CSV import bridges the gap between a list of people you have somewhere else and a Sutra space that needs them. It adds new people as contacts and, when someone already exists in your space, enriches them with the columns in your file. Reach for it when you're migrating from another tool or prepping contacts before invitations, registration, or broadcasts.
Before you start
You must be a manager of the space.
Prepare a CSV, TSV, or TXT file with one contact per row. The maximum file size is 50 MB.
Include an email column for the contacts you want to import.
If your first row contains column names, once you import, you will keep the "First row contains column names" checkbox turned on (it is on by default).
Import contacts
Open the space where you want to add contacts.
Go to the Manage -> Members -> Contacts tab in the space settings.
Click Import.
A modal titled Add Contacts opens with two options. Choose Import from CSV.
Browse for your file or drag and drop it into the upload area.
Once the file is loaded, select the delimiter your file uses — comma, tab, or semicolon — and confirm whether the first row contains column names.
Use the Destination dropdown to choose which managed space the contacts should be imported into. It defaults to the current space (so you can leave it blank), but you can select any other space you manage.
Click Continue to proceed to column mapping.
Map columns
On the Map Columns step, match each CSV column to a Sutra field such as email, first name, last name, or a custom property. If you need a property that does not exist yet, select + New property from the dropdown to create one inline.
Sutra automatically maps columns whose headers match common field names such as "email," "first name," or the names of existing custom properties.
Click Continue to proceed to the review step.
Review and import
On the Review Import step, Sutra shows a summary card with aggregate counts — the total rows in the file, how many new contacts will be created, how many existing members will be enriched, and how many existing contacts will be updated.
If any emails in the file match people who are already in the space, you will see options for how to handle them:
Existing members — choose to update their custom properties with the CSV data, update their properties and also add them as contacts, or skip them entirely.
Existing contacts — choose to update their custom properties with the CSV data or skip them.
When you are ready, click Import N contacts (where N is your total row count) to start the import.
Track progress
After you start the import, a spinner shows while the contacts are being processed. When it finishes, the title changes to Import Complete and a summary shows how many contacts were created, how many were enriched, how many were skipped, and how many returned errors. The summary shows the error count but does not display individual error details.
Click Done to close the modal and return to the Contacts tab.
Add a single contact
If you only need to add one person, choose Add a single contact from the same modal instead of CSV import. Enter their first name, last name, email, and any custom properties directly.
What happens next
Imported contacts appear on the Contacts tab of the space. Use them for invitations, broadcasts, or registration follow-up.
Troubleshooting
File won't upload — check that it's a CSV, TSV, or TXT file under the 50 MB limit, with one contact per row.
Columns look misaligned — confirm the delimiter you selected (comma, tab, or semicolon) matches your file, and that the "First row contains column names" checkbox reflects your file's header row.
Contacts landed in the wrong space — the Destination dropdown defaults to the current space; set it explicitly to the managed space you want before continuing.
Some rows show as errors — the review summary reports an error count but not per-row details. Rows usually fail when they're missing a valid email; fix those rows in your file and re-import.