'Import Definition' from Contact Builder

all parts of the 'Import Definition'

Create 'Import Definition' from Contact Builder

Contact Builder -> click ‘Imports’ tab -> click 'Create' and in Selecting the Destination for Your Data section: select the destination for your data a location where the imported data will be placed. This could be a ‘data extension’, a ‘list’, or another specified destination like ‘chat messaging app’ or ‘channel’ within your Marketing Cloud account. -> in Configuring Import Settings section: Choose a file from the import folder on your FTP with a name that matches your file-naming pattern field. -> in Mapping Attributes with sample matching file section: To map the header fields, click 'Choose File' and select a sample matching file from your desktop. -> To import the file from a server, click 'Select Source', select 'From File Location', and enter the import filename, delimiting character, and date format. You can upload files larger than 20 MB with this option. -> To import from a data extension, click 'Select Source' and select 'From Existing Data Extension'. Navigate to the data extension and click 'Save'. Use a sendable data extension within the ‘import definition’. When you import a DateTime value from a data extension, millisecond information isn’t included in the import. -> Select how you want to handle the existing information. -> Under ImportDefinitionUpdateType, select 1 of 4: 1. Add Only: Adds new data without updating existing records. 2. Update Only: Updates existing records without adding new ones. 3. Add and Update: Adds new data and updates existing records. 4. Overwrite: Replaces existing data with the imported data (used for data extensions without a primary key). -> Under 'Import Options', select any import options, and then click 'Next'. a. To continue importing even if bad data is encountered, select 'Skip rows in the import file with bad data'. b. To treat values between double quotes as text, select 'Respect double quotes as a text qualifier'. c. To ensure that numeric values match the chosen locale value, select 'Normalize numbers based on locale'. -> Map the attributes in your CSV file to the attributes in your account. You can map by ‘header row’, ‘ordinal’, or ‘manually’. To skip the first row when mapping attributes, click 'Import File has Column Headers'. -> Click 'Next'. -> Enter a name for the new ‘import definition’. An import activity can’t have the same name as an import activity that was deleted in Contact Builder. -> For External Key, use the assigned key or manually enter your own key. Each ‘import definition’ must use a unique external key. -> Enter a brief description of the ‘import definition’. -> Enter the pattern used to create the import file. -> You can enter a specific file name or use a wildcard to get the most recent version of a file in the ‘import definition’. For example, if the file name always includes the most recent date, click 'Wildcard' and enter wildcards for the year, month, and day: filename%%Year%%%%Month%%%%Day%%. Under Import Qualifications, select whether you want to import the most current information or skip the last import. a. To skip the import process when less than a certain amount of time has elapsed since the last import, select 'Skip if last export was less than X hours ago'. Enter the number of hours in the text field. b. To import the most current information possible, select 'Fail if file is older that X hours'. Enter the number of hours in the first text field. You can also add a ‘system buffer’ time in the second text field to give the system time to account for servers in different time zones. -> Enter the ‘email address’ where you want to receive notifications. -> Click 'Create'. When you complete the ‘import definition’, you can include it in an automation via Automation Studio.

Selecting the Destination for Your Data

click ‘Imports’ tab -> click 'Create' and in [ ] section: select the destination for your data a location where the imported data will be placed. This could be a ‘data extension’, a ‘list’, or another specified destination like ‘chat messaging app’ or ‘channel’ within your Marketing Cloud account.

Mapping Attributes with sample matching file

in [ ] section: To map the header fields, click 'Choose File' and select a sample matching file from your desktop.

To import the file from a server

click 'Select Source', select 'From File Location', and enter the import filename, delimiting character, and date format. You can upload files larger than 20 MB with this option.

To import from a data extension

click 'Select Source' and select 'From Existing Data Extension'. Navigate to the data extension and click 'Save'. Use a sendable data extension within the ‘import definition’. When you import a DateTime value from a data extension, millisecond information isn’t included in the import. ->

'Import Options'

select any import options, and then click 'Next'. a. To continue importing even if bad data is encountered, select 'Skip rows in the import file with bad data'. b. To treat values between double quotes as text, select 'Respect double quotes as a text qualifier'. c. To ensure that numeric values match the chosen locale value, select 'Normalize numbers based on locale'.

Map

the attributes in your CSV file to the attributes in your account. You can map by ‘header row’, ‘ordinal’, or ‘manually’. To skip the first row when mapping attributes, click 'Import File has Column Headers'. ->

Enter a name for the new ‘import definition’

An import activity can’t have the same name as an import activity that was deleted in Contact Builder. -> For External Key, use the assigned key or manually enter your own key. Each ‘import definition’ must use a unique external key. -> Enter a brief description of the ‘import definition’. -> Enter the pattern used to create the import file. -> You can enter a specific file name or use a wildcard to get the most recent version of a file in the ‘import definition’. For example, if the file name always includes the most recent date, click 'Wildcard' and enter wildcards for the year, month, and day: filename%%Year%%%%Month%%%%Day%%.

Import Qualifications

a. To skip the import process when less than a certain amount of time has elapsed since the last import, select 'Skip if last export was less than X hours ago'. Enter the number of hours in the text field. b. To import the most current information possible, select 'Fail if file is older that X hours'. Enter the number of hours in the first text field. You can also add a ‘system buffer time’ in the second text field to give the system time to account for servers in different time zones. -> Enter the ‘email address’ where you want to receive notifications.

ImportDefinitionUpdateType

Select 1 of 4:

1. Add Only: Adds new data without updating existing records.

2. Update Only: Updates existing records without adding new ones.

3. Add and Update: Adds new data and updates existing records.

4. Overwrite: Replaces existing data with the imported data (used for data extensions without a primary key).

Configuring Import Settings

in [ ] section: Choose a file from the import folder on your FTP with a name that matches your file-naming pattern field.

One-time import definition usage will NOT work with Automation Studio

in Configuring Import Settings section: Choose a file from the desktop with a name that matches your file-naming pattern field.

or

click 'Select Source', select 'From File Location' and Choose a file location from the desktop, and enter the import filename, delimiting character, and date format. You can upload files larger than 20 MB with this option.

Marketing Cloud Connect

‘Salesforce CRM Object & Reports’ will not work because the Automation Studio does not have a specific activity to drag and drop to import using the User interface.

1. You link your Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud accounts.

2. You select the CRM Objects you want to sync in Contact Builder.

3. Marketing Cloud automatically syncs that CRM data every 15 minutes into specialized Synchronized Data Extensions.

4. In Automation Studio, you simply use a standard SQL Query Activity to pull data from those synchronized tables whenever you need it, bypassing the need for "Import Activities/Data Copy or Import activity" or API code altogether.

What is the Synchronized of Data Extensions?

Manually On-Demand use Import Definition

1. Navigate to Contact Builder inside Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

2. Click on the Imports tab located in the top navigation bar.

3. Locate the row containing your specific import definition.

4. Click the Action Icon (downward arrow or standard actions button) on the right side of that row.

5. Select Start from the dropdown menu to process the import immediately.