Fix Mailchimp ‘Imports are disabled for this account’

It seems that since GDPR came into effect, many Mailchimp customers are having imports into their lists disabled. The error message when trying to import from Microsoft Excel or CSV filetype is as follows:

Imports are disabled for this account
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Why imports are disabled for your Mailchimp lists

Omnivore, the system Mailchimp use to monitor account activity, looks at individual and collective data in your account to identify signs of misuse of Mailchimp terms of use and laws pertaining to email marketing. For example, if you use Mailchimp to promote Amway or Herbalife products then Omnivore may well identify your account as violating the Mailchimp acceptable use policy (Mailchimp’s acceptable use policy explains that network marketing “have higher-than-average abuse complaints, which can jeopardize the deliverability of our entire system”).

Mailchimp, as a marketing service provider, is bound by certain compliance related issues in regards to spam acts and laws. As such Mailchimp is obligated to ensure that the Mailchimp service isn’t used for activities that contravene these various laws. Mailchimp also have an interest in maintaining high delivery rates and a good reputation; they do this by ensuring that their customers don’t send unsolicited messages, offensive material and so on (in this regard, high bounce rates, low click and open rates and abuse reports are indicators of recipients that aren’t interested in content, or hearing, from the sender).

Where I’ve looked at a Mailchimp account where imports have been disabled, there has always been a noticeable issue with any of open or click rates, abuse reports or bounce rates.

How to fix list imports being disabled

If imports into your Mailchimp list has been disabled then the best thing to do is, over the next few months, ensure that you send:

• Targeted content (i.e. segment your list and send information relevant to each segment).
• Personalised campaigns (i.e. use merge tags to personalise).
• Only to contacts that have legitimately agreed to receive your content.
• Well designed campaigns with a clear call to action (i.e. button).

This should help to improve your open and click rates in addition to reducing abuse reports (i.e. spam complaints).

After awhile Omnivore will notice that your recipients are responding more favourably to your marketing. They will then lift the list import restriction.