Formatting the contacts file
To format the contacts data file correctly for import:
- First and last name must be separate columns
- Zip/postal code and Plus4 must be separate columns
- The state column should use only the 2 letter state abbreviation
- Work number and extension must be separate columns
- Street, city, state must be separate columns
- Email address fields should be only one address
- Contacts have one general comment field, so any additional information can be combined into that column
- Active, Caretaker Public and Send Mail are required Yes/No fields
- Class is a required field (possible values included in Sample Data File)
Understanding the import columns
Below are some columns that we can import (see the full list in the attached sample file):
- Salutation, Firstname, Lastname
- Street, City, State, Zip/Postal Code, Plus4 (Zip code)
- Email Address, Alternate Email Address
- Home, Cell and Work phones including carriers (Ex. Verizon, AT&T, etc)
- Comment - combine all other information into one column
- Sendmail is for approval to send mail to the contact (default is yes)
- CaretakerPublic is how we determine if a foster parent would want their contact info shared in animal listings
- Availability is just a text field of 250 characters. No specified format that can be used by groups for their needs
- Active new contact records default to Yes (Active). For more information on what it means to be inactive please visit our guide on Inactivating a Contact
- Groups (Volunteer, Adopter, Donor, etc) – For more information, visit our guide on Contact Groups
For assistance with importing your contacts, please contact support.
Overview
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