How do I sync outlook categories with ACT Pro?

[johnstonmark]

I just installed ACT 17 Pro and am using Outlook 2010.

After synchronizing contacts, all fields mapped properly except categories.

Does anyone know how to accomplish this?

Thanks!

[Gary W]

Hi johnstonmark,

Is categories a custom field you have added to Act or Outlook?

It is possible to customise the mapping of Outlook fields into Act. See the following Knowledgebase article: http://kb.act.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/27400/

[johnstonmark]

Thanks.  I will check that out, but Categories is a standard field in Outlook.

[Gary W]

Are you referring to the Outlook feature where you right click and set a colour category?

I do not believe that it is possible to export contacts from Outlook with the category information attached.
This would most likely be a manual exercise involving creating groups for these categories in Act, and then assigning the contacts to them. If you can export the contacts within a category, you could import them into Act with a category designator or tag (i.e. in a custom field), and then create dynamic groups based off this field.

[johnstonmark]

Yeah, the color thing seems new, I'm trying to sync the category name (i.e. customer, prospect, etc).  Don't care about the colors...

[Roy_Laudenslager]

Nothing in The ACT! program directly corresponds to Outlook categories so there isn't any way to sync the information.

[johnstonmark]

I actually found a relatively easy work-around.  I don't use the department field, so I put my categories into it.  I could do them quickly by the following:

Update the company address or phone number for multiple contacts - Outlook

Change Business Address

1. Make sure that at least one contact is updated with the new business address.

2. In Contacts, on the Home tab, in the Current View group, click List.

Note: To see all views in the Current View gallery, click .

1. If Business Address doesn’t appear in the header row, do the following:

1. Right-click the header row, and then click Field Chooser.

   

2. In the Field Chooser dialog box, click Frequently-used fields.

3. Click and drag Business Address to the contact header row.

• Right-click the Business Address header, and then click Group by this field.

Note: Contacts can be grouped by multiple fields in a hierarchy view. If contacts are already grouped in the list view, you can click and drag the group by boxes to re-arrange the grouping order. Or, to remove a group, click and drag the group below the header row and then release the mouse button when an X appears.

1. Under the heading for the old business address, click a contact that you want to change. To select multiple contacts, press and hold CTRL as you click contacts. To select a range of contacts, press CTRL and SHIFT, then click the top and bottom contact. All contacts between the first and second entry are selected.

2. Drag the selection to the Business Address group that matches the new address — the contact you changed or verified in step 1.

[GLComputing]

The onl way to do it directly is with an add-on

[Gary W]

Thanks for posting your workaround johnstonmark. I'm sure this will come in useful to other users who may be trying to do the same.