Adding & Importing Contacts

Adding a Single Contact

To add a single contact:

1. Navigate to your contacts page at https://new.gainful.ly/advisor/contacts/
2. Click "Add a Contact" in the right-side panel
3. Fill in the contact details
   1. Important: Add the contact to an existing Contact List, or they will not receive any communications
4. Click "Save"

The contact will immediately appear in your contact database and be ready to receive campaigns.

Bulk Import Methods

When you need to add multiple contacts at once, Gainfully offers two import methods.

Method 1: Manually Import with Text (Recommended)

This method lets you copy and paste contact information directly from any spreadsheet into Gainfully.

1. Open your existing spreadsheet with contact information
2. Select and copy the columns you want to import (you can copy multiple columns at once)
3. Navigate to https://new.gainful.ly/advisor/contacts/
4. Click "Import Contacts" in the right-side panel
5. Choose the "Manually Import with Text" option
6. Paste your copied data into the text box and click "Next"
7. Map each column to the appropriate contact field (First Name, Last Name, Email, etc.)
8. You can choose to ignore any columns that don't match available fields
9. Select whether to create a new contact list or add contacts to existing list(s)
10. Complete the import

Method 2: Upload CSV/XLSX File

This method allows you to upload a file directly from your computer.

File preparation requirements:

Your file must include these exact column headers (though not all fields are required for each contact):

• first_name
• last_name
• email
• phone
• birthday
• client_since

Upload process:

1. Navigate to https://new.gainful.ly/advisor/contacts/
2. Click "Import Contacts" in the right-side panel
3. Download our CSV template by clicking "Click here for a CSV example"
4. Format your data to match the template exactly
5. Upload your prepared file
6. Select whether to create a new contact list or add to existing list(s)
7. Complete the upload

Email Validation Process

Every import automatically includes email validation to ensure deliverability and maintain list quality.

Gainfully checks each email address against a database to verify it exists and can receive messages. This process happens automatically and helps protect your sender reputation.

After import, you'll receive one of two confirmation emails:

• Successful Upload: All contacts were added successfully with no issues.
• Invalid Emails Detected: Some email addresses couldn't be uploaded. You'll receive a CSV file showing which addresses failed and why:
  • Invalid: Usually contains typos and should be corrected and re-uploaded
  • Undeliverable: The email address exists but cannot receive messages (often due to full inboxes or server issues)

Contact Import Tips

• Only 20,000 contacts can be uploaded at a time - split larger lists into multiple imports if needed
• Plan for processing time - uploads need a few minutes to index before contacts are campaign-ready

Troubleshooting Common Import Issues

If your file won't upload or is showing errors:

• Remove any special characters from your spreadsheet (symbols, unusual punctuation)
• Check for typos in email addresses
• Ensure column headers match exactly: first_name, last_name, email, phone, birthday, client_since
• Save your file in a standard CSV or XLSX format
• Try the "Manually Import with Text" method instead