Act-On supports using FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to import and export contact lists. You can schedule data transfers in and out of Act-On to keep your records up to date. 

Essentials to Get Started

• FTP enabled on your account. If this is your first time using Act-On's FTP, contact our support team for assistance.
• An FTP client to connect to Act-On and transfer files
• List data in a supported format:
  • For Marketing Lists, supported formats are CSV, GPG, PGP, XLS, & XLSX
  • For Act-On Contacts, supported formats are CSV, GPG, & PGP

Instructions

1. Navigate to Settings > Connectors
2. Click on Data Sources, then click FTP 
3. Click Connect (Your FTP Username is generated for you and cannot be changed)
4. In the Password field, create a password and save it for future reference
5. If you are going to use PGP encryption, click to toggle Enable PGP on and enter the following: 
   • PGP Private Key
   • Private key passphrase (optional)
6. Click Set Password

To obtain a PGP private key and passphrase, you must first set up PGP encryption. Read more about setting up PGP Encryption.

FTP Client Configuration

Use the following configuration settings for your FTP client:

Configuring Core FTP (optional)

Act-On recommends the Core FTP client to transfer your data to your Act-On account. This is a free client available for Windows operating systems. If you would like to schedule exports from Act-On, you can use CoreFTP Pro.

1. Download and install CoreFTP (free version) here: http://www.coreftp.com/
2. Open the application, and you will see the Site Manager
3. Enter the settings noted in General Configuration above
4. Go to Advanced Settings:
   • General: Legacy Mode is checked
   • Connections: Use Port Range 60,000 - 62,000
   • Encoding: Auto/ANSI selected 
   • SSH:
     • Use Legacy protocol options
     • Simulate ASCII mode for SFTP

Using FTP with Act-On

File Types

FTP sync is intended for Marketing Lists. Only .xls, .xlsx, or .csv files can be imported to your account. We highly encourage you to upload .csv files as they will provide the best performance.

Data Transmission

Act-On’s FTP server transmits data using FTP over TLS, with TLS 1.2 preferred.

Authentication

Authentication is performed using AUTH TLS. Your password is encoded before transmission to Act-On - credentials are never sent in plain text.

PGP Encryption (optional)

Within the FTP connector settings, you can add PGP encryption when transferring your marketing lists. With PGP enabled, Act-On will require a private key for all marketing lists for that account. If a marketing list fails decryption because it is either unencrypted or encrypted by a non-matching public key, you will see an error from the server.

Generate a PGP Encryption Key

Generating a PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) encryption key on a PC involves using software tools designed for this purpose. One popular tool for generating PGP keys is GnuPG (GPG). Here's a step-by-step guide on how to generate a PGP key using GnuPG:

1. Install GnuPG

• Download the GnuPG installer from the official GnuPG website.
• Run the installer and follow the installation instructions.

2. Generate a New PGP Key

Open a command prompt (or terminal) and run the following command:

gpg --full-generate-key

You will be prompted to provide several pieces of information:

• Key Type: Choose the key type. The default option (RSA and RSA) is generally a good choice.
• Key Size: Choose the key size. 2048-bit is the default and generally considered secure, but 4096-bit is more secure.
• Key Expiration: Choose whether your key should expire. For most users, setting an expiration (e.g., 1 or 2 years) is a good practice.
• User ID: Enter your name and email address. This information will be associated with your key.
• Passphrase: Choose a strong passphrase to protect your private key.

3. Verify the Key Generation

After generating the key, you can list your keys to verify with the following command:

gpg --list-keys

4. Export Your Public Key

To share your public key with others, export it with the following command:

gpg --export --armor youremail@example.com > publickey.asc

Replace youremail@example.com with the email address associated with your key. This command will create a file named publickey.asc containing your public key in ASCII-armored format.

5. Backup Your Private Key

It's important to backup your private key securely:

gpg --export-secret-keys --armor youremail@example.com > privatekey.asc

Store the privatekey.asc file in a secure location (e.g., encrypted storage or an offline device).

By following these steps, you can generate and manage PGP encryption keys, enabling secure communication and data protection.