Import Act-On Contacts from a CSV or a Marketing List

  • Updated

Importing Act-On Contacts from a CSV or an Act-On Marketing List can be done in just a few quick clicks.

 A video to guide you through this process is right here! (to view it sign in to Act-On)

 

Import

    1. Navigate to Contacts > All Contacts.
    2. Expand the menu at the top right of the page.
    3. Click Import Contacts:

mceclip0.png

Import A CSV File

You can import a CSV file in two different ways:

  • By clicking on select your CSV file, or
  • Drag & drop a CSV file onto the screen, and click Next

Once the file is imported, proceed to map your fields.

Tips for Importing from CSV

CSV Formatting:

  • If something doesn't look right, go to Import Options on the right and specify the format of your CSV file
  • Act-On accepts CSV files where the first line contains field names or field values
  • Field can be separated by Commas, Tabs, or Semi-colons
  • Field values can be Double-quoted or Single-quoted

CSV Fields:

  • Make sure your CSV file has an email address field
  • If your file has date or date/time fields, make sure they are formatted consistently across all your data

Import a Marketing List

Import your existing Marketing Lists into Act-On Contacts to add contacts and segments.

  1. From the import screen, select Import an existing list.
  2. Choose the marketing list you wish to import, then click Map Fields.

 

Field Mapping

Next, map the fields from your CSV file to your Act-On Contacts fields:

mceclip2.png

For each field in your import:

  1. Select the matching field from Act-On Contacts, or check the box for New to add a new field to Act-On Contacts.
    • If you are adding a new field, you must also choose a corresponding data type. Accepted formats include Text, Date, Email, Score, Number, Boolean, and Date Time
    • If you have questions about your data format, click a column name and view the Data Preview section on the right to see sample data
  2. Choose a Merge Rule: Fill if Blank, or Overwrite.

Fields present in your file/list that you do not wish to import to Act-On Contacts can be left unmapped.

Data Validation

When importing data, Act-On will validate data types for your records. If greater than 10% do not match the specified data type, you will need to alter the field values in your file before importing your contacts or choose a different data type (for example, inconsistently formatted Date fields). 

When you have finished mapping, review Act-On's Import Policy to ensure your file meets our Acceptable Use Policy.

Then click Review to proceed. 

mceclip1.png

To create a segment of the imported contacts (direct-select), check the box and give it a name.  (If you wish the segment to update as contact profiles or behaviors change, you should create a query-based segment in Act-On Contacts.).

When you are ready to proceed, click Import Contacts.

You will receive an email when the import is complete. If there were any problems, the message will include a file that includes any records that were failed or rejected and the reason.

View your Import History

The Import Log (available from the top of the screen) will show you a history of imports.

Was this article helpful?

Have more questions? Submit a request