Link the corresponding database fields with the import file
If you are importing contacts, you want the contact data to be added to your database, exactly as you created it in your file. That is why it is very important to link the data from your file correctly to your database fields.
The headers of your CSV file, will be collected automatically during the import and shown in the next import page. The data of the first contact in your file, will also be displayed in brackets, next to the header name, to double check.
This article will show you how to link your corresponding database fields to the headers of your import file.
Link database fields with your first import file
The first time you import a file, you will have to link the headers from your CSV file to the corresponding database fields. This will make sure that the data is added correctly to your database.
To link data from your file to the Flexmail database, click on the arrow next to the database field. Here you will see a drop-down list with contact fields to choose from.
Link database fields with another import file
When you have imported files before, the contact fields you used, will already be linked here. This means that when you always use the same headers in your import file, you will no longer be prompted to link the database fields. This makes importing contacts even easier.
You can always change the corresponding database fields, even when they are already linked. This can be done by the arrow next to the linked database field. Here you will see a drop-down list with contact field to choose another field from.
If you add a CSV file with more fields than you did before, you will also be able to link those fields to the corresponding database field of course.
Link the database fields interests or sources
The names of the headers should not be exactly the same as the names in the database. By linking the fields in this step correctly, the correct data is imported in your database. But make sure to use a name in your headers, which is recognisable. When creating the file, it is important that the name of the interest and source are exactly the same as in your database, separated by a comma. As a header you simply choose interest or source.
Interests and sources are case sensitive, so uppercase and lowercase should match exactly to your CSV file.
It's mandatory to use the same name in your CSV file as in your database for interests and sources, because they will linked automatically. To link interests and sources, click on the arrow next to the database field. Here you will see a drop-down list with all your contact fields. Then select the contact field Interests or Sources.
Let's see an example to explain.
You want to import contacts with the interest 'Newsletter' into your account. To do so, your CSV file needs to contain a column with as header 'Interests' and as data the interests of those contacts (separated by a comma), in this case the interest 'Newsletter'. After importing your CSV file, you need to link the field from your file to the Flexmail database. You will see the header 'Interests' as data from your file. Then you select Interests as database field because 'Newsletter' is an interest in your account. We will check the database for an interest called Newsletter and link it automatically as interest for those imported contacts.
But if you give contacts in your CSV file the interest 'news letter' and link this to the interests database field, we can't import this correctly, because there is no interest called 'news letter' in your account, only a interest 'Newsletter'.
Click here to learn more about creating a CSV file with interests and sources in it.
Unlink database fields
If you don't want to link data from your file to the Flexmail database, you can simply click the X icon next to the database field. That way, the data from that field in your file will not be imported into your database.