Guide
How to send bulk SMS from Excel
If your contacts live in a spreadsheet you are nearly ready. This guide walks through preparing the file, uploading it to SMS YANU and fixing the rows that do not pass.
Step 1: Prepare the spreadsheet
One row per person, one column per detail, and a header on the top row. The phone column is the only one you must have. Everything else is optional and becomes a merge field.
| phone | first_name | class | balance |
|---|---|---|---|
0888123456 | Chisomo | Form 2 | 45,000 |
0999123456 | Thoko | Form 3 | 12,500 |
+265888654321 | Limbani | Form 2 | 60,000 |
Step 2: Upload it
- Sign in to the dashboard and start a new campaign, or open Contacts.
- Drop your file into the upload box.
- Match your columns: tell it which one is the phone number, which is the name, and which are merge fields.
- Let it process. It cleans the numbers and sorts out the rows it cannot use.
Step 3: Check the summary
You get a count of the rows that can be sent and the rows that cannot, with the reasons. Download the error file if you want to fix those rows and upload them again. Mixed Airtel and TNM numbers are fine, and so are mixed formats: 0888..., 265888... and +265888... all end up the same. The phone number guide has the full list.
Step 4: Write a personal message
Put a column name in curly brackets and each person gets their own value. Add a fallback after a line, so a missing value does not leave a gap: {first_name|there}.
For example, this message:
Dear parent, {first_name|your child} in {class} has a fee balance of MWK {balance}. Please pay by Friday.
Dear parent, Chisomo in Form 2 has a fee balance of MWK 45,000. Please pay by Friday.
Step 5: Check the cost and send
The review screen shows how many people will get the message, the total parts and the cost at K20 per part. Because merge fields change the length, some people's messages may use more parts than others. Send now or schedule it, and follow the status of each message in the campaign.
Common problems and fixes
| You see | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Numbers like 2.65888E+11 | Excel changed the number to scientific notation | Format the column as Text and enter the numbers again from the source |
| Numbers without the leading 0 | Excel removes leading zeros from number cells | Choose Malawi as the default country at import, or format as Text |
| Two numbers in one cell | A person was given both numbers in one field | Give each number its own row |
| Rows marked as duplicates | The same number appears twice | Nothing to do. Only one copy is kept, so nobody is charged twice |
| Rows marked as opted out | The number is on your opt-out list | Leave it. That person asked not to hear from you |
If scientific notation has already replaced the digits, Excel may have lost them for good, so go back to the original list. Saving as CSV keeps what you see, so fix the file first. Ready to send? See bulk SMS in Malawi, or how schools use it.
Questions
Which file types can I upload?
Excel .xlsx and .xls files, and CSV files. You can also paste numbers straight into the dashboard, or link a Google Sheet.
How big can my file be?
Up to 500,000 rows or 50 MB. For a file close to that size, CSV is the safest choice.
Do I need column headers?
Use them. You match each column to phone, name or a merge field during the upload, and clear headers make that quick. Headers also become the names of your merge fields.
What if a person has no value for a merge field?
Add a fallback, such as {first_name|there}. If a field has no value and no fallback, the send is stopped with a clear message and nothing is charged, so nobody gets a broken text.
Keep reading
Upload your list
Create an account and try it with a small file first.