Bulk Update Profiles

Overview

CommunitySuite's bulk update tool enables you to quickly update large amounts of profiles data. A user downloads a file of profiles data, uses Excel to make changes, and then uploads the file to CommunitySuite. CommunitySuite then scans the file for changes and applies those to profiles.

This is a great tool for implementing updates from data appends. Other use cases involve standardizing salutation and/or mailing label format or address data. Excel features like formulas and find and replace can make quick work of these projects. There are four options for bulk update.

Names

Each profile in your site will be in this file. You can update the name fields and many other profile fields such as birthday, inactive, deceased, etc. Download the file to see what fields are available. This is for updating information on existing profiles, not creating new profiles in bulk. To create new profiles in bulk, Import Profiles.

Addresses, Phones, and Emails

Addresses, phone numbers, and emails each have a different bulk update file. Each address, phone, and email on a profile will be listed in the respective file type. You can add additional addresses, phone numbers, and emails through bulk update. Just include the profile ID of the profile the address, phone number, or email will be added to.

Bulk update can save staff significant time. Since it impacts large amounts of data, some important details and best practices are outlined below.

Always test bulk update files in your Sandbox site prior to running in your Live site.
Many changes made in bulk can be reverted if you save a copy of the data prior to the bulk update, then import the original file to overwrite the changes that were made in error.
- Not everything can be reverted through this process.

These instructions show how to bulk update names, but the approach is the same for addresses, phones, and emails.

Navigate to the Profiles page, then click Bulk Update in the left-side menu.
Click Names.
Click [Download Names].
- A .csv file containing every profile will download to your computer.
Make a copy of the downloaded file.
- - Best practice is to keep an unedited copy of the data.
Open the file that you want to edit, make changes to the data, and save the file.
- The ProfileID column is required and must match an existing profile id.
- In the Names bulk update, the Type column is required and cannot have its value changed.
- If a column is not available in the downloaded file, it is not available in bulk update. You cannot add additional columns to the file.
- Do not edit column headers.
- Removing columns and rows that were not edited is recommended.
  - Remove the entire column or row vs. clearing the data in the cells and keeping the header. That would import blanks into those cells.
  - Removing columns and rows that are not being edited reduces file processing time since the import will look for changes in every row/column with data.
- If you use any formulas in your editing, convert the formulas to values prior to attempting upload.
- The bulk update pages for names, addresses, phones, and emails contain additional information about the file requirements and import process.
Click Choose File.
Select the .csv file from your computer, then click Process.
- Testing this import in your Sandbox site before your Live site is strongly recommended.

Processing a file will create a background job. Refresh this screen to check update progress and error status. If there is an error in your upload, no changes in the file will be processed. Click the JobID to view the errors, correct the errors in the file, and re-upload.