Importing Subscribers via CSV
Bulk import subscribers from a CSV file.
If you have an existing mailing list, you can import it into Distill using a CSV file. The importer validates each row, filters out duplicates and invalid emails, and shows you a summary before committing the import.
CSV format requirements
Your CSV file must have a header row. The following columns are supported:
| Column | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
email | Yes | Must be a valid email address |
first_name | No | First name for personalization |
last_name | No | Last name for personalization |
Column names are case-insensitive. Additional columns are ignored.
Example CSV
The fourth row shows that first_name and last_name can be left blank — only email is required.
Importing contacts from purchased lists, scraped sources, or any list where recipients have not specifically consented to receive email from you is prohibited under our Terms of Service. Violations may result in account suspension.
How to import
- Click the Users icon (Subscribers) in the sidebar.
- Click Import from CSV.
- Click Choose file and select your CSV file, or drag and drop it into the upload area.
- Review the column mapping — Distill auto-detects the
email,first_name, andlast_namecolumns. - Click Validate to check the file for errors.
- Review the validation summary (see below).
- Click Import to confirm.
Validation and error handling
Before importing, Distill validates every row:
- Invalid email format — Rows with malformed email addresses are skipped and listed in the error report.
- Duplicate emails — If an email already exists in your subscriber list, it is skipped (not re-added or updated).
- Duplicate emails within the file — Only the first occurrence is imported; subsequent duplicates are skipped.
- Missing email — Rows without an email value are skipped entirely.
The validation summary shows:
- Total rows in file
- Rows to be imported
- Rows skipped (with reasons)
You can download a report of skipped rows to review and fix any issues before re-importing.
The importer does not overwrite existing subscriber data. If you import a file containing an email that already exists, that subscriber's name and status are not changed.
Double opt-in for imported subscribers
Imported subscribers go through the same double opt-in process as manually added subscribers:
- Each imported subscriber is created with status Pending.
- A confirmation email is sent to each address.
- Subscribers become Confirmed after clicking the link.
Only confirmed subscribers receive newsletters. This applies to all imports regardless of how the original list was collected.
Import limits
Import limits depend on your plan:
- Free plan: Up to 250 total subscribers per workspace
- Pro plan: Higher limits — see pricing
If your import would exceed your subscriber limit, Distill imports rows up to the limit and shows how many were capped. You can upgrade your plan to import the remaining contacts.