Using File Upload    

Once you have your data as clean as possible (remember junk in will result in either errors within the file upload, or data inconsistencies on records, which in turn can lead to reporting problems and potential problems with integrations such as MailChimp) its time to add you data to the Data Preparation Template and upload the file/s.

There is a row limit of 1000 records per file, this is to ensure that the data queues run efficiently and that large sets of data do not inadvertently affect other shared environment users.

Where larger data sets are to be uploaded (those with own Azure Server) it's good for these files to be completed outside of usual working hours, again so that the uploads don’t inadvertently affect other users.

When it receives a file:

• It will check the template for data inconsistencies – formulas, incorrectly named items, missing defaults, etc.
• Match the record/s, check for duplicates and missing data
  • Matching will look at Number, External Key, Email Address, Phone Number
• Provide you the opportunity to download and review the findings

• And then will add/ update data to Donorfy accordingly

If a file has been uploaded incorrectly there is a delete function if the file has not been applied and undo function for the majority of data uploads.

Download the Data Preparation Template

The first steps to uploading your data is to put it into a format that the File Uploader will recognise. To do this:

• Open the File Uploader area: Data Management > File Uploader 

• Update the Data Preparation Template
• Download the Template
• Open the Template and choose from the tabs at the bottom the type of Upload you would like to achieve
• Right-click on the tab and select Move or Copy
• Then choose to make a copy in a new book - make sure the new worksheet still has the correct name

Adding your data

Now your worksheet is ready you can start adding your data.

The top row will have the various field names in Donorfy - You will see that a number of cells feature comments. If you hover over those cells in the header row this gives a prompt as to the data it will be expecting:

Enter your data as required. Enter as much as possible to allow for reporting etc (less data means it is less usable - more data means you can report on much more, which means your data is much more valuable to your organisation!)

Each upload type has its own requirements - see the overview article for the main list of File Uploader articles. 

You can delete any columns you don’t need from the worksheet:

• remove contact details columns you don’t need - e.g. if you are importing individuals but don’t have work or other addresses remove those columns
• remove tag columns for tags you are not setting during the import
• remove channel permissions columns if you don’t need them

Save your file - calling it something useful e.g. Individual_Constituents_General_Campaign_01122018.xlsx

Upload your data

• Open the File Uploader area: Data Management > File Uploader 
• Either drag and drop your file in the greyed-out box area that says 'Drop files here or click to upload or click in it and locate your file on your computer

Once the file has been selected or dropped into the upload area Donorfy will start to check the file

The status of the upload will be displayed in the Files uploaded in the last 30 days section

Once the checking process has been completed a summary will be provided, along with buttons to allow you to process the file

You may see some additional text in red to highlight an error with the file or how many constituents were matched, for example:

Depending on the file type uploaded (i.e, if it was a custom template, or a tab incorrectly named) then you may see a box called Field Mappings - see this article for more information.

Download the file to review the status of the data - see examples of status and actions below.

The action column may contain the following values:

1. Import - this means the row will be imported
2. Ignore - this means the row will not be imported
3. n/a - this action appears against details of potential duplicates shown - these rows are ignored

Examples of Status & Actions

• Valid records that can be applied to the database will be shown like this:

• Records that have a potential problem are shown like this - a comment will be added to the warning cell describing the problem found.

• Records that appear to already exist in the database are shown like this - you can click on the name link to view the record. 

It may be that you would like these duplicate wornings to be over-ridden - see this Knowledge Base article for guidance on how to do this: Ignoring Duplicate Warnings when Uploading a File

Records showing an error will look like this  - a comment will be added to the warning cell describing the problem found.

Where your file features error, it is suggested that you discontinue the upload, correct the data and re-upload as per the above process. For more information about how to9 fix errors in a file upload see this article: Fixing Problems in an Uploaded File

If you are happy with the file - i.e. you don’t want to change any data click on the Apply Changes button - the data will then be imported.

If, after you have uploaded a file you notice that something has not quite worked, then you can undo the file (not all templates offer this functionality - see relevant Knowledge Base articles relating to the type of upload you are doing) via this article: Undoing a File Upload