Event Portal admins can upload a CSV file containing up to 5,000 rows of data using a built-in import tool located in Admin Panel > Import Manager > Import Tool. This powerful utility is used to import the following types of third-party data:
- Users
- User Segments
- User Profile data
- Events (Matchmaking meetings, sessions, etc.)
- User Attendees (Attendees registered for Matchmaking meetings, sessions, etc.)
Content in this article reviews the following topics:
1. General Import Tool Template Information
Before getting started, your data must first be formatted using an appropriate template prior to successfully importing it into your system. Although there are some unique formatting differences between the column headings, all downloadable templates share some commonalities which include:
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● All column headers with an asterisk (*) prefix denote required fields that must be populated. ● Any column headers with an o prefix denote optional fields and may remain empty or be deleted. ● Remove column headers that will not contain data to upload for the associated field. Recommended best practice: Delete empty optional columns that are irrelevant to your import as the system recognizes a difference between columns removed & columns that don't contain data. ● Navigate to Site Building Tools > Segment Manager in the Admin Panel to locate User Segment IDs. ● Date & Time field types must be formatted as YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS ● State field type must be formatted as the state abbreviation e.g., TX. ● Country field type must be formatted as the country abbreviation e.g., USA. |
2. Downloading a Data Template
To download a data template, log in to your Event Portal, navigate to the Admin Panel, then complete the following steps:
- Click Import Manager.
- Click Import Tool.
- Select the data type you wish to import: Users, User Segments, Profile Data, Events, User Attendees.
- Select the I want to download a data template radio button.
Note: If the Events data importer is selected, you must also choose the desired Event Category radio button.
Event Categories are managed in Site Building Tools > Events Manager > Categories. - Select the CSV template format option.
- Click Download Data Template.
CSV template files are unique to every Event Portal as some fields are associated solely with your portal's specific field ID or category ID. As a result, it is important to be aware of the differences between each template type and understand which fields are required or optional. The following tables review the requirements for each data type.
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Warning: Once data is successfully imported into the Portal, you cannot undo your action. Ensure the system is up to date prior to uploading your data and confirm no other admins have modified any of the relevant import fields or are performing changes while you are importing. |
2.A - User Template Column Headings |
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| *_email_address - Enter the email address of the target user |
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| *_username - Enter the username of the target user e.g., John Smith. |
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| *_first_name - Enter the First Name of the target user. |
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| *_last_name - Enter the Last Name of the target user. | ||||||||||||||
| o_email_confirmation - Enter a value of 1 to indicate No email confirmation is needed. The functionality associated with this column is not used in event portals. To ensure your data validates successfully, do not delete this column. |
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o_status - The numerical value representing the target user's approval status in the system. Deleting this column automatically imports all users into the system in Approved status by default.
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| Note: Users imported in Pending status are unable to log in and require manual approval by an admin. To review users in Pending Status: 1. Navigate to Admin Panel > Manage Members > Member Search 2. Set the Approval: field to Pending. 3. Click Search. |
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o_date_joined - The date on which the target user joined the Portal formatted as YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS. |
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| o_language - This column is not relevant when importing users, you may delete this column. |
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| o_signature - This column is not relevant when importing users, you may delete this column. |
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o_segments - The numerical value representing the segments assigned to the target user.
Note: Navigate to Site Building Tools > Segment Manager in your Admin Panel to locate User Segment ID values. Warning: If the target user is already associated with user segments in the system, this action erases all previously assigned segment values and replaces them with IDs populated in the template. |
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| All remaining columns in the downloadable template may be deleted as these columns are not relevant when importing user data. Alternative to downloading the template directly from the Portal, a condensed version of the Import Users template is available to download at the end of this article. |
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2.B - User Segment Template Column Headings |
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*_email_address - Enter the email address of the target user.
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o_add_segments - Enter the numerical value representing the Segments you wish to assign to the target user.
Note: If the user is already associated with the segment populated in the template, then no action is taken. |
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o_remove_segments - Enter the numerical value representing the Segments you wish to remove from the target user.
Note: If the segment is already removed from the user, then no action is taken. |
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| Alternative to downloading the template directly from the Portal, a condensed version of the Import User Segments template is available to download at the end of this article. |
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2.C - Profile Data Template Column Headings |
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| *_email_address - Enter the email address of the target user. |
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Modify the remaining column header names using o_[Profile Block ID]_[Field Label/Name]_[Field ID] formatting. In the following example: o_29_Bio_268 is the correct column header format to import the target user's bio. o_29_Interests_265 is the correct column header format to import the target user's interests. |
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| Note: Locate the profile field info for your Portal by navigating to Admin Panel > Site Building Tools > Profile Manager. | |
Profile Data Field Formatting Components |
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| o - A prefix that denotes an optional column. |
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| Profile Block ID - The profile block where the field is located. |
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| Field Label/Name - The defined name of the field. |
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| Field ID - The numeric value associated with the target field. |
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Field Option ID - The numeric value associated with checkbox, dropdown, & multiple-choice type options.
