Import a CSV contact list through the IllyVoIP app

Use the IllyVoIP app’s CSV import when you have a structured contact file and need to map its columns. This is different from syncing selected contacts from the phone’s address book. Prepare a small representative file and inspect its result before importing a large list.

These steps cover the Android app controls in version 1.0.46, build 272. Use your own account and the permissions assigned to it. Other platforms or releases can have different controls.

The import screen is an account-owner workflow. If your assigned account does not offer it, ask the owner to review access and perform the appropriate import; do not borrow another person’s login.

1. Prepare a file using the offered template

1. Open Contacts and choose its CSV import action.
2. Use the template download action to obtain contacts-import-template.csv. Save or share it using the device’s offered file workflow.
3. Prepare a CSV with the intended contact information. Keep phone numbers as text so spreadsheet software does not remove leading digits or change long numbers into scientific notation.
4. Save a small test file with representative names and numbers. Make the local file available to the device file picker.

Use only contact information your organization is entitled to store and use. Importing a record does not establish permission for a campaign or SMS. Keep the original file privately so you can explain a mapping problem without exporting unrelated customer data.

2. Select the destination group and file

1. Choose the intended lead/contact group in the import screen. Check its meaning before adding records to it.
2. Use the file picker to select the intended .csv file and inspect the displayed filename.
3. If a cloud file cannot be selected, make sure it has finished downloading and the picker can provide an accessible local file.
4. Choose the preview action. A missing group or file must be resolved before the preview can proceed.

Do not assume that renaming a spreadsheet workbook to .csv converts it. Export a genuine CSV from the source application. If columns do not separate correctly, correct the file and preview again rather than importing a visibly broken sample.

3. Review the suggested mappings

The app displays a preview and suggested column mapping. Check the suggestions against your actual values. A familiar header is not proof that every row contains the intended type of information.

• Check first name, last name and phone carefully. A name column mapped to phone can damage the usefulness of the imported records.
• Review email, company, country, address and postcode only when they contain the intended information.
• Map extra fields deliberately. Structured custom-field or sharing data needs the format expected by the template; do not guess user IDs or insert an arbitrary JSON string.
• Leave unrelated columns unmapped instead of placing them in a field merely to preserve every value.

Selecting another file clears the previous preview and mappings. Run a fresh preview after correcting the source file or changing the intended import context, and review it again. A preview is a chance to inspect the data; it is not proof that every row will be accepted.

4. Import once and read the result

1. Confirm the group, filename and mappings one final time.
2. Use the import action once and wait while it processes.
3. Read the result, including the imported count and any error or rejection detail provided.
4. Return to Contacts and search for a few representative imported numbers. Confirm their names, group and mapped fields.

If the request times out or the result is unclear, inspect Contacts before sending the same file again. Do not assume a lost response means no records were saved. Keep the filename, approximate row count, time and visible error for investigation.

5. Correct a problem without creating a second one

For a wrong mapping, stop further imports and identify exactly which records were affected. Use the existing contact-editing and duplicate-review workflows deliberately. A repeated import is not a guaranteed merge, and duplicate removal is not a general undo command or a way to combine every record’s history.

Read the unsaved-changes prompt if you leave a prepared import screen. An unsubmitted local selection is different from a server import already in progress. Do not clear a completed group or delete all contacts as a shortcut for repairing a handful of mistaken rows.

For Support, provide the app version, import time, selected group reference and a sanitized sample showing the column layout. Remove personal records and credentials from screenshots. Keep the full source file private unless Support has specifically arranged a suitable evidence channel.

Related guides

• Organize your contacts
• Set up the IllyVoIP mobile and Windows apps
• How to contact Support and request test credit

Reviewed 12 October 2026 against the current IllyVoIP controls, implementation and applicable references. Available options depend on account permissions and service state.