How to import my customer file into Google Ads?
After exporting your customer file for Google Ads, upload the CSV to your advertising account.
Before uploading
Important: check your account’s eligibility and use only data for which you have the necessary permissions. Follow the Customer Match policy and the EEA consent requirements.
The module generates an unhashed file. Keep the English headers Email,Phone,First Name,Last Name,Zip,Country. Check the contact details, including country codes in phone numbers. Generating a file does not guarantee acceptance or a match for every customer.
Upload the file
- Sign in to Google Ads and open Tools > Shared library > Audience manager.
- Create a Customer list. If a data source choice appears, choose to upload a file manually.
In Audience manager, the creation menu offers the Customer list option, which you select to create the list. - For the module’s original CSV, select customer contact details and unhashed data, then choose your file.
The Data to upload section accepts the CSV file or Google’s template. Its examples show the expected columns: Email, Phone, First name, Last name, Zip and Country. - Review the data use settings and confirm policy compliance only if your upload meets those requirements.
- Set a membership duration of no more than 540 days, then upload and create the list.
Google says processing can take up to 48 hours. Review errors, accepted rows and the match rate afterwards. This duration cannot be unlimited. Refresh the list regularly; an uploaded row does not necessarily match a Google account available for your campaigns.
For the options shown in your account, see the official Google Ads upload instructions. For data processing, see How is customer data processed by Google and Facebook?
Historical illustrations
These earlier interface screenshots retain useful landmarks. Menus and options may have changed; follow the written procedure and official help above.
Earlier Google menu: access to Audience manager.
Earlier Google screen: customer contact data upload type.