Automatic Import

With the automatic import feature, you can use the Campaign Manager to import databases from your servers to the Campaign Manager directly and automatically. This enables a more flexible use of the Campaign Manager, as this importing process can be freed from any user assistance.

Table of Contents

• Set up the automatic import
• Automatic import frequency
• Target database
• Import template
• Need for manual input
• Duplication handling
• The difference between Keep new only and Override existing
• Automatic import history

Set up the automatic import

1. Navigate to VCC Live icon > Automatic import
2. Adjust the desired settings for the following parameters:
   • Automatic import frequency
   • Target database
   • Import template
   • Need for manual input
   • Duplication handling
3. Press Save

Automatic import frequency

The Automatic import process takes place regularly based on a predefined interval. This time frequency can be: daily or monthly.

To choose either one, simply select ‘Daily’ or ‘Monthly’ tab on the upper part of the pop-up window.

Target database

Here you can choose the database in the Campaign Manager you want to have your database-file imported to. You can select the database from the dropdown list, or you can find it using the search bar.

Import template

Here you can choose the import template you want to be applied when the automatic import takes place. Import templates determine how CSV fields and custom fields are paired. Only templates available in the target database can be used.

Need for manual input

While it is possible to set up the automatic import to be fully automated, you can set up a condition so either starting or finishing the process would require a user’s input.

• Full automatic: The import process runs automatically, no user input is needed.
• Stop before finish: If selected, the automatic import will start, but the user will need to manually complete the pending import in the ‘Import history’ interface.
• Stop before start: If selected, the automatic import will appear in the import queue, but the user will need to manually start the import process in the ‘Import history’ interface.

Duplication handling

Duplication handling works the same way as it does in regular import processes. As a reminder, here is how the various types of duplication handling methods work.

• Keep existing: The import process ignores the ‘new’ record data in the imported file and keeps only the record already existing in the Campaign Manager database. During the import process, the already existing record data in the Campaign Managers database do not get updated as per the imported file, yet new records do get imported to the database and appear in the Campaign Manager as new lines. Therefore, if one particular record already exists in the database (as per the unique custom fields), then the update does not take place.

• Keep new only: The import process overwrites entirely the record already existing in the Campaign Manager database and keeps the ‘new’ record’s data in the imported file only.

• Override existing: With the exception of empty values, the import process updates the existing record data in the Campaign Manager database with the ‘new’ record’s attributes.

Note: In order to enable duplicate handling, you need to have at least one custom field set as unique. Learn how to set a field as unique in the Custom Fields chapter above. If this is set, then duplicate handling for phone numbers and email addresses is carried out automatically.

The difference between Keep new only and Override existing

The best way to describe the difference between the two is to use an example:

If one of the attributes of the already existing record holds a value and the same attribute of the new record is an empty value, then

• In case of Keep new only, this attribute would be an empty one, but
• In case of Override existing, this attribute would keep its original value

Automatic import history

Next to the Automatic import option, you can also check the Automatic import history which includes all modifications that have been done to automatic imports on your accounts. This function includes all relevant data about historical changes, including the modification date, the modifying user, the activity, the automatic import type (daily/monthly), the database, the import template, the manual input and the duplication handling setup.