Updating existing contacts
Before you begin
Before updating contacts via import, make sure your column headers match the Flexmail field names or placeholders. A mismatched mapping is the most common cause of data ending up in the wrong place
How contacts can update themselves
Contacts can update their own information through:
- Their profile page: a personal page where contacts can manage their public interests. You can link to it using the #update# placeholder in your emails. Custom fields and other contact details cannot be edited on this page.
- A form: if you create a form connected to the contact database and share the link, contacts can update their information by filling it in.
When a contact updates their own data, Flexmail always treats that as the most accurate version.
How you can update contacts
Via import
The most efficient way to update a large number of contacts at once is a new import. When Flexmail finds an email address that already exists in your account, it updates that contact's record rather than creating a duplicate.
The update logic works as follows:
- A field value is only updated when the new file contains a different, non-empty value for that field
- If a column is empty or missing in your file, the existing value is left unchanged
- For multiple choice fields, the selected values are replaced with what is in the new file
- Sources and interests are never overwritten. New values are added to the existing ones
On the contact detail page
Open a contact's detail page from the contact overview and edit any field directly. Changes take effect immediately.
Via a workflow
Workflows can update contact fields automatically based on actions or triggers. For example, you can set up a workflow that updates a "Last event attended" field when a contact clicks a registration link.
What happens with duplicate email addresses in a file?
If the same email address appears more than once in your import file, Flexmail processes the rows in order. The first row sets the initial values, and each subsequent row updates them using the same logic as above. Sources and interests from all rows are combined. The import summary will show a warning for duplicate rows so you are aware of them.
Common mistakes to avoid
Overwriting good data with empty columns
If your update file is missing columns that you do not want to change, that is fine. Flexmail will not touch those fields. But if a column is present but its cells are empty, and the existing contact has a value in that field, Flexmail will leave the existing value unchanged (since the new value is empty). Do not include columns with empty values if you intend to clear a field; that requires a different approach.
Forgetting that multiple choice fields are replaced, not merged
Unlike interests and sources, multiple choice field values are replaced by what is in your new file. If a contact currently has "Bronze" selected in a tier field and your update file leaves it blank, the value will be cleared. Include the full intended value in your update file.
Mismatched field mapping on re-import
If your column headers have changed since the last import, check the mapping step carefully. A column that auto-maps to the wrong field can silently overwrite data across
your entire contact list.
Next steps
- Read "Link database fields with the import file" for a detailed guide to the mapping step
- Read "Manage your contacts" to see how to edit individual contacts from the contact overview
- Read "About workflows" if you want to automate contact updates based on campaign behaviour