You may have noticed that your list of contacts in your CSV import is significantly more that what ends up in a new tag created when importing. For example, there may be 2000 rows in an import but only 1000 contacts when viewing the subscribers in the tag.

If you’ve imported a CSV file and noticed fewer contacts appear under the resulting tag than expected, you’re not alone. For instance, your file might include 2,000 rows, but the new tag only contains 1,000 contacts. This article walks through the common reasons for that discrepancy and how to troubleshoot it.

Possible Reasons for Fewer Contacts in the Tag

1. Duplicate Contacts in the CSV File

One of the most common causes is duplicate entries. Delivra automatically de-duplicates contacts based on email address during import, and the import summary may not call out duplicates specifically.

How to check for duplicates in Excel or Google Sheets:

• Use conditional formatting with the formula: =COUNTIF(A:A,A1)>1 to highlight duplicates.
• Or, use the Remove Duplicates tool found under the Data tab to clean the file before importing.

2. Contacts Already Exist in Delivra and Are Inactive

Contacts who are already in your account but are unsubscribed or on hold will not be re-added to your new tag.

If a contact was previously added and marked inactive (either by unsubscribing or being held due to delivery issues), they won’t appear in active tag counts, even if included in a new import.

3. Review the Import Error Report

Delivra provides an Error Report after each import. This report highlights any contacts that failed to import and why.

You can download the error report from your import history to get insight into exactly which rows didn’t make it in.

Additional Troubleshooting Tips

• Be sure the correct field is used for identifying duplicates—usually the email address.
• Confirm that formatting is consistent in your file (e.g., no trailing spaces, especially in email fields).

Need More Help?

If you're still not sure why the contact count doesn’t match your file, our Support team is happy to help. Reach out at support@delivra.com.