Importing a List Into GetResponse or AWeber: Clean It Before Upload

Before importing a list into GetResponse or AWeber, remove anyone who did not opt in, strip out duplicates, past bounces and unsubscribes, verify every remaining address, and keep a source and signup date column. Both platforms require permission-based lists and either can review an import, so a clean, documented file goes through more smoothly and your first campaigns do not bounce.

What both platforms expect

GetResponse and AWeber are permission-based email platforms. Their terms require that every contact agreed to receive your email. They monitor bounce and complaint rates, and they can question or hold imports that look risky. Policies and review steps change over time, so read each platform's current import guidelines before you start.

Allowed to import	Not allowed
Subscribers from your signup forms	Purchased or rented lists
Customers who opted in to marketing	Scraped or harvested addresses
Event attendees who agreed to updates	Contacts from business cards without consent
Lists moved from another platform with opt-in records	Partner lists shared without consent

Step 1: Export cleanly from your old system

If you are moving from another platform, export:

• Active subscribers only.
• Unsubscribed and bounced contacts as separate files, so you can suppress them.
• Any engagement data you have, such as last open or click date.
• Signup source and date if available.

Do not import unsubscribes as active contacts. Platforms take that seriously, and recipients who already said no are more likely to report spam.

Step 2: Remove duplicates and junk

Combine files and remove:

• Duplicates, with the duplicate email remover.
• Test entries like test@ and example@.
• Clear typos; the email typo corrector fixes obvious domain mistakes.
• Role addresses if they were never real subscribers; the role-based email filter finds them.

Step 3: Verify every address

Upload the cleaned file to the verify page. Use the results:

Result	Import?
Valid	Yes
Catch-all	Yes, in a separate segment
Disposable	Usually no
Risky or unknown	Hold and re-check
Invalid	No

Lists that have not been mailed for a year or more often contain a noticeable share of invalid addresses. Removing them before import is much better than discovering them through bounces on your first campaign.

Step 4: Prepare the import file

Keep the file simple and consistent:

• One email per row, with a header row.
• Columns for first name, last name and any custom fields you use.
• A tag or field for source (website, checkout, webinar) and signup date.
• A field for verification status, so you can segment catch-all contacts.

The CSV import formatter helps reshape columns, and the GetResponse export guide and AWeber export guide explain how to pull data back out for re-verification later.

Step 5: Import into segments

In GetResponse, use lists and tags; in AWeber, use lists and tags or custom fields. Create segments such as:

• Recently engaged (opened or clicked in the last 90 days).
• Other valid subscribers.
• Catch-all addresses.

If either platform asks how contacts were collected, answer plainly with the source and how consent was given.

Step 6: Authenticate and send carefully

1. Set up domain authentication in the platform: DKIM records, SPF where needed, and a DMARC record for your domain. Check with the bulk email authentication checker.
2. Send your first campaign to the recently engaged segment.
3. Review bounces and complaints.
4. Expand to other valid subscribers, then catch-all addresses.

Handling old subscribers

If part of the list has not heard from you in a long time, consider a re-permission email before including them in regular campaigns. It reminds people who you are and gives them an easy way out, which lowers complaints later. Re-engagement campaign guide shows how to structure it.

Signs an import will be questioned

Sign	How to avoid it
No signup source information	Add a source column
Many role or generic addresses	Filter them out unless they subscribed
Large list from a very new account	Explain the source; import in stages
High share of invalid addresses	Verify before import
Unsubscribed contacts included	Suppress them

Worked example (illustrative)

A podcast host moves a 6,000-subscriber list to a new platform.

• The export from the old tool separates 5,200 active subscribers from 800 unsubscribed and bounced contacts, which are kept only as a suppression file.
• Deduplication removes about 150 duplicates created by two different signup forms.
• Verification flags roughly 350 invalid addresses and 80 disposable ones; both groups are left out.
• The remaining contacts are imported with a source tag (website form or episode giveaway) and a segment for subscribers who opened in the last 90 days.

The first newsletter goes to the engaged segment, and the rest follow once bounce and complaint numbers look normal.

Quick answers

• Can I import a CSV with extra columns? Usually yes; map the ones you need and ignore the rest.
• Should I import catch-all contacts? Yes, but in a separate segment sent after valid contacts.
• How long before I can send? It depends on any review; prepare the source information in advance to avoid delays.

Whichever platform you choose, the preparation is the same: permission, documentation, verification and a careful first send. A list prepared this way also moves easily to any other platform later, because the source, consent and verification data travel with it.

Verify before you upload

Upload your export on the verify page. You get 100 free email checks when you sign in with Google, no card. For larger lists, monthly plans are listed on the pricing page.