Essential steps to import contacts successfully

Learn the essential steps for transferring your contacts from an external autoresponder to systeme.io, while adhering to technical, legal (GDPR), and marketing best practices to ensure a smooth and secure migration.

1. Preparation and audit of your existing list

A well-prepared contact list is essential for a successful migration. Start with these steps:

• Export your contacts from your previous autoresponder (in CSV format).
• Review the available data: first name, last name, email address, status (subscribed/unsubscribed), registration date, interaction history, tags, and so on.
• Segment your contacts based on engagement level (active/inactive) to avoid importing outdated or unresponsive addresses.

2. Clean your list before importing

Once your list is sorted, it's crucial to ensure the quality of the email addresses.

Best practices to follow:

• Remove duplicates, invalid, or inactive email addresses.
• Use your old tool’s filters to sort contacts. If not available, use an email verification service (e.g., NeverBounce or ZeroBounce) to identify risky addresses (hard bounces, spam traps).
• Keep opt-in proof, which may be required for compliance checks.
• Respect contact statuses: do not reactivate unsubscribed or inactive users.
• Make sure tags and segments are correctly assigned.

Note: You can import unsubscribed contacts into systeme.io, provided you assign them the status "Unsubscribed." These contacts will not receive any communication from you.

To do this:

• Select the relevant contacts.
• Click on More actions.
• Choose Unsubscribe from marketing emails.

Only import contacts who have explicitly consented to receive your emails. This is mandatory for GDPR compliance and to ensure good email deliverability.

3. Importing students (Course Contacts)

If you want to import students who have enrolled in your courses but haven’t received emails from you in a while:

• Plan a gradual import to avoid mass bounces.
• Be aware: an automatic email is sent as soon as a student is added to a course in systeme.io (with the link to access the member area).

4. Segment your contact lists

Segmentation consists of classifying your contacts into homogeneous groups according to specific criteria: interests, age, location, purchasing behavior, or level of engagement. By segmenting your lists, you can send more targeted and personalized messages, which increases open, click, and conversion rates.

Tip: Start by creating simple segments, such as "active customers" and "inactive prospects", then gradually refine your categories based on interactions and preferences.

There are free online tools that allow you to do this quickly and automatically, for example:

• MightyMerge – Split CSV Files
• Chintan Vekariya – Split CSV

5. Set up your new autoresponder

Before importing your contacts into systeme.io:

• Recreate your lists, segments, and tags (matching those in your previous tool).
• Set up email authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records on your domain.
• Create an account on Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your sender reputation.

6. Import your contacts

• Only import cleaned files.
• Respect contact statuses (do not activate unsubscribed or inactive users).
• Double-check that tags and segments are properly applied.

7. Email address or domain warm-up

When switching email providers, you must warm up your email address/domain. This helps email providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) get used to your sending habits and reduce the risk of landing in spam.

See our help page on warming up your email for more details.

Best practices:

• Start with your most engaged contacts.
• Gradually increase your daily email volume.
• Monitor key metrics (open rate, bounce rate, spam reports, etc.).

8. Testing and post-migration monitoring

• Run test campaigns on small segments.
• Analyze open, click, bounce, and spam rates.
• Adjust your content and frequency if needed.

9. Reactivation and ongoing list cleaning

• Launch re-engagement campaigns for inactive contacts.
• Regularly delete unresponsive contacts to maintain a healthy list.

10. Compliance and documentation

• Keep import/export logs and opt-in consent records.
• Update your privacy policy if needed, and inform your users accordingly.

Example of a warm-up plan (for lists of 5,000+ contacts):

Warm-up is a critical step to preserve your deliverability after migration.

Objective: Avoid spam filters by starting with your most responsive contacts.

Plan over 7 to 14 days:

• Days 1–2: Send to 500 highly engaged contacts (opened/clicked in the last 30 days).
• Days 3–4: Increase to 900 very engaged contacts.
• Days 5–6: Increase to 1,500, including semi-engaged contacts (opened within 60 days).
• Days 7–9: Increase to 2,500–4,000, including moderately active contacts.
• Days 10–14: Send to the full list, excluding long-term inactive contacts.

Here is another format for warming up:

Best practices during the warm-up phase

1. Start with your most engaged contacts

• This sends a positive signal to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), thanks to high open and click rates.
• Use dynamic segments such as: opened/clicked in the last 30, 60, or 90 days.

2. Craft high-quality email content

• Use personalized and engaging subject lines.
• Add clear, trackable, and relevant links.
• Avoid elements that may trigger spam filters:

1. Excessive use of CAPITAL LETTERS
2. Too-good-to-be-true offers
3. Unnecessary attachments
4. Special characters or symbols in subject lines

3. Monitor key performance indicators

• Open rate: > 20% = good
• Click rate: > 2% = acceptable (varies depending on content)
• Bounce rate: < 2%
• Spam complaint rate: < 0.1%

4. Remove problematic addresses

Remove contacts who show no engagement (no opens or clicks in over 6 months).

In systeme.io, you can clean your contact list using two methods:

• Manually
• Automatically

5. Authenticate your emails

• Ensure your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly set up for your domain.
• Use a dedicated sender address (e.g., news@yourbusiness.com ) to improve your sender reputation.

Bonus: recommended tools

• Email validation: NeverBounce, BriteVerify, ZeroBounce
• Deliverability monitoring: GlockApps, Mail-Tester, Google Postmaster Tools