What information is needed in the Excel sheet for audience creation?

What information is needed in the Excel sheet for audience creation?

⚡Quick answer-

Upload a CSV or XLSX that contains at least one column titled Name and Phone Number (91XXXXXXXXX format). Add any template-variable columns (e.g., amount, due date) for personalisation.

Follow the exact header spellings and remove special characters to avoid upload errors.

When should I use this guide?

Use this guide right before exporting or uploading your audience file to MyOperator’s WhatsApp campaign builder. It prevents the “Invalid header/format” error and ensures contacts auto-save to your Contact Book.

Minimum required column

Column header

Description

Required?

Name

Recipient's Name for personalised message

(you have an option of adding a fallback value in case of empty name cell)

✅ Yes

Phone Number

Recipient’s WhatsApp number in (91XXXXXXXXXX) format

✅ Yes

Optional columns for template variables

If your approved template contains placeholders (e.g., {{1}}, {{2}}), you must include matching columns:

Example template“Hi {{1}}, your payment of #{{2}} is due on {{3}}.”

Corresponding Excel headers

Excel header

Maps to template

Example value

name

{{1}}

John Doe

amount

{{2}}

1250

due date

{{3}}

2025-10-20

Formatting rules & common errors

• Phone numbers → always international format (e.g., 919876543210).

• Header names → exactly Phone Number, Name, or your template variables; case-sensitive.

• Save as .csv or .xlsx only.

When does the upload fail?

• Header mismatch.

• Local number format without country code.

• Hidden characters copied from Excel/Sheets.

• File larger than 50 MB—the web uploader will reject.

Keywords: MyOperator audience upload, phone_number header, WhatsApp CSV format, template variables, contact auto-save