statistics.

Conclusions

Advanced import lets you add and update multiple Contacts at once, keeping your Artshell address book organized over time.

To avoid errors or duplicates, always use the Excel template that corresponds to your account's language, keep the column headers unchanged, and pay special attention to the data Artshell uses to recognize existing Contacts s, particularly " Email 1."