How Do I Upload My CSV File of Subscribers?

Applies to: Infosaic web hosting email · domain administrators · mailing lists

Adding subscribers one by one is fine for a handful and unbearable for a few hundred, which is what the CSV import is for.

Both routes start in the same place, so the first few steps below are shared. The only thing that catches people out is the file format, and it is a single requirement.

Adding one subscriber

1. Log in as the domain administrator.
2. Click the Settings icon.
3. In the navigation pane, expand Domain Settings and then Mailing Lists.
4. Click Mailing Lists in the left tree view.
5. Select the list you want and click Edit. Its settings load in the content pane.
6. Click Manage in the content pane toolbar and choose Subscribers. The current subscribers load.
7. Click New in the toolbar.
8. Type the subscriber’s address in the Email Address field.
9. Click Save.

Importing many subscribers from a CSV file

1. Follow steps 1 to 7 above to reach the subscriber list for the mailing list you want.
2. If you want a file to use as a starting point, click Download in the toolbar — it gives you a correctly formatted CSV.
3. Prepare your file. At a bare minimum it must contain a column named EmailAddress.
4. Upload it, and confirm the import.

Starting from the downloaded file is the shortcut worth taking. It already has the right column heading, so there is nothing to get wrong.

Preparing the file

• Save as CSV, not as a spreadsheet file. Most spreadsheet programs offer this under Save As or Export.
• Keep the heading row. The importer reads the column names from it.
• One address per row. Several addresses in one cell will not be split.
• Remove obvious rubbish first — blank rows, duplicates, addresses that have bounced before.
• Check for stray spaces around the addresses, which some exports introduce.

If a large import only partly works, the usual cause is a handful of malformed rows rather than a problem with the file as a whole. Import a small test file of five addresses first if the list matters.

Before you send to a large list

• Check who is allowed to post to the list. Announcements should be moderators only.
• Test with two of your own addresses before the real send.
• Make sure everyone on the list expects to hear from you. A list built from addresses that never opted in generates spam complaints, and those affect your domain’s reputation for ordinary mail too.
• Consider digest mode if the list is for discussion rather than announcements.

If a large send is planned, it is worth opening a ticket beforehand to let us know.

Questions and answers

How do I add a single subscriber to a mailing list?

Log in as the domain administrator, open Settings, expand Domain Settings and Mailing Lists, edit the list, then choose Manage and Subscribers, and click New.

How do I import many subscribers at once?

From the subscriber list, upload a CSV file. Click Download first to get a correctly formatted starting file.

What must my CSV file contain?

At a minimum, a column named EmailAddress.

My CSV import failed. Why?

Usually the column heading is wrong. It must be EmailAddress exactly, with no space.

Where do I find the mailing list settings?

In webmail, signed in as domain administrator, under Settings, Domain Settings and Mailing Lists.

Can I get a template file?

Yes. Click Download in the subscribers toolbar to obtain a correctly formatted CSV.

Should I test before sending to the whole list?

Yes. Import a small test file and send to two of your own addresses first.

Related articles

• Mailing list settings explained
• Whitelisted posters on a mailing list
• What your Infosaic mail service can do
• Can I set up email aliases?
• Fighting spam in webmail: trusted senders and filter weights
• How do I contact tech support?