How to create a list for Outbound in selfless.chat

The Outbound feature in the selfless.chat platform allows you to send messages to a predefined list of contacts. This is especially useful for active campaigns, automated notifications, or mass communications such as reminders, promotions, and follow-ups.

Before sending, you must create a contact list that will serve as the base for the broadcast. The platform only accepts files in CSV format, ensuring a standardized data structure for reading and importing.

Below is a step-by-step guide to creating your first list within the dashboard.

Creating a new broadcast list

Step 1: Log in to your selfless.chat account and select the chatbot you want to configure.

Step 2: At the bottom-left corner of the dashboard homepage, next to your username, click the gear icon ⚙.

Step 3: Click on Outbound.

Step 4: On the list management screen, click the green New List button in the top-right corner.

Step 5: A popup will open automatically, prompting you to upload a CSV file with the contacts you want to include.

⚠ Important: The file must contain only phone numbers in the correct format:

For international sends: use the "+" prefix followed by the country code (e.g., +5511987654321).

For sends within Brazil, you may also use the number with area code (e.g., 11987654321).

The spreadsheet must be saved in CSV format, with values separated by commas. To learn how to do this, click here or continue reading this article.

Step 6: After uploading the file, confirm the action in the popup. The platform will automatically process the contacts and display the new list in the main Broadcasts tab.

Step 7: To use the Outbound list with a message template, go to the Outbound tab, name the list (you can use the same name as the file), select a date and time for sending, and choose the template to be used. To learn how to set up a template, visit this page.

If you need to delete the list, simply select it and click Delete list. You can also view the list’s contacts by clicking View contacts in the dashboard.

After finishing all configurations, always click Save to apply the changes.

How to create a CSV file for Outbound lists

You can create a CSV file easily using spreadsheet editors like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc, or directly in text editors like Notepad. The file structure must follow these rules:

• Each line must contain a phone number.
• A header is not required.
• Numbers should be in full format, with or without the "+" prefix as needed.

Example of valid content:

+5511987654321

11998765433

You also need to save the file in CSV format. In your spreadsheet editor, click File, then Download or Save as, and choose Comma-separated values (.csv).

How to export contact lists from other platforms

If you use CRM, marketing automation, or e-commerce tools, you can export existing contact lists to reuse them in selfless.chat broadcasts. Most platforms offer a CSV export feature.

Common platforms that support contact export include:

RD Station: export available in the Leads tab.

HubSpot: menu “Contacts” > “Export”.

Mailchimp: contact lists can be exported in CSV format from the “Audience” section.

Google Contacts: allows export with group filtering.

Google Sheets and Excel: manually collected contacts or form responses can be saved directly as CSV.

E-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce: customer lists can be exported as spreadsheets.

When exporting your list, make sure to:

• Remove unnecessary columns, leaving only the phone numbers in a single column.
• Clean special characters and validate the phone number format required by the platform.
• Save or convert the final file to .csv format before uploading it to selfless.chat.

Best practices for using Outbound

• Ensure all phone numbers are correctly formatted, with no spaces, dashes, or symbols.
• Keep lists segmented by campaign type to avoid message overlaps.
• Respect consent and opt-in policies for sending messages, especially on channels like WhatsApp.
• Regularly review your lists to ensure contact quality and avoid delivery errors or account blocks.