Contacts

Building a targeted contact list is essential for a successful SMS campaign. By collecting opt-in numbers from customers who have agreed to receive messages from your product or service, you can ensure that your messages are well-received and have a higher chance of engaging your customers. Once you have an opt-in list, you can import opted-in numbers directly into the platform and make sure the messages are sent from known businesses.

If you already have a contact list, you can directly import them to your Interact account. If you haven’t built your contact list yet, then start collecting the opt-in contact list.

Here are ways to build a reliable opt-in contact list:

Manually collect contact numbers

The first thing you should do is collect your customer's information into your system as your business expands. Simply ask if they would like to be opted-in to your text list. Ask for a phone number at the point of booking, or purchasing, or leave a card for people to fill out while using your service.

Grow your contact list with an SMS keyword on a long number

Collect numbers using an Interact virtual mobile number to capture information from your customers. Advertise your number on your website, posters, TV and radio ads, newspapers, and so on. For more information on opt-ins, see Opt-in Management.

Upload contacts

You can directly upload your customer phone numbers to Webex Interact contact lists. Importing contacts as a file is the easiest way to add your whole list to your Interact account. Start importing the contact information and additional parameters for merging and personalization of your message. (e.g., first name, email, birthday, address, etc.) with your account in XLS or X or CSV format. The maximum file upload size must not exceed 100 MB.

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Guidelines for uploading contacts:

• Contact numbers should be in E164 format (+447xxxxxxxxx.).
• Convert your 07 or 447 formatted numbers by choosing the toggle button.
• Contacts can be categorized into multiple lists, with each list having a unique name.
• Contacts are not limited to a single list and can be part of multiple lists as required.

Paste numbers

The Paste numbers option allows you to manually copy and paste the list of contacts into the textbox. Make sure you enter one number per line in E164 format. Any duplicates will be removed automatically. You will receive a confirmation after the upload has been completed.

When you import numbers, you can save a contact as a phone or a WhatsApp number. This helps to distinguish between standard phone contacts and those specifically linked with WhatsApp. For example, if you prefer WhatsApp messaging over SMS, you can opt for WhatsApp to initiate communication.

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Guidelines for pasting numbers:

• Contact numbers must be in E164 format. E164 format is the international phone number format for all phone numbers. It includes [+][country code][area code][local phone number].
• Contact numbers that are duplicate and invalid format will be automatically removed.
• Use the toggle button to convert any numbers formatted in 07 or 447

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Note

After import, invalid phone numbers are removed, and valid ones are merged with existing contacts.

• If a number in a list matches a first and last name, those fields are merged with the contact.
• If multiple contacts have the same phone number but have different fields, all are included.

Paste contacts

You can easily add contact numbers and customer details by copying and pasting them directly, without the need for file uploads. Use the Paste Contacts option, choose a separator, and input your customer details in rows. It's a and user-friendly way to manage your contacts and streamline your campaign efforts. You will receive a confirmation after the upload has been completed.

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Good to know

When uploading or pasting contacts, be mindful of the character limits for each contact field. Here's a quick reference:

Field	Character Limit
Title	30 characters
First Name	50 characters
Last Name	50 characters
Phone Number	16 characters
Country Code	relevant code
Email Address	255 characters
Date of Birth	255 characters
Address Line1	255 characters
Address Line2	255 characters
City	128 characters
State or County	48 characters
Postcode or ZIP	24 characters
Company Name	128 characters
Alternate Phone Number	128 characters