'Import Activity' in Email Studio

"Create 'Import Activity' in Email Studio"

Email Studio -> click 'Interactions' tab -> click 'Import' button -> click 'Create' -> Enter the Properties information: The ‘name’ and ‘description’ identify the activity in the application. Subscribers can’t see the name or description. The ‘external key’ uniquely identifies the activity when using the API. -> In the Source section, select the file location only source data from FTP, it cannot take desktop data

Supported Sources for Import Activities

• Marketing Cloud Enhanced FTP / SFTP: The native, standard storage directories (e.g., Import, Export, or custom subfolders).

• External FTP / SFTP Sites: Any third-party or company-owned FTP server external to Salesforce.

• Public Cloud Storage: Integrated external cloud storage locations, including:

  • Amazon S3

  • Microsoft Azure Blob Storage

  • Google Cloud Storage

• The Safehouse: A highly secure internal Marketing Cloud directory often used to stage and process decrypted or uncompressed files.

• Salesforce CRM Reports & Objects: Integrated CRM data mapped via Marketing Cloud Connect.

• Other Data Extensions: Modern platform updates allow copying data directly from an existing Data Extension as a source

and complete the file naming pattern. [ If you select 'Salesforce Objects & Reports', complete these steps: a. For Salesforce Data Source Type, select either 'Object' or 'Report' and choose the object or report to use. b. Choose whether to import all data or only data modified after the date entered. c. Select the type of file for your import. d. Choose whether to import the information into a subscriber ‘list’ or a ‘data extension’. You can opt to skip rows with bad data or interpret double quotes as a text delimiter. By default, the import activity skips rows with bad data and imports the rest of the file. ] -> Select your update type. The 'Add and update' option creates a record for each new primary key value and updates the existing primary key values with new information. The 'Add only' option only creates records and ignores existing records. The 'Update only' option updates existing records based on the primary key and ignores new records. The ‘Overwrite’ option replaces all existing data in the ‘Data Extension’ or ‘List’ with the new data from the import file.-> Choose a data format that matches the region where you conduct the import. -> Select whether to skip the import if the last import occurred within a specified time span. -> Select whether to fail an import if the file is older than a specified time. The system examines the modified date of the file as reported by the FTP server in the File Transfer Location. If the difference in hours between the modified date and current system time is greater than the specified hours, the import doesn’t occur. You can specify a ‘system buffer’ to help determine this value. The specified value of hours is added to the previously specified hour limit. -> Identify the destination for each column in the import file. You can specify column headings or ordinal, or you can map each value manually using a sample file. When importing dates into ‘lists’ or a ‘data extension’, the date format in the file must be the same as indicated on the ‘import definition’. If the formats are different, validation fails. -> Enter the Import Completion Settings information. The Delivery Location field determines where to deliver the file with the completion information and exceptions, if applicable. Has Column Header indicates whether the system interprets the first row of the import file as a header row or as a data row. To receive the notification when the import is complete, enter an email address in the ‘Send notification email’ field. -> Save the activity.

Location to create Import Activity

Email Studio -> click 'Interactions' tab -> click 'Import' button -> click 'Create' button

Properties information

‘Name’, ‘Description’ - identify the activity in the application and ‘External Key’ for identifies the activity when using the API.

Update type

'Add and update' option creates a record for each new primary key value and updates the existing primary key values with new information.

The 'Add only' option only creates records and ignores existing records.

The 'Update only' option updates existing records based on the primary key and ignores new records.

The ‘Overwrite’ option replaces all existing data in the ‘Data Extension’ or ‘List’ with the new data from the import file.

Data format: Error handing

Select whether to skip the import if the last import occurred within a specified time span. -> Select whether to fail an import if the file is older than a specified time. The system examines the modified date of the file as reported by the FTP server in the File Transfer Location. If the difference in hours between the modified date and current system time is greater than the specified hours, the import doesn’t occur. You can specify a ‘system buffer’ to help determine this value. The specified value of hours is added to the previously specified hour limit.

Destination for each column in the import file ‘Map’

Identify the [ ].You can specify column headings or ordinal, or you can map each value manually using a sample file.

‘Map’ Error handing

When importing dates into ‘lists’ or a ‘data extension’, the date format in the file must be the same as indicated on the ‘import definition’. If the formats are different, validation fails.

‘Import Completion Settings’

The ‘Delivery Location’ field determines where to deliver the file with the completion information and exceptions, if applicable.

Has Column Header indicates whether the system interprets the first row of the import file as a header row or as a data row.

To receive the notification when the import is complete, enter an email address in the ‘Send notification email’ field.

‘Data Copy or Import’ activity in Automation Studio

In order to get Automation Studio to import for: 'Salesforce Objects & Reports', complete these steps: a. For Salesforce Data Source Type, select either 'Object' or 'Report' and choose the object or report to use. b. Choose whether to import all data or only data modified after the date entered. c. Select the type of file for your import. d. Choose whether to import the information into a subscriber ‘list’ or a ‘data extension’. You can opt to skip rows with bad data or interpret double quotes as a text delimiter. By default, the import activity skips rows with bad data and imports the rest of the file.

In Automation Studio, just use this [ ] activity with a drag and drop with new automation or in ‘Activities’ tab click ‘Create Activity’ button and during configuration select the Salesforce Report ‘import activity’ you just made in Email Studio.

Developer APIs

To get 'Salesforce Objects & Reports' data to import using Automation Studio, use backend solution.

Source section

In the [ ], select the file location only source data from FTP, it cannot take desktop data and complete the file naming pattern.

Supported Sources for Import Activities

• Marketing Cloud Enhanced FTP / SFTP: The native, standard storage directories (e.g., Import, Export, or custom subfolders).

• External FTP / SFTP Sites: Any third-party or company-owned FTP server external to Salesforce.

• Public Cloud Storage: Integrated external cloud storage locations, including:

  • Amazon S3

  • Microsoft Azure Blob Storage

  • Google Cloud Storage

• The Safehouse: A highly secure internal Marketing Cloud directory often used to stage and process decrypted or uncompressed files.

• Salesforce CRM Reports & Objects: Integrated CRM data mapped via Marketing Cloud Connect.

• Other Data Extensions: Modern platform updates allow copying data directly from an existing Data Extension as a source

Manually On-Demand use of Import Activity

• Navigate to your saved import definitions inside Email Studio (Interactions > Import).

• Select the checkbox next to your desired import definition.

• Click the Start or action icon button to trigger the data processing instantly.