---
title: Import a CSV List and Personalize with Merge Tags
description: "*(Premium only)* Use CSV ingestion to email people who aren't in your Gravity Forms entries, while still personalizing messages with merge tags. --- ## Steps 1. **Enable CSV in the Feed** - Edit your feed and check **Add CSV Emails…"
url: "https://brightleafdigital.io/docs/import-a-csv-list-and-personalize-with-merge-tags/"
updated: "2026-03-10"
---

# Import a CSV List and Personalize with Merge Tags

*(Premium only)*

Use CSV ingestion to email people who aren't in your Gravity Forms entries, while still personalizing messages with merge tags.

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## Steps

1. **Enable CSV in the Feed**
   - Edit your feed and check **Add CSV Emails to List**.
2. **Prepare Your CSV**
   - Must contain **exactly one** column named `email` (lowercase).
   - Add any other columns you want to use (e.g., `first_name`, `amount`, `deadline`).
3. **Compose Your Email**
   - Write Subject/Message using those merge tags. Example: `Hi {first_name:2:meff}, your balance is {amount:3:meff}.`
   - Map each merge tag used to a CSV column. See **Settings Reference ->** **Merge Tag Fallbacks & CSV Column Mapping.**
4. **Submit the Control Form**
   - Upload the CSV to the control form, fill it out like normal and submit.
   - When you submit, CSV recipients are pulled into the batch (alone for CSV‑only campaigns, or combined with target‑form entries if you also set a target form).

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## Tips

- **Preview** the batch to confirm column mapping looks right.
- **Deduplication** applies across CSV and form entries.
- If uploads are blocked, see **Settings Reference ->** **CSV Ingestion** for allowing `.csv` files and remember to **deactivate the snippet after** creating your batch.

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With CSV + merge tags, you can send tailored emails to external lists without importing those contacts into your Gravity Forms database.