How do I switch from AWeber to SendFox and import my lists?

Moving from AWeber to SendFox is a CSV import: export each list's current subscribers, then upload them in Audience → Contacts → Import contacts. On every plan.

What comes across from AWeber?

SendFox has no direct AWeber connection, so you move your lists with CSV files: export them from AWeber, then upload them to SendFox. SendFox reads the email address, the name and any column you map to a custom field you've created in SendFox. Other columns aren't imported.

SendFox adds every row of a file as a subscribed contact, and imported contacts don't get a confirmation email. That's why the export below uses only your current subscribers.

Importing works on every plan. The Free plan holds up to 1,000 contacts and sends 3,000 emails a month; for more, see Which SendFox Pro tier should I choose? Moving from another tool as well? See How do I switch to SendFox from another email platform?

How do I export my subscribers from AWeber?

AWeber exports one list at a time.

1. In AWeber, choose the list in the list menu at the top of the left sidebar, then open Subscribers → Subscribers.
2. Under Quick filters on the right, click Currently Subscribed. This leaves out unsubscribed and pending contacts, and the page may otherwise show everyone.
3. Click Export CSV at the top right of the subscriber list. The file downloads straight away.
4. Repeat for each list. Import each file into its own SendFox list, or into one list with a different tag per file.

AWeber keeps a subscriber's whole name in one Name field. SendFox imports a column called Name as the first name, so to greet people by first name, split it into first_name and last_name in a spreadsheet before you import.

How do I import the files into SendFox?

1. Go to Audience → Contacts and click Import contacts.
2. Click Upload a file and choose one of your AWeber exports.
3. Map your columns. Email is required. To keep an AWeber custom field, create the matching custom field in SendFox first. Columns you don't map aren't imported.
4. Optionally add a tag such as from-aweber under Tag them on import.
5. Under Select a list for your new contacts, choose an existing list or name a new one, then click Continue & import contacts. Repeat for your other files.

Files with fewer than 1,000 rows are added right away. Larger files run in the background, and SendFox emails you when the import is done.

How do I bring my AWeber tags across?

SendFox doesn't read a tags column from a CSV file. Export one tag at a time instead:

1. With Currently Subscribed applied, click Add Filter, choose Tag → is any of these, enter one tag and click Apply Filters. Then click Export CSV.
2. Import the file into SendFox and type the same tag name under Tag them on import. SendFox creates the tag if it doesn't exist yet.
3. Repeat for each tag. AWeber tags belong to one list, so do this in each list.

Subscribers already in SendFox aren't duplicated; they just get the new tag. See How do contact tags work?

What do I rebuild after importing?

Only contacts come across. Your past AWeber broadcasts stay in AWeber, and the rest is rebuilt in SendFox:

• Signup forms: create a SendFox form and replace the AWeber form code on your site.
• Workflows: recreate AWeber's automated follow-up emails as SendFox automations, one email and delay at a time.
• Signup pages: rebuild them as Smart Pages and update your links.
• Personalization: use SendFox's personalization tags, such as {{contact.first_name}}.
• Sending domain: validate your domain so your emails come from your own address.
• Paid subscribers: paid subscriptions can't be transferred, so paying readers subscribe again through a SendFox paid newsletter (Pro). In AWeber, unsubscribing someone from a list doesn't cancel their payments: cancel each subscription in the Stripe account connected to AWeber. See How do I move paid subscribers to SendFox?

Troubleshooting

My import was blocked

• A CSV file can have up to 100,000 rows. Split a larger file and import it in parts.
• An import can't take you over your plan's contact limit. SendFox tells you before it starts, and only email addresses that are new to your account count toward the limit. On the Free plan, click Upgrade! in the top nav to see your options.

Fewer contacts arrived than I have in AWeber

• Only current subscribers are exported, one list at a time. People on several AWeber lists become one SendFox contact.
• SendFox keeps one contact per email address and skips rows without a valid email address.

My greetings show the whole name

• AWeber's Name column holds the full name, and SendFox imports it as the first name. Split it into first_name and last_name and import the file again: existing contacts get the new names.

Still stuck? Browse the SendFox Help Center or email support@sendfox.com with the number of rows in your file and the name of the list you imported into.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my AWeber subscribers get a confirmation email?

No. SendFox doesn't send a confirmation email to imported contacts, so import only people who subscribed to you.

Will my subscribers notice the switch?

Only in small ways: until you validate your domain, your emails send from a SendFox address, and on Free and Lifetime they carry a small SendFox badge in the footer (Pro removes it). Once you validate your domain, your emails come from your own address.

How do SendFox and AWeber compare?

The biggest difference for your list is structure: AWeber keeps tags and Workflows separate in each list, while SendFox keeps one contact per email address, with tags that follow the contact across all your lists. See SendFox vs AWeber for a side-by-side comparison.