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 Menu -> Clients.
You have an Excel file with contacts (phone numbers or chat_id).

Step-by-Step Instructions

Go to the "Clients" module → "Actions" → "Search by File".
Click the "Download Template" button to get a sample file — an Excel file with an example structure downloads.
Open the downloaded template and fill it with your contacts:
- Add phone numbers or chat_id in the corresponding columns
- Save the file
Click the "Send File" button to upload the filled file.
Select the uploaded file on your computer.
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
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.