Overview
Kindful's Import Data tool allows you to easily import transactions and data collected historically and/or outside of Kindful into your account as well as locate imported data.
Linked Articles:
- Preparing Your Data for Import
I started an Import and it is currently processing. Can I navigate away from the page?
Yes, you can navigate away from the page without causing any issues.
My import is stuck in processing. How can I remove it?
When an import is stuck in a phase like this, you can simply begin a new import. Starting a new import will clear our the former one that is in there.
It could also be stuck if there is an issue with the file. Make sure:
- The file is a CSV
- The file is not extremely large (ie: over 1 million rows, even if those rows are blank)
- You used the Kindful Templates for the appropriate data type (contacts, transactions or contacts and transactions)
- We also recommend deleting any fully unused columns or rows.
Be sure to check that your file has completed data. For example:
- Every transaction has a corresponding contact
- Data has not been converted to include special characters
Where can I find the CSV templates for the Import Tool?
These are located within Kindful when you begin the process of an Import job. Once you choose the type of import you wish to perform, you will be provided with links to download the corresponding template(s).
Where can I find a list of instructions on how to use the tool?
See our guide on Using the Import Data Tool that is full of how-to's with imagery and GIFs. We also offer a free webinar on how to use this tool every Wednesday. Visit our knowledge base and click the icon to sign up for a webinar.
How many files can I import simultaneously on the same import job?
We suggest using as few files as possible. But, do keep in mind that you can upload Contacts and Transactions and link the records across the files with a Contact ID, so our tool does support multiple files per import.
How long should an import take?
Depending on the amount of imported data (think in terms of how many rows are on the files), the initial import to sandbox could take up to an hour to process before it’s ready for review. In most cases, however, it should take significantly less time than that. If it has taken more than an hour, feel free to reach out to support@kindful.com for assistance, and our team can help you troubleshoot the issue.
When importing transactions that are not assigned to a campaign, will they be assigned to the "General" campaign once they have been imported into Kindful, or will they carry no campaign in Kindful?
The Transactions will be assigned to the General campaign; they cannot lack a campaign affiliation. You can edit the transactions after they have imported to the campaign of your choosing.
My import is stuck in processing. How can I remove it?
When an import is stuck in a phase like this, you can simply begin a new import. Starting a new import will clear our the former one that is in there.
If I don't have certain fields of information in my CSV that are included on the template, should I delete the column or just leave it blank?
We recommend deleting all blank or unused columns to avoid the system getting stuck in processing or filling in empty values.
What will my transactions default to if I do not include a transaction type?
Transactions will default to Check Transactions in Kindful if nothing is set on the import file.
Can I import to existing contact/transaction custom fields?
Yes, you are able to do this; however, with some limitations.
For Transaction (Campaign) Custom Fields, you can import the custom field via the Import Tool. If no custom field with that exact same name exists on the corresponding Campaign that the transaction is assigned to, then a brand new custom field will be created and the answer value will be applied to the imported transaction. If you import a Transaction (Campaign) Custom Field, and an existing custom field with the exact same name already exists on the same Campaign, then the answer value for the custom field on your Import CSV will be applied to the custom field.
Of Note: Appending Transaction (Campaign) Custom Fields are best utilized with Text-based fields. If you import to an existing Select-based field, the value will be applied to the correct field; however, it will change the custom field in your Production account from Select to Text, which will not maintain the historical values added to previous transactions.
For Contact Custom Fields, you can import the custom field via the Import Tool. If no custom field with that exact same name exists in your Custom Contact Settings, then a brand new Contact Custom Field will be created and the answer value will be applied to the imported contact(s). If you import a Contact Custom Field, and an existing custom field with the exact same name already exists, then the answer value for the custom field on your Import CSV will be applied to the custom field. This can work for both Text-based and Select-based Contact Custom Fields.
Of Note: To import a Contact Custom Field value and have it apply to an answer value of an already-existing Select-based contact custom field, make sure that the Contact Custom Field value (e.g. Favorite Color) has the exact same name as the already existing Contact Custom Field. Additionally, make sure that the answer value on your Import CSV has the exact same name as one of the already existing Custom Field Values (e.g. Red, Blue, Green).
How can I import data or transactions to an existing organization contact? Can I import to an existing organization contact?
Unlike Person Contact types, Organization contacts can not be appended by the import tool. In other words any import of an organization will create a new organization contact. Luckily with our Contact Duplicates and manual merge options it is simple to merge the newly created Organization after an import. Just make sure your newly imported org contact is set as the primary so your updates will be retained. If you are adding transactions to the org contact rather than updating contact information then the primary can be either one and it will merge over any transactions added.
How is this done? To import an organization contact you will use the field on the Kindful template called "Organization Name." Filling this out with any answer will always result in creating an organization contact with that name. The first and last name fields can be left blank or used to enter the name of a POC (Point of Contact) for the organization.
I imported a contact with only a postal code. This was a part of a "Transactions Only" (Update style) import. When reviewing the contact in Sandbox, the contact had Address, City, and State filled in as well. These fields matched that of the contact in Production.
Is it expected that Sandbox would include any information for the matching contact beyond what was included in the import file?
Append style imports will pull current contact information from Production and show you what the Contact will look like in Production.
How can I filter for imported data that was created by the Import Tool?
We have two filters that can be used post-import to find contacts and activities created by an import.
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Contacts Created By Import (Contacts page)
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Activities Created by Import (Activities page)
Using the import job id (found under “Import Job Id” column in the Completed Imports Table on Sandbox), these two filters will return all new contacts and/or activities (transaction, soft credits, etc) that were created by an import.
How does the import data tool handle currencies?
The import data tool will import all of your transactions from your CSV file into the default currency of your account. The default currency can be set in two ways:
- The currency will be set by the default currency of your connected gateway (e.g. Stripe). So if your default currency for your Stripe account is CAD, your Kindful account will default to CAD.
- Our engineering team can manually set the default currency on your account. But do keep in mind that if you do this for you, and you connect a Stripe account that is set to a different currency that our team set for you, your Kindful account will default to whatever the Stripe account is set to.
What if I need to import Notes, Soft Credits, Pledges, Non Cash Gifts, Relationships, or other types of data not seen in the templates?
If you would like information on possible custom imports, please reach out to our support team for additional information at support@kindful.com.
How can I most seamlessly add imported contacts into a group?
In this case, use the "Contacts Created By Import" filter on the Contacts page to find these. From there, you could use the "Select All" button and add the contacts to your desired group.
To use the filter, you would copy/paste the import job ID into the filter as the answer value. You can find this in your Import Data page.
I used the Contact and Transactions CSV option to import data and imported my contacts first followed by a separate import of my transactions. The Contact ID does not seem to be relevant on my second import of transactions. Is this how to use the templates?
This import option (Contacts and Transactions) does use two templates provided in the Import Data flow - one for contacts and one for transactions. These two separate templates must both be uploaded in the same import and imported on the same import job (upload two files). For the contact ID, you choose this; it is an arbitrary ID you create. It can be as simple as repeating the contact's name. This will associate the donors from the transactions file with the donors on the contacts file.
If you uploaded the contacts separately without uploading a transactions file on the same import job, you can use the "Transactions Only (for existing contacts)" option and template. This will link the transactions to the contacts already in Kindful.
The first name, last name, and email for the contacts in the import template will need to exactly match what is already in the existing contact profiles in Kindful that were created from the first import. If any of these pieces are missing or don't exactly match, then duplicate contacts may be created.
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