In this guide, you'll discover all the necessary steps to properly format a CSV file for importing into betterbunch
CSV files are data spreadsheets that can be easily imported into betterbunch with just a few simple clicks. Importing contact data, rather than manually inputting it, can significantly save you time when creating invitations or a blocklist.
Before you start importing, review the relevant betterbunch terms and requirements for your import files.
CSV. file format
Your data spreadsheet must be saved in CSV (comma-separated value) format for it to be accepted.
Tip: Editing a CSV file can be difficult, so we recommend opening the spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to make any necessary changes. Once you have finalised your edits, save the spreadsheet as a CSV file for easy uploading.
Single Sheet only
The data spreadsheet should only have one sheet included.
Column header
Row 1 of your spreadsheet must contain column headers. Colum headers help betterbunch identify which column contains the data that corresponds to the matching field in your invitations.
The headers are case-insensitive, and do not require a space in between. For example, 'Email Address' and 'emailaddress' are both acceptable.
Acceptable names include:
- 'Name', 'first name', 'recipient name' or 'customer name'
- 'Email' or 'email address'
- 'Phone', 'phone number', 'mobile' or 'mobile number'
Caution: If your CSV file includes two column headers that relate to the same information, betterbunch will prioritize the column that is positioned first in your spreadsheet.
For instance, if 'name' is in cell A1 and 'first name' is in cell B1, betterbunch will use the 'name' from column A for your invitations.
Accurate contact names
Your contact will be addressed by the name displayed in the name column. Therefore, we recommend including first names only to help personalise your invitations.
If the spreadsheet includes both first and last names or other titles, such as Mrs in the name column, we suggest removing these.
Accepted phone number format
betterbunch can send SMS invitations to any New Zealand or Australian phone numbers as long as they are in one of the below formats.
- +642xxx (with the NZ dialling code)
- +614xxx (with the AUS dialling code)
- 02xxxxx (without the dialling code)
- 2xxxxxx (without '0' before the number)
Required data
A CSV file must contain a column header for 'Name' and either 'Phone' or 'Email' header to be accepted. While including both Phone and Email headers is not mandatory, having at least one of them is required for the file to be accepted.
If a contact's information is missing, it is acceptable to leave a cell empty. For instance, one contact may have a name and phone but no email, while other contacts in the CSV file contain a name, email and phone.
Comprehensive data
For an invitation to be created, your CSV file must include a cellphone number and/or an email address for each contact.
If a contact's information is missing, it is acceptable to leave a cell empty. For instance, a contact may have a name and phone number but no email address.
However, it is recommended to include both email addresses and phone numbers when importing data if possible. This way, if one contact method is invalid, you will have an alternative method to deliver the invitation.
Tip: If you collect contact phone and email addresses, we recommend you include them both so that you can take advantage of our promoter retargeting feature.
Maximum and minimum data per cell
Each cell should only contain one phone number or email address.
If there are multiple phone numbers or email addresses for a single contact, you can either remove the extra record or place it in a new row on the spreadsheet.
If there is missing information for a contact, it is okay to leave a cell empty. For instance, a contact may have a name and phone number but no email address. This situation is acceptable.