Importing into ACT 2013 version 16 - do I need a add-on Tool to update ACT data based on match with email field

[mwolf@redcomm.com]

Hello,

- ACT! 2013 version 16.0.291.0

- Excel 2010

- Shared database on server

- Windows 7

We have duplicate checking on with email as the key. We do a lot of importing from Excel to update fields for any contact records with a match (on email), skip if there is no match. Currently we use Oakmerge. Can we do this without a tool in version 16? 

Also, I would like to do conditional update with a match (on email) - e.g. if status field in ACT = "Do Not Contact" then skip, else update.

Thanks in advance.

Mona Wolf

[Elise]

When you import an Excel document into Act!, the content that is imported is dependent upon what you have your merge options set to during a custom import. In your instance, with duplicate checking set to e-mail only, if your Excel document has johnsmith@abccompany.com and your Act! database has johnsmith@abccompany.com, you have two options.

• Replace with source contact - This will replace whatever data is in the Act! database with the data from the Excel document
• Merge - This will update any fields that are not already filled in within your Act! database, but will not change fields that already have data in them. In other words, if you have an updated mailing address for the person in your Excel spreadsheet, this will not change the mailing address fields in the Act! database.

Unfortunately, in order for you to not include anyone with a status field of "Do Not Contact" in the import, you would need to remove anyone with that status from your word document and collapse any blank rows left over from where those contacts were in the spreadsheet so that there are no blank rows.

If you would like more information on Excel imports, you may find the following Knowledgebase article useful: 

http://kb.swiftpage.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/26828

[mwolf@redcomm.com]

Hello Elise,

Thank you for your detailed reply. 

So, let me word this different - can I do an import as follows:

if there is a match on email - replace data with source contact

if there is not a match on email - add the new contact 

Thanks,

Mona

[Elise]

Hello Mona,

You're welcome. And that is correct. If there is a match, you can replace the data with the source. If there is no match, you can add the new contact.