Creating a Spreadsheet for Import

To import data successfully, guidelines must be followed when creating the spreadsheet for import. Read and follow these guidelines carefully.

Note: A sample import should always be done in your association's Sandbox (User Acceptance Testing) site BEFORE being done in Live.

Tips on Import Spreadsheet Creation

Configuring the Excel Spreadsheet

Structuring Data

Row 1 must contain field names. Subsequent rows should contain import data.

Do Not Copy/Paste Columns or Cells

When creating a spreadsheet, do not copy/paste columns from one spreadsheet to another: Excel tends to add blank cells during copy/paste which can cause issues in the import process.

No Blank Columns

Ensure that no blank data columns are included in your Excel file to be imported. If a column has no data in it, delete it.

Record Numbers; New & Existing Records

Staff have the option of uploading entirely new records as well as updating records that already exist in Impexium.

Importing New Records

Do not include a “record number” column.  The system must assign a unique record number to new imported records.

Updating Existing Records

An existing record number must be included in the spreadsheet, otherwise a new record will be created.

Right-click the Record Number column, click “Format Cells,” and under the “Number” tab set the data type to “Text” to ensure that Excel does not insert any leading zeros or otherwise alter the record numbers for import.

Importing with User Logins

When using the Import App to import individuals, users can now simultaneously give those new accounts user logins. Each new user account will be created with the password stored in the Configuration app > Settings > Default User Password.

In the file to be imported, include the column "Create Login." Values in this column can be "Yes" / "1" or "No" / "0." (The file being imported must contain at least the data points “First Name,” “Last Name,” and “Email Address.”)

When mapping fields at the end of the import process, select the mapping field "Create User Account."

Importing Checkbox Field Data

Fill Checkboxes Using Zeros and Ones

If importing data into an Impexium check-box field, such as “Is Primary” or “Is Deceased,” the data value must be “0” or “1,” indicating “no” or “yes.”

Importing Phone Numbers

No Formatting or Special Characters

Do not format phone numbers. Do not include dashes or spaces.

Import Country Data

When importing phone numbers, Country must also be included as a data point, to allow the system to associate the appropriate country code with the phone number.

Identify “Is Primary"

When importing phone numbers, include the Phone Is Primary data column in the import. Whether the phone number is primary or not must be identified whenever a phone number is imported.

Importing Address Data

Abbreviate States & the US

States should be abbreviated. Do not spell out the state name. When importing US addresses, enter “USA” as the country, not “United States.”

Identify “Is Primary”

When importing addresses, include the Address Is Primary data column in the import. Whether the address is primary or not must be identified whenever an address is imported.

Address Lines 1, 2, & 3

Address Line 1 must be the first line of the address (for example, 123 Main Street), and cannot be, for example, a department name, suite, or other data. Address Line 2 CAN contain other data, such as a department name, suite name, etc.  Address Line 3 is only populated for addresses outside of the United States.

Importing Job Role & Committee Data

Job Roles

When importing Job Roles, the code of the Job Role must be used in the Import spreadsheet, not the name.

Committee Data

Include both the Committee Code and Committee Name in the spreadsheet to be imported.

Importing Custom Fields

Field Names and Options

When importing custom field data related to a drop-down field, it is important to verify that there are no misspellings or incorrect data in the spreadsheet to be imported.

Example: If importing data to the drop-down field "What is your favorite color?" that has the options "Red," "Green," and "Blue," the spreadsheet data must match exactly. For example, "Olive" cannot be entered instead of "Green," and doing so will create bad data. Spelling must also be exact, as trying to import "gren" instead of "Green" will also create bad data.

Multi-Select Fields

When importing data for a multi-select custom field, all answers must be entered in the same cell and separated by a "|" (a "pipe") character.

Example: For the "What is your favorite color?" field, if we wanted to import the selections blue and green, both options would need to be in the same cell, as follows: "Blue|Green"