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Your contact list is the foundation of every marketing campaign you run. The Contact Import tool lets you upload that list yourself, in minutes, without waiting on a migration ticket. Import is self-serve, consent-aware, and safe. FlexWash validates your file before writing anything, tracks SMS and email consent on every contact, and drops the whole list straight into a CRM List that is ready to use the moment the import finishes.
Import Contacts page with the contact import and File Format Requirements

Self-serve and fast

Upload a CSV and import in minutes. No onboarding ticket required.

Consent built in

Capture SMS and email consent per contact, with a signed attestation on every import.

Campaign ready

Every contact lands in the CRM List you choose, ready for marketing.

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Before You Start

Contact Import is available to Admin users. You will find it in the FlexWash app under Import then Contacts.
You import contacts from a CSV file. Keep these limits in mind:
  • The file must be a .csv file.
  • The maximum file size is 50MB.
  • Every row needs at least a phone number or an email address.

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Prepare Your File

Your CSV may contain the columns below. Every value is optional on its own, but the row-level rules that follow still apply. The Contacts import page includes a downloadable sample CSV so you can see the exact format.
ColumnDescription
nameThe contact’s name.
phoneThe contact’s phone number. Reduced to digits automatically.
emailThe contact’s email address.
smsConsentSMS consent status. One of opted_out, opted_in, double_opted_in, or blank.
emailConsentEmail consent status. One of opted_out, opted_in, or blank.
licensePlateWhen present, FlexWash also creates a customer account and vehicle for the contact.
carWashThe name of the car wash to associate the new customer with. Required when a licensePlate is provided, and ignored otherwise.

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Row Rules

FlexWash checks each row against a small set of rules so your data lands clean:
  • Reachable contact. Each row must have a phone, an email, or both.
  • Consent needs its channel. Set smsConsent only when the row has a phone. Set emailConsent only when the row has an email.
  • Plates need a car wash. When a row has a licensePlate, it must also have a carWash, and that name must match a car wash in your organization. The match is case-insensitive.
double_opted_in applies to SMS only. The emailConsent column accepts opted_out, opted_in, or blank.

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How It Works

1

Upload your CSV

Drag and drop your file onto the Contacts import page, or click to select it. FlexWash validates the file before writing any data.
2

Review the preview

FlexWash shows how many contacts it found, how many carry a license plate, and a full breakdown of SMS and email consent. Any problem rows are listed with the row number and the reason.
3

Choose a CRM List

Pick the CRM List that every imported contact will be added to. This is where your new contacts live and where your campaigns draw from.
4

Certify and sign

Confirm that you have verifiable proof of opt-in and double-opt-in consent for the relevant contacts, then sign to attest. The import button stays disabled until a CRM List, both certifications, and a signature are provided.
5

Import

The import runs in the background. When it finishes, you receive a summary of everything that was created.

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Validation Catches Problems First

Nothing is written to your database until you confirm the import, and a file with any errors cannot be imported at all. FlexWash reports each problem row with its row number, the contact’s name, and a clear message, such as:
  • phone or email is required
  • phone is required when smsConsent is set
  • carWash is required when a licensePlate is provided
  • Car wash "..." not found in this organization
Fix the flagged rows in your CSV, then upload the file again. Once the preview is clean, you can proceed.

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Duplicate Handling

FlexWash protects your existing data by skipping contacts you already have:
  • Existing phone or email. If a row’s phone or email already exists in your organization, that row is skipped and no identity is created.
  • Existing license plate. If a plated row’s license plate already exists, the contact identity is still created, but a duplicate vehicle is not.
The import summary reports how many contacts and license plates were actually created, so the effect of skipped duplicates is always visible.

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Compliance and Audit Trail

Marketing to imported contacts carries consent obligations, so FlexWash records the proof alongside the data:
  • You certify verifiable proof of opt-in and double-opt-in before importing.
  • Your signature is captured and saved with the import.
  • The consent breakdown is preserved in the import summary.
This gives you a durable record of who imported the list, what they attested to, and the consent state of every contact at the time of import.

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Upload History

The History tab lists every contact import for your organization, showing the file name, rows processed, who uploaded it, and when. From there you can:
  • Open the Details view to see the import summary, the captured signature, and the consent attestation.
  • Download the original CSV file.
This keeps a complete, reviewable trail of every list you have brought into FlexWash.