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Note: When importing Required profile fields, the columns must be populated in the template. The upload does not complete successfully if the required field columns are deleted. Important: Delete any profile field columns that will not be imported to prevent accidental overriding or deleting of a target user's data. |
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2.D - Event Data Template HeadingsThe Event Data Import Tool is available if you have purchased the Conference package. Many of the columns required for this Import template are formatted to include the unique event Category ID which is found in the URL of the Edit Event Category page. To locate it, start by first navigating to Site Building Tools > Events Manager > Categories, then click Edit for the desired category. |
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o_event_id - The numerical value associated with an existing event. This field is only required when editing an event that is already created. |
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o_group_id - The numerical value associated with the group in which an existing event currently exists. This field is only required when editing an event that is already created. |
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*_email_address - The email address for the person who owns/created the event. |
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*_[CategoryID]_title_event_name - The name of the event entered using simple text characters. |
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*_[CategoryID]_description_event_description - The description of the event entered using simple text or HTML styling. |
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*_[CategoryID]_who_can_see_this_event_privacy - The numerical value for the event's privacy setting
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*_[CategoryID]_date__time_event_start - The start date and time of the event entered in YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM format. *_[CategoryID]_end_date__time_event_end - The end date and time of the event entered in YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM format. Note: Enter a time using the 24-hour military format. The system will automatically update it to the default time zone set during deployment. |
2.E - User Attendee Data Template HeadingsThe User Attendee Import Tool is available if you have purchased the Conference package. This tool allows you to import a list of attendees, speakers, moderators, etc., and associate them with existing upcoming events/sessions that have already been created. Please note you cannot import users for past events/sessions. Similar to the other templates, the User Attendee Data template has several columns that are specific to each Event Portal and as such, displays headings that are unique to yours. |
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*_email_address - Enter the email address of the target user. This email address may be associated with an existing user in the system or new users who are not yet in the system. The system recognizes unknown email addresses and will create the account automatically. |
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*_first_name - Enter the first name of the target user. |
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*_last_name - Enter the last name of the target user |
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o_event_role - This field is optional and is only necessary if you wish to assign the user an event role such as speaker, moderator, etc., and grant admin permissions to them for the specified event. Note: Event roles are defined in Site Building Tools > Events Manager > Event Admin Roles. If the user is an attendee for the event/session, leave this column blank. |
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o_rsvp_status - This field is optional and is only necessary if you wish to define the RSVP status on behalf of the user. If this field is removed or left blank, it will set the status to Invited by default. Available options for this field include Yes, No, Maybe, or Invited. |
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*_session_id - The session ID is included in the template download for all upcoming events/sessions that have been created. Note: If you are importing multiple users for one event/session, duplicate this event ID in each row for every user being imported. (e.g., if you are importing 5 users into one session, you will need one row per user with the session ID populated in each row.) |
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o_session_name - This column is optional. Event names are included in the template download for all upcoming events/sessions to help easily determine and confirm the event IDs associated with the listed name. |
3. Upload the CSV Data Template File
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Warning: Once data is successfully imported into the Portal, you cannot undo your action. Ensure the system is up to date prior to uploading your data and confirm no other admins have modified any of the relevant import fields or are performing changes while you are importing. |
- After formatting your template, save the CSV file and navigate to Admin Panel > Import Manager > Import Tool.
- Select the corresponding import data type > I want to upload data, which matches the template requirements (Maximum 5000 records)
- Click Choose File to select your formatted CSV template then click Upload.
4. Verify Uploaded Data
This step verifies all required fields in the template are included and confirms your CSV file does not contain more than the maximum amount of 5,000 rows of data. It does not check whether "good data" is provided, for example, it does not verify the CSV file contains populated segment IDs that exist in the system.
Recommended best practices when verifying uploaded data:
| Field Name | Recommended Best Practice |
| Send job completion report to | Modify the email address as needed to ensure an email is sent to the address provided upon completion of the import. |
| Create Activity Report | Confirm this checkbox is selected to track the action in the user account's activity log to ensure their history is maintained correctly. |
| Enable Job to send out emails | This option is only relevant if you wish to auto-send relevant emails to target users, for example, notify users registered to attend a session after they've been imported and associated with it. |
5. Confirming & Importing
When you are ready to begin the upload, select I hereby confirmed that I have reviewed the data and would like to continue then click Start Import or if you are not ready but wish to save the import for a later date, click Verify Later.
Note: View saved imports on the Import Statuses screen in your admin panel by navigating to Admin Panel > Import Manager > Import Statuses. Once there, click the job row in the table, click Verify to run data verification & then run the import.
The Status column updates to Processing while the import is running and updates to Completed when finished.
Click the row in the table to confirm the Import Success status and navigate to the front end of your site to view and confirm.