Creating an Import File Format

If you are planning on performing the same fields mapping between the source file and the project, it might be useful to create a file format that can be reused each time you import contacts, so the mapping is already defined. Using an existing import file format reduces the time required to define the import and saves you from having to map the fields each time you need to do an import.

There are two different ways to create a file format :

1. The first method, which is also the easiest, consists in saving the mapping when you import contacts for the first time, so that you can reuse this file format for the next imports. This procedure is performed when you define the import, under the Field mapping section, by selecting the option Keep this file format so that it can be used for future imports. For more information on mapping...Importing Contacts from an External File, Importing Contacts from Another Project or Importing Data in a Custom Table
   
2. The second method, more complex, consists in configuring the file format before performing any data import. This method is mostly used to create file formats for data exports, but it can also be applied to imports.

All created file formats are listed in the list of file formats, regardless of the method used to create them.

 How To

1. Go to Configuration > Imports / Exports > File formats.
2. Under the section Add format, enter the name of the format and the number of header rows to exclude from the import. For example, if the first row of your source file contains the title of each column, you will want to exclude that row from the import as this is not relevant contact information.
3. Click on Add a format.
4. Once the format is added, a section called Fields displays to let you add the project fields you want to associate to the columns in your source file.

5. The fields that are available in the drop-down list correspond to all the fields included in the current project, shown in the same order as they appear in the project. This list also displays administrative fields if any, such as:

    

   Contact ID = idContact
   Contact key = clKey
   Date created = Created on (date)
   Date modified = Modified on (date)
   isActive = Status of contact (active or inactive)

6. To associate fields, you must first select each field to be associated with a column in the source file from the drop-down list and then click on Add.
   The field will then show in the list of fields, each associated with a column number of the source file.
7. If you add a date field, such as Date created, you will need to also specify its format, either under Default format (yyyy.MM.dd) or Custom. Make sure that the specified format is the same as the one used for the field definition, otherwise the import will generate an error.
   
8. The column number corresponds to the position of the column in the Excel source file. To perform the appropriate mapping, you must assign the right column to the proper field. If you want to change the mapping, you just need to use the column/field match, just use the direction arrows until the number of the column corresponds to the right field.

* Be sure not to assign more than one field to the same column!