This article has some tips and best practices for using the importer V2. Includes reversions, locations, and testing.

When you reach the point of running your import, run a test import first. The test import lets you know if the importer can process the data and generates a log file that will help you identify any errors. The test import is important because, if a final import fails, it will still import data for the rows processed before it fails. If the test fails, troubleshoot the import file - the log can be helpful - if you need help figuring out why a test import failed, contact VerticalChange help. Once the test is successful, run only the first row as a final import by entering ‘1’ when asked to specify rows. Check the profile of the imported contact to ensure the import functioned as expected. This is an important step because a status of ‘success’ does not ensure that all the changes you expected the importer to make were actually made. If that is successful, run the final import altogether.

If you ran a single row as final import as mentioned above, don’t include it in the full import again. If you accidentally import the same row(s), manually delete the entries that were duplicated within VerticalChange or revert the import. This problem does not occur when updating existing form results, only when creating new ones.

There is currently no way to use the importer to delete data.

Best practice is to run imports in chunks of less than 1000 rows; this helps prevent unnecessary slowness - longer imports can cause delays as the amount of time required per row increases with more rows. The importer will take less time to run if you break your data into multiple copies of the same Data Map.

The default value for the ‘number of rows to import’ field is 10000. This means that imports of more than 10000 rows require that the number of rows be entered in that field.

Running more than one import or reversion simultaneously can cause delays. Two imports running simultaneously will take longer than the same two imports run sequentially. Errors also become more likely when two imports run at the same time.

Past imports are listed in a table on the imports tab in the Importer Module. They may be undone by clicking the reversion button next to the import in question (circled in the image below). Reverting an import undoes any form result and group or individual contact creation that occurred in that import, but does not undo any updates to existing form results or contact data. So be careful when updating data; it is often helpful to back up your original data before updating existing form results so that you can re-import the correct data if necessary.

The reversions tab has a list of reversions but does not allow you to initiate reversions.

If you update a form template in the Forms Module, it may be necessary to recreate the Data Map and Data Map Template you use to import into that form.

If you make any of the following changes to a form template in the Forms module, the old Data Map will no longer function for any so-modified field (it will function for other fields though):

In order to import into so-modified fields, it will be necessary to delete the Data Map and create a new one. This can be done from the Data Maps tab in the importer module. It is not necessary to modify or replace the Data Map Template to account for these changes.

If you add a field to a form template, it will be necessary to refresh the Data Map Template by editing and then saving the Data Map in order to import into that field. This can be done from the Data Map Templates tab in the Importer module.

If your implementation of VerticalChange uses the locations feature, every time you create a form result, group, or individual, you will need to specify that entity’s location UID in the Data Map’s Location ID column under the correct row-two subheader(s). If you need a location’s UID, it can be accessed in the URL of that location’s profile in the Locations Module. For existing form results, groups, or individuals, it is not necessary to to specify a location in the Data Map and will lead to a warning in the log. However, it is otherwise harmless.