Performing the Import

Once you have an import file and the mapping instructions, you are ready to prepare the folder, test the mapping instructions, and do the actual import.

To import contacts into InterAction, you must have a folder to receive the contacts. Typically, you are importing into a temporary folder.

You should never import contacts directly into the public folders.

Decide if you want to add any attributes, such as additional field values or classifications, to the import file before performing the import. It is generally quicker to add these attributes to the import file up front, rather than editing the contacts afterward to add them.

If you are importing into an additional field of type list, the import values must match the list values.

Testing the Mapping Instructions and Import File

There are two ways to verify that the import mapping instructions are set up correctly for the import file:

• Perform a validation-only import.
• Import a subset of the import file into a temporary test folder.

In most cases, the validation-only import is sufficient. This performs all import processing except adding the contacts to the folder, and it is much faster than performing an actual import. Any errors that would be flagged during the actual import are written to the import status file. After the validation-only import, review the status file and correct any errors that occurred (see Status File).

The following procedure describes how to import data into the desired folder. After importing, review the status file for any problems or errors and re-import the problem contacts as needed.

Import Data

1. Log in to the InterAction Windows Client.
2. Choose Folder > Import to open the Import Contacts dialog box.

3. Enter the File Name (full path) for an import file. You must specify an import file to create or edit the mapping instructions.

   Choose the Lookup button () to browse for the file if necessary.

4. Select the remaining options as follows:
   • If the first row of your import file consists of headings that should not be imported, select the First row of file is field headers check box.
   • Select the Large number of records check box if applicable. If this option is selected, Association Cleanup is not run automatically at the end of the import.
   • Specify the folder into which the contacts are imported.
   • Select the Mapping Instructions file you want to use from the list.
   • In the Field Formats section, choose the Change button if you wish to import dates and numbers in a format other than your default regional settings.
   • If necessary, change the Status File Name by entering the new path and filename.
   • To run a test of the import without actually bringing in any contacts, select the Validation Only check box.

   • To have InterAction check for possible duplicate contacts when importing, select the Check for Duplicates check box. If you know the file you are importing contains several contacts that are already in InterAction, consider using the Advanced Import feature which includes better handling of duplicate contacts.

     If you choose to have InterAction check for duplicates when importing, you must monitor the import process so you can respond to prompts whenever possible duplicates are found. Checking for duplicates also increases the time for import. For these reasons, you may choose not to check for duplicates during import and use Data Quality tools later or use the Advanced Import feature, which can automatically handle duplicate contacts.

5. To review or edit the mapping instructions, choose the Edit button and refer to Create Mapping Instructions.

6. To begin the import, choose OK.

   During or after an import, you may receive errors or warning messages that describe a specification that has not been met. Usually this is due to a field mapping that maps data into a field type that does not accept the characters or format of the data. See Status File for information on errors and warnings.

   InterAction saves any records it cannot import in the status file saved under the name and location specified in step 4.

   After the import is finished, select the check box if you want to perform association cleanup. 

7. After the import, review the imported contacts. Manually correct fields if necessary.

Status File

InterAction creates a status file during every import, including when the validation-only option is used. At a minimum, it records the following:

• Import data file used
• Mapping instructions used
• Current folder (the folder that receives the data)
• Number of records added, rejected, and processed
• Total number of errors and warnings

The status file is a simple text file. You specify the location and file name of the status file during the import.

Any records that could NOT be imported are saved in the file. You can correct the rejected records directly in the status file and re-import. InterAction places a semicolon (;) in front of comments and warnings. To re-import the rejected rows, comment out any you do not want to import, correct the rows to fix the problems, then import directly from the status file. The import process ignores any rows preceded by a semicolon.

Note the following about the status file:

• InterAction creates a new file with each import; errors are not appended to the file.
• All field-level errors or warnings are assigned a unique error number.
• Truncated text is considered just a warning, not an error.