Bulk Operations Managing Large Numbers of Contacts
Learn how to work efficiently with large numbers of contacts via import, export and batch operations.
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Available Bulk Operations
Tesoro supports various bulk operations to save time:
Import Operations
- CSV Import: Upload contacts from Excel/CSV
- Field Mapping: Map CSV columns to Tesoro fields
- Duplicate Detection: Prevent duplicates during import
- Validation: Check data quality before import
Export Operations
- CSV Export: Download contacts as Excel file
- Filtered Export: Export only filtered contacts
- Field Selection: Choose which fields to export
- Full Export: Download complete database
Batch Edit Operations
- Batch Update: Modify multiple contacts at once
- Batch Delete: Delete multiple contacts
- Batch Tag: Add tags to selection
- Batch Status Change: Change status of multiple contacts
- Batch Owner Assignment: Assign contacts to agent
Importing Contacts from CSV/Excel
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Step 1: Prepare Your CSV File
File format:
- CSV (.csv) or Excel (.xlsx, .xls)
- First row must contain column names
- UTF-8 encoding recommended for special characters
Recommended columns:
- first_name (required)
- last_name (required)
- email (required)
- phone
- address
- city
- postal_code
- country
- status
- tags (separated by commas)
Download template:
Click in Tesoro on Contacts > Import > Download Template for a sample CSV with correct column names.
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Step 2: Upload Your File
- Go to Contacts > Import
- Click Choose File
- Select your CSV/Excel file
- Click Upload
Tesoro analyzes your file and shows a preview of the first 10 rows.
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Step 3: Map Fields (Field Mapping)
Map each CSV column to a Tesoro field:
- Tesoro automatically recognizes standard field names
- Check if the mapping is correct
- Change if necessary (dropdown per column)
- Ignore columns you don't want to import ('Skip column')
Example mapping:
- CSV 'Voornaam' → Tesoro 'First name'
- CSV 'Achternaam' → Tesoro 'Last name'
- CSV 'E-mail' → Tesoro 'Email'
- CSV 'Telefoon' → Tesoro 'Phone'
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Step 4: Manage Duplicates
Choose how to handle duplicates:
- Skip duplicates: Skip contacts that already exist (recommended)
- Update existing: Overwrite existing contacts with new data
- Create new: Always create new contacts (may create duplicates)
Duplicate detection based on:
- Email address (primary)
- Full name + phone
- Custom identifier (if present)
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Step 5: Start Import
- Check the preview one last time
- Click Start Import
- Tesoro validates and imports your contacts
- You see a progress bar during import
After import:
- Report shows number of imported contacts
- List of errors/warnings (if present)
- Option to download failed rows and try again
Tip: For large imports (>1000 contacts), split the file into smaller batches for better control.
Exporting Contacts
Complete Database Export
- Go to Contacts
- Click Export (download icon top right)
- Choose All Contacts or Filtered Contacts
- Select fields you want to export
- Click Download CSV
Filtered Export
Export only specific contacts:
- Set up filters (e.g., Status = Active, City = Amsterdam)
- Click Export
- Choose Filtered Contacts (number of contacts is shown)
- Download
Perfect for:
- Marketing campaigns (export newsletter subscribers)
- Reporting (export VIP clients for management)
- Data backup (export complete database)
- Integrations (export for external systems)
Best Practices for Bulk Operations
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the maximum number of contacts I can import?
There's no hard limit, but we recommend using batches of max 5000 contacts at a time for optimal performance. For larger imports, split your file into multiple batches.
Can I undo an import?
Yes, immediately after an import you can click 'Undo Import' to remove all imported contacts. This option is available for 24 hours. That's why it's important to test first with a small batch.
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