Manually entering leads is ideal for quickly adding small batches of contacts without creating a file.
Step 1: Access Manual Entry
Go to your campaign's Leads section
Click "Add Leads"
Select Manual
Step 2: Enter Email Addresses
Copy and paste your email addresses into the text box. You can enter emails in two formats:
Email only:
Email with name:
"John Doe" <[email protected]>
"Jane Smith" <[email protected]>
OR
"John Doe" [email protected]
"Jane Smith" [email protected]
Step 3: Configure Upload Setting
Check for Duplicates Across All Campaigns/Lists
✅ Checked (recommended): Prevents uploading leads that already exist in another campaign or list
❌ Unchecked: Allows duplicate leads across different campaigns or lists
Verify Leads
✅ Checked: Verify leads using Instantly Credits (0.25 credits per lead)
❌ Unchecked: Skip verification
If you don't have enough credits, you'll be prompted to upgrade to an Instantly Credits plan.
Step 4: Complete the Import
Click "Import emails" to add your leads. What happens next:
You'll see a notification if any leads are missing email addresses or have invalid email formats: X missing or invalid email(s)
Leads are added to your campaign immediately
Lead count updates within 5 minutes
You'll see a notification if duplicate leads are skipped during upload: Contacts uploaded! X email(s) already exist
Common Formatting Examples
Correct formats:
John Doe [email protected]
"John Doe" [email protected]
"John Doe" <[email protected]>
Incorrect formats: john@doe (missing domain)
Not recommended for:
Large lists: use CSV or Google Sheets instead
Leads with multiple custom variables: use CSV or Google Sheets for better mapping