---
schema_version: "1"
id: 0ab61b48d6169bea25575268703d0909c819f39281f9daffb645c1e218b3017c
title: Create Messaging Users
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/messaging_import_user_data.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_import_user_data.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: e69d149111ee7ee36162c06479129787738bf2ce31ab5412069b45f23dc3c822
description: Salesforce automatically creates messaging user records for customers when they message your business. However, you can also mass-create messaging user records for WhatsApp and SMS channels.
products:
  - Service Cloud
  - Digital Engagement
release: "264"
---
# Create Messaging Users

Salesforce automatically creates messaging user records for customers when they message your business. However, you can also mass-create messaging user records for WhatsApp and SMS channels.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_editions.htm&amp;type=5&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions.</a></td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
              <a name="messaging_import_user_data__d771e3143"><!-- --></a><span style="vertical-align:text-bottom;display:inline-block;"><img style="margin-bottom:0;" id="messaging_import_user_data__d771e3143" src="https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_channels-264-0-0-production-enus/f3c4b3d2-ff86-4f7c-9fe2-3d8b23d35109/resources-global/_corporate/images/checkmark.png" alt="Checkmark"></span>
              <strong>This article applies to:</strong>
            </td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Enhanced WhatsApp, Standard and Enhanced SMS channels</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
              <span style="vertical-align:text-bottom;display:inline-block;"><img style="margin-bottom:0;" src="https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_channels-264-0-0-production-enus/f3c4b3d2-ff86-4f7c-9fe2-3d8b23d35109/resources-global/_corporate/images/crossmark.png" alt="X icon"></span>
              <strong>This article doesn’t apply to:</strong>
            </td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Enhanced In-App Chat, Enhanced Web Chat v1, Enhanced Web Chat v2, Enhanced
              Facebook Messenger, Enhanced Apple Messages for Business, Enhanced LINE, and Bring
              Your Own Channel</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table> <table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d57012e95">User Permissions Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d57012e95 ">To create messaging user records</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d57012e95 ">"Create" on messaging users</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d57012e95 ">To use Data Loader</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d57012e95 ">See <a href="https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.dataLoader.meta/dataLoader/data_loader_intro.htm" target="_blank">Data Loader
                documentation</a></td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

To mass-create messaging user records, import a CSV file of user data into Salesforce with Data Loader. Doing so lets you add new messaging user records for users who haven’t yet sent you a message in that channel. This way, your team can initiate messaging sessions with opted-in users or send automated messages.

Importing messaging users is best for businesses that have a set of historical customer data that includes information like phone numbers and consent status. For example, if you’re migrating or upgrading to an enhanced WhatsApp channel, you may have this data from your previous WhatsApp channel or implementation.

Because you need a messaging user's platform key to mass-create messaging user records, it's not possible to use this method for LINE, Apple Messages for Business, or other channels unless your business has messaged with them previously in Salesforce.

1. Find the Messaging Channel ID of the channel where you want to add users.
    1. From Setup, go to the **Messaging Settings** page.
    2. Click the name of the messaging channel in the list.
    3. Copy and save the Messaging Channel ID value.
2. Populate the following data into a CSV file.
    
    1. Customer first name and last name.
    2. Messaging platform key: The phone number must be in the E164 format and exclude hyphens, parentheses, and spaces. For SMS, include the country code with a + sign.
    3. Messaging channel: Text or WhatsApp
    4. The Messaging Channel ID you copied in Step 1
    5. Messaging Consent Status: DoublyOptedIn, ExplicitlyOptedIn, ImplicitlyOptedIn, or OptedOut
    
    To add a user to multiple channels, create separate entries in the CSV file per channel, per user. For example, create two entries for a user who communicates with your company over SMS and WhatsApp.
3. Open Data Loader on your computer.
4. In Data Loader, select **Insert**.
5. Select **Password Authentication**, then log in with your org credentials.
6. Select **Show All Salesforce Objects** and select the Messaging User object.
7. Import the CSV file you created earlier.
8. Automap the fields and run reports.

After a messaging user record is created, it takes about 10 minutes before you can see it in the Send Message action, which is how service reps initiate conversations with customers.

#### See Also

- [Send a Message to a Customer](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_agent_initiated_outbound.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Proactively reach out to a customer by sending them a message in the channel of your choice. Business-initiated messaging is available in all messaging channels except Messaging for Web.")
- [Accessing Messaging and Voice Conversation Data](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.conversation_transcript_access.htm&type=5&language=en_US)