# Contacts Parameters

Cloud Voice lets you move contacts in and out of the system as a CSV file (comma-separated values, the plain-text spreadsheet format that any spreadsheet app can open). You export contacts to back them up or to bulk-edit them, and you import a CSV file to add many contacts at once instead of typing them in one by one.

Each column in the file maps to one of the fields below. Use this reference to confirm which fields are required, the maximum length of each value, and the characters that are allowed. The same field set applies to both Company Contacts and Personal Contacts files.

:::tip
Before you build an import file from scratch, export your existing contacts first. The exported file already has the correct column headers in the right order, so you can edit it or add rows to it and import it back without guessing the layout.
:::

:::caution
Every contact row must have at least one name (First Name or Last Name) **and** at least one phone number. A row missing either of those is rejected when you import. A value that goes over the maximum length listed below will also cause that row to fail, so trim long entries before importing.
:::

## Name

At least one of the two name fields must contain a value; you can leave the other blank.

| Field | Required | Format |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First Name | At least one of First Name or Last Name | Up to 63 characters (the two name fields combined may not exceed 127). |
| Last Name | At least one of First Name or Last Name | Up to 63 characters (the two name fields combined may not exceed 127). |

## Contact and organization details

Every field in this group is optional.

| Field | Format |
| --- | --- |
| Company Name | Up to 127 characters. |
| Email | Up to 255 characters. Only digits, letters, and the characters `@` `_` `-` `.` `'` are permitted. The value must begin with a digit, a letter, or `_`, and follow the `XXX@XXX.XX` address pattern. |
| Organization | Up to 127 characters. |
| Job Title | Up to 127 characters. |
| Position | Up to 127 characters. |
| Industry | Up to 127 characters. |
| Supervisor | Up to 127 characters. |

## Phone numbers

Provide at least one number across the nine fields below. Each accepts up to 31 characters, limited to digits, letters, and the characters `(` `)` `.` `-` `+` `*` `#`.

- Business Number
- Business Number 2
- Business Fax
- Mobile
- Mobile 2
- Home
- Home 2
- Home Fax
- Other

## Address

Every field in this group is optional and accepts up to 255 characters.

- ZIP Code
- Street
- City
- State
- Country

## Notes and phonebook assignment

| Field | Format |
| --- | --- |
| Remark | Optional. Up to 1024 characters. |
| Phonebook | Optional. Enter the name of one or more phonebooks that already exist in your system. |

To place a contact in more than one phonebook, list each name and separate them with an ampersand (`&`), for example, `{phonebook_name1}&{phonebook_name2}`.

:::note
If you leave the **Phonebook** field empty, the contact is assigned to the default phonebook, `Default_All_Contacts`.
:::

:::caution
If you enter a phonebook name that does not match an existing one, Cloud Voice creates a brand new phonebook with that name. A typo in this field silently produces a stray phonebook rather than an error, so double-check the spelling against your existing phonebook names before importing.
:::