How to Find Contacts by File?

The contact search by file functionality is useful if you have contacts in an Excel file (phone numbers or chat_id) and want to bulk find them in your contact list for further broadcast.

When Needed

  • You have a list of contacts in an Excel file that need to be found in the system.
  • You need to send a broadcast to clients who are in an external file.
  • You need to import contacts from another system for broadcast.

What's Important to Know

  • Search is performed only by "Phone" or "chat_id" fields.
  • If the "Phone" field is filled, search will find contacts with the same phone number.
  • If the "chat_id" field is filled, contacts with the corresponding chat ID will be found.
  • If both fields are specified for search, logical "AND" is used: contacts must match both fields simultaneously.

Prerequisites

  • You are logged in with operator or administrator rights.
  • You have navigated to the Clients module via Apps -> Clients.
  • You have an Excel file with contacts (phone numbers or chat_id).

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Go to the "Clients" module → "Actions" → "Search by File".
  2. Click the "Download Template" button to get a sample file — an Excel file with an example structure downloads.
  3. Open the downloaded template and fill it with your contacts:
    • Add phone numbers or chat_id in the corresponding columns
    • Save the file
  4. Click the "Send File" button to upload the filled file.
  5. Select the uploaded file on your computer.
  6. Set field mapping:
    • First column: "Search by Field" — select "Phone" or "chat_id"
    • Second column: "Column in File" — specify which column in your file contains this data
  7. Click the "Create Broadcast" button to start mass broadcast to selected contacts.

Search Logic

  • Search by phone: If the "Phone" field is filled, search will find contacts with the same phone number.
  • Search by chat_id: If the "chat_id" field is filled, contacts with the corresponding chat ID will be found.
  • Combined search: If both fields are specified for search, logical "AND" is used: contacts must match both fields simultaneously.

What Happens After

The system finds matching contacts in your base and allows creating a broadcast for found clients. You can configure and send the broadcast to selected contacts.

How to Verify It Worked

  • Check that the file uploaded successfully.
  • Make sure field mapping is set correctly.
  • Check how many contacts were found in the system.
  • Create a test broadcast to verify.