The system's bulk update tool enables you to quickly update large amounts of profile's data. You can download a file of profile's data, use Excel to make changes, and then upload the file to your site. The file is scanned for changes, and those changes are applied to profiles.
Bulk updating profiles is useful for implementing updates from data appends, standardizing salutation and mailing label format, or address data. Excel features like formulas and find and replace can make quick work of these projects. There are multiple options for bulk updating profiles and an option to bulk delete profiles.
Bulk Update Profiles
Names
Each profile in the system will be in this file. Name fields can be updated and many other profile fields such as birthday, anniversary, inactive, deceased, pronouns, etc. Download the file to see what fields are available. This is for updating information on existing profiles, not creating new profiles in bulk. Import Profiles provides guidance for creating new profiles in bulk.
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. Additional addresses, phone numbers, and emails can be added through bulk update by including the profile ID of the profile to which the address, phone number, or email will be added.
ACH Settings
In addition to profile names and IDs, this file contains the account type, account number, and routing number fields, allowing ACH information to be updated for profiles in bulk.
Instructions
This example demonstrates how to bulk update names, but the process is the same for addresses, phones, emails, and ACH settings.
Bulk update can save staff significant time. Since it impacts large amounts of data, some important details and recommendations 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 a copy of the data is saved prior to the bulk update. The original file can be used to overwrite the changes that were made in error.
- Not everything can be reverted through this process.
- Navigate to the Profiles page and click Bulk Update in the left-side menu.
- Click Names.
- Click [Download Names].
- A .csv file containing every profile will download to your computer.
- A .csv file containing every profile will download to your computer.
- Make a copy of the downloaded file.
- It is recommended to keep an unedited copy of the data.
- Open the file to be edited, 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.
- Do not 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 versus 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 any formulas are used during editing, convert the formulas to values prior to attempting upload.
- The bulk update pages for names, addresses, phones, emails, and ACH settings contain additional information about the file requirements and import process.
- Click Choose File.
- Select the .csv file from your computer, and then click Process.
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Testing this import in the Sandbox site before it is imported into the Live site is strongly recommended.
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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.
Bulk Delete Profiles
Profiles that have been created within a specific start and end date can be bulk deleted. The system will search for all profiles created between the start and end date. Profiles that cannot be bulk deleted include profiles that have donation, grants, pledges, opportunities etc., are part of a household, or have a relationship link with another profile.
- Navigate to the Profiles page and click Bulk Update in the left-side menu.
- Click Bulk Delete in the left-side menu.
- Enter the applicable Bulk Delete Profiles information, and then click Search.
- Click Delete Profiles (Yes, I know I can not undo this!).