> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vozagent.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Importing Contacts by Copy and Paste

> How to quickly add contacts by copying data from a spreadsheet and pasting it into VozAgent, with column mapping and duplicate detection.

If your contacts are in a spreadsheet like Excel or Google Sheets, the copy/paste method is the fastest way to get them into VozAgent. Instead of exporting to a CSV file first, you can select your data, copy it, and paste it directly into VozAgent.

## When to Use Copy/Paste vs. CSV Import

* **Copy/paste** is great when you have a spreadsheet open and want to quickly transfer contacts without saving a file first.
* **CSV import** is better when you already have a `.csv` file or when you want to keep a file backup of what you imported.

Both methods use the same column mapping, validation, and duplicate detection process.

## Step 1: Copy Your Spreadsheet Data

1. Open your spreadsheet in Excel, Google Sheets, or any other spreadsheet app.
2. Make sure the **first row contains column headers** (e.g., "First Name", "Phone Number", "Email").
3. Select all the rows you want to import, including the header row.
4. Copy the selection (Ctrl+C on Windows, Cmd+C on Mac).

## Step 2: Paste Into VozAgent

1. Go to **Contacts** in the left sidebar and click **Add Contact**.
2. Select the **Copy/paste** tab.
3. You will see a disclaimer reminding you to only import contacts who have given you permission to call them.
4. Click inside the large text area under **Paste Your Data**.
5. Paste your spreadsheet data (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V).

The text area shows a placeholder example to help you understand the expected format:

```
Email Address     First Name     Last Name     Phone Number
john@example.com  John           Doe           555-1234
jane@example.com  Jane           Smith         555-5678
```

**Need a reference?** Click the **Download Template** button to get a pre-formatted CSV template with the correct column names.

6. Click **Continue** to parse the data.

VozAgent will detect the number of rows in your pasted data and move you to the column mapping step.

## Step 3: Map Your Columns

After parsing, VozAgent shows the **column mapping** screen. This is where you tell VozAgent what each column in your data represents.

* VozAgent auto-detects common column names and maps them automatically.
* A preview of the first few rows is shown for each column so you can verify the data looks right.
* Use the dropdown next to each column to assign it to a VozAgent field, or choose **Skip this column** to ignore it.

### Required Fields

You must map both of these fields before you can continue:

* **Name** (first name)
* **Phone Number**

A confirmation message appears when both required fields are mapped. If either is missing, you will see an error when you click **Continue to Preview**.

### Optional Fields

You can also map these columns:

* Last Name
* Email
* Company
* Job Title
* Tags
* Notes
* Preferred Contact Time
* Time Zone
* Status

Click **Continue to Preview** when your mappings are set.

## Step 4: Preview and Validate

The preview screen shows a summary of what will be imported:

* **Valid contacts** -- Contacts that passed validation and are ready to import.
* **Duplicates** -- Contacts whose phone numbers already exist in your account. These will be skipped automatically.
* **Errors** -- Rows that failed validation, with a specific error for each (e.g., "Invalid phone number format", "First name is required").

### Validation Rules

VozAgent checks each row for:

* **First name** is present
* **Phone number** is present and in a valid format
* **Email** (if provided) is in a valid format

Rows with errors are listed with the row number and error message. These rows are excluded from the import but do not block the rest.

## Step 5: Import

1. Review the preview and click **Import \[N] Contacts**.
2. A progress bar shows the import status as contacts are created.
3. When complete, you will see a summary showing how many contacts were imported, how many duplicates were skipped, and how many failed.

After the import finishes, your contacts list refreshes automatically and you are taken back to the Contacts page.

## Tips

* **Headers matter.** The first row of your pasted data must contain column headers. Without headers, VozAgent cannot map your columns.
* **Tab-separated is fine.** When you copy from Excel or Google Sheets, the data is pasted with tabs between columns. VozAgent handles this automatically.
* **Clean up first.** Remove blank rows or junk data in your spreadsheet before copying. This reduces errors during validation.
* **Start over anytime.** If something does not look right at the mapping or preview step, click **Cancel** or **Start Over** to go back to the paste step.
* **Duplicates are safe.** VozAgent detects duplicates by phone number. If a contact already exists, that row is skipped -- your existing data is not overwritten.

## Contact Source

Contacts imported through copy/paste are labeled with the source **Excel** in the contacts table. This helps you track where each contact came from.