Why imports don't trigger automations
Importing contacts into a list never fires a "someone joins a list" automation. Only a genuine new signup or confirmation does.
Importing a CSV into a list never starts an automation, even if that list has a live “someone joins this list” automation watching it. Only a real, new signup or confirmation fires the list joined trigger. The flow editor says this right under the trigger card: “New sign-ups and confirmations only — importing a list never starts this.”
The same applies to the other trigger kinds: adding a tag through a CSV import doesn’t fire a “someone gets a tag” automation either.
Send imported contacts a welcome anyway
- Import the contacts as usual.
- Send them a one-off campaign that covers the same ground your welcome automation would.
Going forward, only people who join after the automation goes live, through a signup form or a subscribe action, receive it automatically.
See Why my automation isn’t sending and Automation triggers.