How to Import and Use Contact Lists in Zenchef’s Campaigns?

Summary

1. Import a contact list

2. Use imported lists in your campaigns

3. Understand how contacts are filtered at send time

4. Common Cases & FAQs

5. Support & Related Articles
    

What you need to know 

The Campaigns has a Lists page that replaces the former "Recipient Lists" section. It displays your newsletter subscribers and lets you import additional lists via CSV files.

Campaigns (email and SMS) are part of Zenchef's Marketing Suite, available as an add-on on the Manage plan and included by default in the Grow plan. This feature is not available on the Reserve plan.

1. Import a contact list

• Access the Lists page: Go to Promote > Campaigns > Audience in your Zenchef account. Then, select “Lists” in the top-right corner and click “Import a list” to create a new contact list.
• Import your CSV file:  Click Import contacts and select your CSV file. Make sure your file meets the format requirements.
• Map the fields After importing, map your CSV columns to the corresponding fields (email address, phone, first name, last name, etc.).
• Confirm consent
   

⚠️  GDPR reminder — Only import contacts who have explicitly consented to receive marketing communications from your restaurant. This is required under data protection regulations.

• Error checking: Zenchef automatically checks for invalid email addresses, incorrect phone numbers, and duplicates. Only valid contacts are imported.
• Confirm and finish: Once the fields are mapped and validated, confirm the import. Your list is ready to use.
   
   

2. Use imported lists in your campaigns 

• Email campaigns

• SMS campaigns

3. Contact filtering at send time 

• They clicked the unsubscribe link in a previous campaign

• They have not given consent to receive marketing emails (no opt-in)

• Their email address has been identified as undeliverable (hard bounce)

ℹ️  The number of emails actually sent may be lower than the total number of contacts in your list. This is normal and expected — Zenchef ensures you only reach people who want to receive your messages.

Tips for better results

• Use recent lists — if your list is old or has already been used for campaigns outside Zenchef, a significant portion of contacts may already be inactive or not opted in. Preferably import contacts collected recently.

• Verify your consent records — keep a record of consent for each imported contact.

• Check your send report — after each campaign, review the report to understand how many contacts were reached and how many were filtered.

4. Common Cases & FAQs

Common Cases

• Some contacts from my imported list are not included in the campaign.
  This is normal. Before sending a campaign, Zenchef automatically filters contacts who have unsubscribed, do not have the required marketing consent, or have an undeliverable email address. Check your campaign report to see how many contacts were actually reached.
• I imported a contact list, but some contacts were rejected.
  Zenchef automatically checks the information in your CSV file during the import. Invalid email addresses, incorrect phone numbers, and duplicate contacts may be excluded. Check your file and make sure the information is correctly formatted before importing it again.

FAQs

• Can I use the same imported list for both email and SMS campaigns?
  Yes, you can use an imported list as an audience for both email and SMS campaigns. However, contacts must have the appropriate consent and valid contact information for the type of communication you want to send.
• Can I update an imported contact list?
  Yes. If you need to add new contacts or update existing information, you can import an updated list. Make sure your file contains accurate and up-to-date contact information and valid consent records.

5. Support & Related Articles

Contact Our Support Team

For further assistance, feel free to contact Zenchef support via the chatbot available in your client dashboard or visit our Help Center.