Imported contacts
I imported 3,658 contacts with a csv file - Essentials reported that I done so successfully. When I exported the contacts - the file only had 3,324 contacts. Any thoughts?
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Official comment
Hi Peter,
You're most welcome and thanks for working with us to find the solution and also thank you also for your kind words.
We're here if you need us
Cam & Dan
Act! Essentials Team.Comment actions -
Definitely no duplicate email addresses on the file, Act databases are .adf - so I guess the answer is no. I exported the file from ACT as a CSV file an checked for integrity in Excel.
So I am back to where I started with 334 (9%) of contacts "lost". Does not look like ACT Essentials is going to work for me. Any further thoughts?
Cheers
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Hi Peter,
continuing from my colleague's post. You cannot import an Act! database file (.adf) file directly into Act! Essentials. Essentials only supports import files of .CSV or .VCF file formats. You can and have by the sounds of it. Exported to CSV and then imported into Essentials which would be correct.
Importing contacts would be duplicate checked on multiple fields, e.g. phone and email and contact name. Hitting on criteria should not produce a duplicate as you may have more than one 'John Smith' in the database.
Regards,
Act! Essentials Team -
Peter,
The CSV file you are importing. If you could open it in excel and then search the document for any instances of a comma being found.
e.g. in an address field 'Unit, 1'There being a rogue comma appearing in the importing fields in the CSV file could cause the issues you are describing.
Thanks,
Act! Essentials Team. -
I found 261 commas and removed them. I also found a blank entry. so I re-imported 3,657 contacts "successfully", However when I exported all contacts the file only had 3,324 contacts, still a 9% loss. And now I am at a loss.
Do you happen to know if the ACT Premium Cloud can directly import an ACT .adf file?
Cheers
Peter
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Hi Again Peter,
Sorry for the delay in coming back to you.I understand you checked the import doc for erroneous data and then attempted to import again and had a similar result. Would you be able to provide us with a copy of the data for testing? If this would be acceptable. I will send you an email address to attach it to for further testing.
In answer to your second question. If you have an Act! database in ADF format, when you upload to Act! Premium Cloud. This is restored 'As Is' for you. meaning:
All of your templates, layouts, reports, contacts and users are uploaded to your Act! Premium Cloud site.When you receive the email that your database is ready, you will find a second database appearing next to the blank database we provide to you in the 'Log on to' option. Your existing usernames and passwords are then used to access this database.
I hope this answers your question
Act! Essentials Team. -
Peter,
If you could send it to mycloud@act.com and I'll test it for you. However for all support, we should still use zendesk to converse.
Cam
Act! Essentials Team. -
Hi Peter,
I would imagine that this is happening because either some of the contacts in the spreadsheet are classed as duplicates or the imported contacts match some of the existing ones in your database.
The contacts would only be considered duplicates if the following info is the same: First name + Last name + email address. If you are importing contacts that have the same first name and last name but no email they will still be considered a duplicate.
Dan
Act! Essentials Team
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Ah Dan
Already been down that path. One of your colleagues (Cam) checked the file. To reiterate the import is reported as "successful" but when the list is exported - as I need to do to send to a mail house, 300+ contacts get lost.
Cam thought it was solved but when I repeated the process with the cleaned up file, exactly the same thing happened. ??????
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Hi Peter,
Cam and I went through the import of your spreadsheet together the other day and it all imported fine on his machine. You've mentioned that all of the contacts have imported successfully on your machine but can you clarify it is the export that you're now having issues with?
In the meantime, is there a specific reason why the CSV file needs to be exported from Act since you already have the original copy with all of your contacts in it?
Dan
Act! Essentials Team -
I have a copy of ACTv17 on a single computer. I want to move to a "cloud" product so I can work on it wherever I am.
I import the CSV file - into an empty database.
ACT Essentials report "successful import of 3,657 records
Then I export the file - in the way I would need to do to send the list to a mail house, using the addresses for a physical mailout. The file that is exported has 334 fewer record than were reported as imported.
Peter
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Hi Peter,
Have you confirmed that there are definitely 3,658 contacts in your Act! Essentials database before the export?
Alternatively, have you considered Act! Premium Cloud? You can sign up for a free trial here: https://buy.act.com/en-GB/trial/product/ActPremium/plan/Month?utm_source=website&utm_medium=pricing
With Cloud, you are able to provide a full copy of your v17 database in the form of a backup. We will then restore the backup so you are able to access it on your website.
Dan
Act! Essentials Team. -
Hi Peter,
Sorry for the delay, there isn't a total contacts number that exists in Act! Essentials. If there is, I cannot find one. However I did find a 'Work Around'
In the Essentials database. In the list view, if you click on the square icon with a tick in it. Then select all contacts with the very top tick icon. Then add to a Group. (Create a new Group and call it 'Total Contacts' then you will have a counter telling you how many people exist within the Act! Essentials database.
I am feeding back internally to say as a feature request. A total number of contacts would be a great idea
Cam
Act! Essentials Team. -
Ingeneous and gues what - 3,323 contacts are in the new group. So despite the system saying 3,657 were succesfully imported only 3,323 actually made it. I have double checked (as I think you did) the csv file has 3,657 contacts.
I wonder what is happening to the 334 that go missing?
Cheers
Peter
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Peter,
I have just replicated your problem in my own Act! Essentials test database. I imported the contacts:-
http://imgur.com/n3bPLyOI created a new group and called it Peter's Contacts and I can only see 3,324 contacts.
When I tested this previously I swear these were not the same results. I am now going to be contacting my developers for further advice.
I'll come back to you when I have further information.
Regards,
Cam
Act! Essentials Team. -
Hi Peter,
The developer team have come back to me today and informed me it is duplication checking that is causing the issue, it matches:-
First Name
Last Name
Email Address.
A lot of the importing data didn't have an email address and therefore the duplicate checking can only match on First name and Last name.
In Act! and Act! Premium Cloud you have the ability to match duplicates with more fields. Something that may be included in the future with Act! Essentials.Thanks,
Act! Essentials Team
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