How to import customer data from a file

If you need to upload a large amount of customer data to your database, we suggest that you use import from a file.

To begin with, open the import window and select «File»:

Available file formats:

• csv tables and txt files in csv format
• xls and xlsx data tables
• zip and tar.gz archives

Example of a csv file for import

Step 1. Add a customer data file

To add a new file, click on the download area and select the file on your device. Another way is to drag the file with the mouse.

You can upload several files at a time. If you want to delete some file, click the exit button next to its name:

Step 2. Configure the file

The window for configuring the file is as follows:

1. Select the profile search mode

You are probably uploading customer data to a new and empty database right now, but later you will need to update this data.

The profile search mode is specified exactly for this. This is how you inform the platform which data you will need in the future when updating pre-existing profiles.

For example, if you select email, then during the update, the platform will compare the email addresses of customers that you are currently uploading with those that are already in the database. If it finds a match, it will update the data. If a customer with such an email address is not in the database, the platform will create a new profile.

2. Add a subscription

Select the resource to which you want to subscribe all imported customers. To do this, click «Add a subscription». Specify:

• a resource to subscribe profiles to;
• a channel to communicate with subscribers;
• subscription status;
• the source of subscription: it is a column in the file that contains the contact details for a certain communication channel.

3. Link the column in the database to the source column

Match the columns in the file with the database fields. The data from the file will be recorded in the selected database field.

Altcraft Platform can do it itself if the names of the columns in the database and in the source are the same.

For example, in our case, the Email column in the file matches the Email field in the database, but Altcraft Platform did not manage to find a match for the First Name and Last Name columns. It means that you will have to configure these fields manually.

To do this, click on the necessary column in the database and select the one you need at the moment. «FirstName» is for the First Name column and «LastName» is for the Last Name column. Each column displays the first entry, so you will easily understand which type of data you need to record in there.

If you are not going to add data from some column of the field to the database column, select the option «Skip» or delete the column by clicking the exit button on the right side of the table.

Sometimes you do not have complete data on each client. For example, you do not know a person's first name or date of birth. In this case, select the option «Ignore empty». Altcraft Platform will transfer the data that you have and will not bother you with notifications about empty columns.

If instead of skipping the column where the information is unknown, you have none, null or undefined, the platform can also treat these values as empty. To do this, you need to click on the Treat null value as empty and Ignore empty fields next to the column where the unknown value is specified. In this case, the platform will not update the field.

As for the option «Skip lines», here you need to select the number of lines in the file that do not apply to profile data. That is why they can be skipped during import. For example, if the first line of the table contains column headings, skip one line.

Step 3. Specify the import details

1. Are you adding new customers to the database or updating the data of existing ones?

• Add new customers and update existing ones
• Only add new customers, do not update existing ones
• Only update existing customers, do not add new ones

2. Additional options:

• Do not activate triggers connected with this activity — usual scripts and trigger campaigns will not be activated.
• Track geolocation by Reg IP/IP — when you transfer data to the Reg IP or IP fields, Altcraft Platform will automatically:
  • track the customer's location,
  • fill in the profile fields: Country, City or Country reg. and City reg.,
  • mark the customer's location on the map widget.
• Resubscribe users regardless of their current subscription status — the global status of all imported profiles will change to «Subscribed».
• Create a static segment according to the results of the import — all imported profiles will get into an automatically created static segment.

Step 4. Import

Click «Import» in the upper panel to start the process. You can view its current status in the «Tasks» section.

When the import is completed, you will see the number of customers that have been added, updated or declined. Besides, you will see the most frequent errors.