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The Import process can be optionally set with Conditional Logic to match on the First Name and Last Name fields with the flag CONTACTS_CHECK_NAMES. See the Conditional Logic section for more information. First Name and Last Names, ONLY IF FLAGS.CONTACTS_CHECK_NAMES is True. If a match is found, that Contact can UPDATE.
For most Import types, the Import Process cannot update the field(s) used to look up the record being updated, because the Import can't provide the lookup value and the new value in one field. But because the Contact import has three different fields it can use for lookups, it works a little differently.
If a match is found, it is possible to update the fields that were not used for the match. For example, if the Contact record was found using the Customer Number, then a new Email Address will be appended, and First and Last Names can be updated. If the Email Address was used for the match, then the Customer Number and Names can be updated.
Fields
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Fields
First Name
Required
Datatype is String.
Cannot UPDATE if the CONTACTS_CHECK_NAMES is True in the Conditional Logic.
If no First Name is found, the Import File will INSERT the First Name.
Last Name
Required
Datatype is String.
Cannot UPDATE if the CONTACTS_CHECK_NAMES is True in the Conditional Logic.
If no Last Name
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Required
Datatype is Stringis found, the Import File will INSERT the Last Name.
Directory
Datatype is Boolean.
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All other values enter as False [0].
Contact Type
Required
Datatype is String.
Defaults to Customer.
Permitted values are from the CUSTOMER_TYPE List Values: Customer, User, Coordinator, Guest, Service Rep, Vendor, VIP, and Worker.
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If the Contact Type is Coordinator, the following fields are available:
Billing Group
Conditionally Required
Datatype is String.
Allow Coordinator Bill Email
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Conditionally Required
Datatype is String.
Cannot UPDATE existing records.
If no match is found, the Import File will INSERT the Customer Number.
Billing Group
Conditionally Required , when Customer Contact Type and it is a New Contact Add
Datatype is String.
Title
Datatype is String.
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Dept. Hierarchy
Datatype is Hierarchical String.
Permitted values must be the full Dept. Hierarchy Path and Code values not the Department Hierarchy Name field.
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Datatype is Hierarchical String.
Default SLA
Datatype is Hierarchical String.
Default Incident SLA
Datatype is Hierarchical String.
If the Contact Type is User, the following fields are available.
Approval GLA
Datatype is Hierarchical String.
GLA values append to the list of existing GLA Approvals.
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Datatype is String.
Maximum Amount
Datatype is String.
Default GLA
Datatype is String.
Default SLA
Datatype is String.
Default Incident SLA
Datatype is String.
Street Address
Datatype is String.
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Values not in the List are not added.
Datatype is String.Email Addresses never get updated or removed. If a new Email Address is provided for an existing Contact, it will get appended to the list of Email Addresses, and the new value will be marked as '
Primary'Cannot UPDATE if the value exists.
Otherwise the Email will INSERT.
Permitted GLA
Datatype is Hierarchical String.
Defaults to NONE.
Permitted Values are NONE, ALL, or any valid GLA. NONE removes all entries in the list and add the Permit None record.
ALL removes all entries in the list and allow any GLA to be used.
Values append to existing the existing list of GLA Permissions.
Adding any valid GLA to the list removes the Permit None record.
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- True: If set to True, new Contacts attempts to INSERT with an Inactive Status.
- False: If set to False, the new Contact attempts to INSERT with an Active Status.
Errors
When an Import Line fails, it is usually because the Line falls into one of the following categories:
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There are a large number of possible errors for Imports. There are two types: errors that prevent the record from importing, and those that don't but cannot update related Import record information.
The following errors occur if the Contact INSERT or UPDATE fails:
- Error : No Contact Number or Name or Email specified
- Error : Found multiple duplicate customer numbers and emails in existing records for Customer Number <customerNumber>
- Error : Found multiple duplicate names in existing records for Name <firstName> <lastName>
- Error : FLAGS.NEW_CONTACT_DEFAULT_CONTACT_TYPE value '<defaultContactType>' is invalid
- Error : Billing group is required for new Customer contacts for Contact '<contactId>'
- Error : Failed to save Contact record <database error Message>
These do NOT cause the Contact INSERT or UPDATE to fail. The Contact will INSERT or UPDATE. However, the subsequent Child record may have a warning generate, and the child record is not added to the Contact. They are non-essential for the Contact, or they happen after the Contact save.
- Warning : Could not find the Permission GLA for <GLA>
- Warning : Could not find the Dept Hierarchy '<Dept Hierarchy>' for Contact '<contactId>'
- Warning : Could not find Default SLA '<Default SLA Catalog>' for Contact '<contactId>'
- Warning : Could not find Default Incident SLA '<Default Incident SLA Catalog>' for Contact '<contactId>'
- Warning : Could not find Default GLA '<Default GLA>' for Contact '<contactId>'
- Warning : Could not find Billing Group '<Billing Group>' for Contact '<contactId>'
- Warning :
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- Minimum Amount is greater than Maximum Amount for Approval GLA '<Approval GLA>' for Contact '<contactId>'
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- Warning : Could not find Approval GLA '<Approval GLA>' for Contact '<contactId>'
- Warning : Contact '<contactId>' is not type User, so cannot have Approval GLAs"; "Error adding email, email belongs to someone else
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These errors are caused as a result of Child data conflicts. The Import Validation should catch these before the Import is attempted. However, if an edge case is missed, these errors are presented to the User. Their occurrence should be rare.
- Error adding email
- Error adding phone number
- Error : Failed to save Address record <database error Message>
- Error : Failed to Add Contact Address record; <database error Message>
- Error : Failed to Save null GLARestrict record; <database error Message>
- Error : Failed to Save GLA Restrict record; <database error Message>
- Error : Failed to Save GLA Approval record; <database error Message>
- Error : Failed to Save Contact Type record; <database error Message>
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Notes
The Import first checks if the Contact information you are providing matches an existing record. For each of the following fields, it tries to find an existing match if you provide a non-empty value. It stops searching when it finds a match.
- Customer Number
- Email address
- First Name and Last Names ONLY IF FLAGS.CONTACTS_CHECK_NAMES is True. If a match is found, the Import will UPDATE that Contact.
UDF Associations
User Defined Fields on any given Import are all handled the same way with Conditional Logic. For more information about adding a UDF to the Import, see the User Defined Fields section of the Imports main page.Child pages (Children Display)