Before You Import: Check Permission
Every reputable email platform requires that the people you import agreed to receive your emails. That usually means they subscribed through a form, opted in at checkout or asked to join in person.
Lists you bought, scraped or collected for another purpose usually don't qualify. Importing them risks rejection, account problems and poor deliverability. See buying email lists.
Platforms may ask how you collected the list. AWeber reviews imports and describes itself as a permission-based service, so lists of unknown origin can't be used there.
Step 1: Export Your Contacts
Export contacts from your current tool, store or spreadsheet. Most platforms export to CSV.
When exporting from another email platform, include only currently subscribed contacts. Leave out unsubscribes, bounces and complaints. You'll want to keep a separate record of unsubscribes so you never email them again.
Step 2: Clean the File
Open the file in a spreadsheet and tidy it up:
- Keep one row per contact and one email address per row.
- Remove duplicates.
- Delete obviously invalid addresses, such as ones missing an "@".
- Remove role addresses you didn't collect by signup, such as info@ or admin@.
- Keep only columns you'll use, such as first name or interests.
- Add a header row with clear names, such as Email, First Name.
- Save as CSV with standard encoding so names with accents import correctly.
If the list hasn't been emailed in a long time, consider an email verification service and a re-permission campaign before importing. See email list hygiene.
Step 3: Plan Tags and Fields
Decide how you'll organize imported contacts before uploading:
- Tag by source, such as "imported-old-platform" or "customer-2025," so you can treat them differently.
- Create custom fields for any extra columns you're importing.
- Choose the right list. Most small businesses only need one.
Step 4: Upload and Map Fields
The process is similar on most platforms. In AWeber:
- Go to Subscribers, then Add Subscribers, and choose Import Multiple.
- Upload your file. AWeber accepts CSV, TXT, TSV, XLS and XLSX files.
- Map each column to a field, such as email address or name, and skip columns you don't need.
- Add tags to the imported subscribers.
- Choose whether to send a confirmation email or import without confirmation for contacts who already opted in.
- Explain how the contacts were collected and submit for review.
Confirmation or No Confirmation?
If your contacts clearly opted in recently, importing without confirmation keeps them all. If you're unsure, or the list is older, sending a confirmation request filters out people who've lost interest.
A smaller confirmed list usually performs better than a larger unconfirmed one. See double vs single opt-in.
After the Import
- Send a friendly first email reminding people who you are and why they're hearing from you.
- Watch bounces and complaints closely on your first few sends.
- Remove contacts who don't engage after a few months. See re-engagement email campaign.
- Check your plan, since subscriber-based pricing adjusts to your new list size.
Common Import Problems
| Problem | Likely fix |
|---|---|
| File won't upload | Save as CSV and check for a header row |
| Names show odd characters | Re-save with standard UTF-8 encoding |
| Some rows skipped | Check for missing or invalid email addresses |
| Import rejected | Provide clearer details about how contacts opted in, or don't use that list |
| Duplicate contacts | Remove duplicates before importing |
Switching platforms entirely? See AWeber migration for the full move, including forms and automations.
Import your permission-based contacts with tags and confirmation options, and get free migration help on paid plans.
Importing an Email List FAQs
What file format do I need to import an email list?
CSV is the most widely supported. AWeber also accepts TXT, TSV, XLS and XLSX files.
Can I import contacts who didn't subscribe?
Reputable platforms require permission. Contacts who didn't agree to receive your emails shouldn't be imported.
Should imported contacts get a confirmation email?
It's a good idea for older or uncertain lists. Recent, clearly opted-in contacts can usually be imported without one.
Why was my email list import rejected?
Usually because the platform couldn't confirm how contacts opted in. Provide clear details or don't use that list.