Guide to Importing an Excel List into a WhatsApp Campaign

Your customer list is usually in an Excel file. Importing this file into a WhatsApp campaign means not only matching the columns but also preparing the file correctly. Incorrect phone number formats, columns without headers, and disorganized data can derail your campaign before it even begins. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process step by step: preparing your Excel file, importing it into the WapFlow guide, verifying it, and converting it into a campaign.

A reminder before you begin: The people on your list must have given you permission to send them messages through this channel. Simply being listed in the Excel file does not constitute permission.

Preparing the File

The WapFlow contact import screen accepts .xlsx and .xls files and requires the first row of the file to contain column headers. If you have a CSV file, open it in Excel and save it in one of these formats.

Column Headers	Example	Is this required?
Name	Ayşe Yılmaz	No, but `[isim]` it’s required
Phone	905321234567	Yes
Category	Wholesale customer	No
City	Bursa	No
Email	ornek@ornekfirma.com	No
Note	Met at the November fair	No

The contact information in the table is an example. When importing, you can match fields such as name, number, category, score, address, email, website, province, district, and notes.

Correcting the Number Format

The most common issue is the number column.

Spelling in the file	Status	What to Do?
905321234567	Ideal	No action required
05321234567	The leading 0 is converted to the Turkey code 90	No problem, but please check anyway
5321234567	A 10-digit Turkish number is completed with 90	No problem, but please check anyway
0532 123 45 67	Spaces will be removed	No problem
5.32E+11	Excel has corrupted the number	Convert the column to text format and re-enter it
Multiple numbers in the same cell	Counts as a single value	Split the cells

For foreign numbers, be sure to include the complete country code. Remove short and incomplete numbers from the file.

Quick cleanup in Excel

Select the number column and set the cell format to Text.
Go to Data > Remove Duplicates to delete duplicate rows.
Use a filter to find rows with blank numbers.
Correct suffixes like "Ms." and "Mr." in the "Name" column. In the message, [isim] will be filled directly with this text.
Convert cells generated by formulas to values.

Importing to the WapFlow Directory

Open the "Contacts" page from the left menu and go to the Excel import window.
Upload your file using "Select File."
On the "Match Columns" screen, link each Excel column to the corresponding guide field. The "Auto-Match" button attempts to populate the fields based on the headers; be sure to check the results.
If you wish, use the “Add Imported Contacts to a Group” option to add the contacts to a group. This is very convenient for campaigns.
Start the import and check the numbers of contacts added, updated, and skipped.

Your contact list capacity depends on your plan. If the limit is reached, some contacts will not be added. See the pricing page for current limits.

Verifying Numbers

Check the list immediately after the import. Old and landline numbers are common in Excel lists.

Open the Verifier page.
Start the WhatsApp filter and select a linked account. The account currently in use cannot be used.
Select contacts from your address book or upload the Excel file directly.
Save the results to your contacts.
On the Contacts page, use the "Delete" option to remove those who aren’t on WhatsApp. This action cannot be undone.

Verifying very large lists by splitting them into smaller parts is a more cautious approach. Details are in the number verifier article.

Converting to a Campaign

Excel files cannot be uploaded directly to the send screen; contacts must first be added to the address book or numbers entered into the recipient field. Working through the address book also allows you to use variables.

Open the "Send to Contacts" page and select the sender account.
In the “Recipients” section, open the “Select from Contacts” window.
Select the group you created. The “Hide those not on WhatsApp” option filters the list.
Write your message. [isim] and [kategori] Variables like these are populated with fields from Excel.
Test it with "Test to Myself," then send or schedule it.

For delivery speed and security settings, see the article on creating campaigns.

Using Variables Correctly

If there are blank rows in the "Name" column, the message may appear as "Hello, ." There are two ways to resolve this issue:

Use a filter to move people with blank names into a separate group and send them a message without variables.
Write the text so that it reads naturally even when the name is left blank.

If a person’s name is written in all caps, such as “AHMET YILMAZ,” the YAZIM.DÜZENİ function in Excel may be helpful. Check for Turkish characters.

Common Mistakes

Failing to include a header in the first row. The first person can be considered the header.
The file contains more than one sheet. Make sure you’re selecting the correct sheet to import.
Matching the number column to the wrong field.
Using the old list without clearing it first.
Keeping people on the list who haven’t given permission.

Numbers on the blocklist are skipped in the campaign even if they are imported into the address book with the new file. Still, it’s a good practice to remove people who don’t want to be included from the source file as well.

Splitting the List Before the Campaign

Instead of using your entire file in a single send, splitting the list after import yields better results and reduces the risk of errors. For example, if there is a “Category” or “City” column in Excel, you can use the filter on the Contacts page and select “Add those matching the filter to a group” to create separate groups.

For the first send, select the contacts with the clearest and most up-to-date consent.
Check the results for this small group.
If there are no issues, send the next group on a different day.
Record the results for each group.

If your package includes the option to print results to a contact list, you can view the “Sent,” “Delivered,” and “Read” statuses for contacts after the campaign. If you want to keep your Excel file up to date, you can re-export the contact list as an Excel file from the “Contacts” page. This will give you a cleaned-up list as your source, and you can delete the old file.

File Security

Sharing customer lists via email or storing them in public folders poses a risk to personal data. Share the file only with relevant individuals, and delete any unnecessary copies once you’re done.

Post-Import Checklist

Is the total number of people close to the number of rows in the file?
Are the names and numbers of a few randomly selected people in the correct fields?
Have the “Category” and “City” columns shifted?
Is the number of people added to the group what you expected?
Have the people on the blocklist also been removed from the source file?

This five-minute check prevents annoying errors, such as messages being sent to the wrong person. If the columns are misaligned, correct the records before sending; if necessary, correct the file and import it again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upload a CSV file?

The contact import window accepts .xlsx and .xls files. Open your CSV file in Excel and save it in this format.

Can I send a number directly without adding it to the contact list?

You can enter the numbers in the recipient field, but since there is no contact information, [isim] the relevant fields won’t be populated.

Will the same contact be added twice?

If a number already exists in the address book, it may appear as "skipped" or "updated" on the results screen. Check the numbers.

Where is the data from Excel stored?

The imported contacts are stored in your account’s address book. Keep the source Excel file in a safe place. You can refer to this guide for personal data regulations.