--- title: "Contacts and consent: SmartyTap docs | Chargezen" description: "Build your SmartyTap audience from Shopify, CSV import, lists and tags, and see how consent decides who gets your marketing emails and texts." url: "https://chargezen.com/docs/smartytap/getting-started/contacts-and-consent" lang: "en" updated: "2026-10-19" --- Canonical URL: https://chargezen.com/docs/smartytap/getting-started/contacts-and-consent # Contacts and consent Build your SmartyTap audience from Shopify, CSV import, lists and tags, and see how consent decides who gets your marketing emails and texts. Last updated: 2026-10-19 A **contact** is anyone you can message: a Shopify customer, a lead from a sign-up form or someone you imported. Each contact has an email, a phone number or both, a stage (**visitor**, **lead**, **customer**, **churned** or **reactivated**), tags, and a separate consent status for email and for texts. ## Where contacts live * **Audience > Contacts**: everyone you can reach, 25 to a page, with name, phone, email, stage and tags. Search by name, phone or email. * **Audience > Lists**: static, imported or rule-built lists for campaigns. Click **Create list**. * **Audience > Tags**: labels you add to contacts. Click **Create tag**. * **Audience > Segments**: audiences built from conditions, including orders, subscriptions and loyalty. * **Audience > Imports**, **Unsubscribed** and **Blocked**: your past imports and the people you can't message. ## Import contacts from a CSV 1 #### Get the template In the SmartyTap setup checklist, open **Import contacts** and click **Download template** (`smartytap-contacts-template.csv`). 2 #### Fill it in One contact per row. Every row needs an email or a phone number. Accepted columns: `first_name`, `last_name`, `email`, `phone`, `company`, `tags` and `country_code`. Common names like `email_address`, `mobile` or `phone_number` work too. Separate several tags with a semicolon, comma or `|`. 3 #### Upload Under **Upload contacts by CSV**, drop the file on **Drop a CSV here or choose a file**. SmartyTap checks every row first and flags **Missing email or phone** and **Duplicate in file**. 4 #### Check the result Your contacts appear in **Audience > Contacts**. To add just one person, use **Add first contact** in the same step. csv ```csv first_name,last_name,email,phone,company,tags,country_code Ana,Diaz,ana@example.com,+15125550142,,vip;newsletter,US Sam,Lee,sam@example.com,,,newsletter,US ``` Import only people who agreed Only bring in people who agreed to hear from you, and only for the channel they agreed to. A list of emails someone gave you for a receipt isn't consent to marketing, and texting people without written consent can break US law. Never buy or rent a list. ## How consent decides who gets a message Before every marketing email or text, SmartyTap checks the contact's consent for that channel: * **Texts** go only to contacts opted in to SMS, from Shopify, a sign-up form or a START or YES reply. * **Marketing emails** go only to contacts with email consent on record, and never to anyone unsubscribed, bounced or who complained. * **Transactional messages**, like order updates, don't need marketing consent. When you pick an audience, the recipient estimate shows who's in and who's left out, under **Included**, **Excluded**, **Suppressed**, **Missing consent** and **Missing destination** (no email or phone for that channel). The check runs again as each message sends, so an opt-out a minute before still counts. Moving from Klaviyo, Attentive or Postscript? Export your subscribers with their consent, keep your opt-out list honored, and bring your number with you. See [Bring your number](https://chargezen.com/docs/smartytap/sending-and-compliance/bring-your-number) and [switching from Klaviyo](https://chargezen.com/smartytap/switch-from-klaviyo). ## Troubleshooting and FAQ ### A contact I imported isn't in the campaign Check the recipient estimate. They're most likely under **Missing consent** for that channel, or **Missing destination** because the row had no phone or email. ### What about duplicates? Rows that repeat an email or phone in the same file are flagged before upload. Shopify customers are matched to their contact, so the same person doesn't appear twice. ### How should I format phone numbers? Use the international format with the country code, like `+15125550142`, or fill in `country_code` for each row. ## Related **Guides** * [Connect Shopify](https://chargezen.com/docs/smartytap/getting-started/connect-shopify) * [Opt-in and opt-out](https://chargezen.com/docs/smartytap/sending-and-compliance/opt-in-and-opt-out) * [Quiet hours](https://chargezen.com/docs/smartytap/sending-and-compliance/quiet-hours) **On the product page** * [Segments with subscription and loyalty data](https://chargezen.com/smartytap/segments) * [SMS compliance](https://chargezen.com/smartytap/sms-compliance) **Learn more** * [What is SMS opt-in?](https://chargezen.com/glossary/sms-opt-in) * [What is the TCPA?](https://chargezen.com/glossary/tcpa-telephone-consumer-protection-act) * [What is SMS list growth?](https://chargezen.com/glossary/sms-list-growth) ### Related Articles [ #### Connect Shopify Customers and consent from your store ](https://chargezen.com/docs/smartytap/getting-started/connect-shopify)[ #### Opt-in and opt-out Double opt-in and STOP ](https://chargezen.com/docs/smartytap/sending-and-compliance/opt-in-and-opt-out)[ #### Smart Sending Don't over-message anyone ](https://chargezen.com/docs/smartytap/sending-and-compliance/smart-sending) Was this page helpful? 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