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Importing Data into a Custom Table

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In this article, you will learn to import data manually using an external file. If you expect to import data frequently, you could automate this process to avoid repeating this task. If you want to import contacts, see this article instead.  

To import data into a custom table, the current project must have at least one custom table. Otherwise, no import target option will be offered. The fields of your custom table will be used to host the imported data. The fields should have a compatible type (number, date, text) with the corresponding incoming data. 


Step 1: Create an Import File

The file to import must be an Excel format (.xls or .xlsx) or a .csv format (comma-separated values). The size of the file must not exceed 50 MB. This file can be compressed to the .zip format if needed (not locked with a password and containing only one file). In the following steps, we will be using the data from the following Excel file as an example:  To learn more about the accepted formats, see the Dynamic Mapping Guide.


Step 2: Upload the Import File

In the custom table you want to use, click on the Import option:
In the New import, upload the file containing the data you want to import, then select the custom table to use (in the dropdown list) and choose the import type: 

Step 3: Map the Fields

Assign the fields from the import file (header row) to the corresponding custom table fields:A custom table field can only be assigned to one field from the import file, otherwise, you might have an error.
In the center, there is a data sample of the import. The mapping applies to all the samples. To save this file format, click on Keep this format so that it can be used for future imports.
The default mode for field mapping is simple mode, but you could toggle to advanced mode to have additional options like adding static values to the fields or previewing the import.

Step 4: Confirm the Mapping

Once the mapping is processed, you must approve the import. If the analysis does not show errors and the number of lines corresponds to the source file, you can finalize the import by clicking on Approve:
If there are errors, it could be caused by invalid mapping. You could then click on Reassign columns to fix the mapping:

To see lines with an error, click on Errors. It is possible to export these lines in an Excel file to consult and fix them later.  

If you choose to reassign, you will have to restart the mapping from the beginning, unless you saved the file format to reuse it.

If the analysis has too many errors, it might be better to Reject import to restart the process. 


Results

When the import is completed and approved, the Review window displays several information about the import, such as the type, date, results and the processing sequence:By clicking on View sample, you can consult the list of added or updated data. Note that after a few days, this information will be erased to release space on the server.  


Next Step

To avoid repeating this process, you could automate your imports. It is also possible to import in real-time by making calls to the web services using an API key. 

Now that your custom table contains data, you could use these data to target contacts.


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