'Data Copy or Import (Import File)' activity in Automation Studio without 'Import Definition'/'Import Activity' using external data as source

break down on each steps

Create new automation with 'Data Copy or Import (formerly Import File)' activity in Automation Studio without 'Import Definition'/'Import Activity' using external data as source

Automation Studio -> click ‘Overview’ tab -> click 'New Automation' button -> on the left drag 'Starting Source' to the 'Workflow' -> drag the 'Data Copy or Import' activity onto the 'Workflow' tab canvas it is on 'Step 1' -> click 'Data Copy or Import' button on 'Step 1'. -> fill in Property: 'Name' - Enter a unique name. 'Description' - Identify the activity so that others using the account know what it is. 'External Key' - Enter a value that uniquely identifies the activity when using the API. 'Notification Settings' - To receive notifications for this activity, enter an email address. -> Select 'File Location' as your data source and the file that you want to import. Configure the import settings property: 'File Location' - Choose an ‘existing external public cloud’ or ‘FTP file location’. 'File Naming Pattern' - Enter the name of the import file. You can use a dynamic file naming pattern based on date and timestamp. 'Date Format' - Select the import file’s date format. 'Delimiter' - Select the import file’s delimiter type. If you select Respect double quotes ('') as a text delimiter, a quotation mark is interpreted as a delimiter. 'Bad Data Behavior' - If you select this option, a file containing bad or invalid data is emailed to the address that receives notifications for this import activity. If the file is larger than 25 MB, it’s added to your FTP folder instead. 'Skip import if last import occurred' - Select to not import the file if it was imported within the specified time period. 'Fail import if file is older' - Use when files are frequently added to the file location and you want to always import the most recent file. 'System Buffer' - Add a buffer of 1 or more hours between activities in an automation. 'Blank File Behavior' - Choose how to handle empty files. -> Select a ‘data extension’ or a subscriber ‘list’ as the destination for the imported data. -> Select how the import writes data to the destination. Unless you choose to overwrite on import, your file must have at least one primary key column. Data Action: 'Add Only' - New data is added to the destination, and existing data isn’t updated. 'Update Only' - Existing data is updated in the destination, and new data is ignored. 'Add and Update' - New data is added to the destination, and existing data is updated. 'Overwrite (Data Extensions Only)' - All data in the destination is replaced with data from the import file. You can’t recover overwritten data. -> Select how the data is mapped to your destination. Mapping Option: 'Map by Header Row' - Each column header in the import file must match the column name in the destination. 'Map by Ordinal' - The first column in the destination is updated with the first column in the import file. This pattern continues for each column in the import file until all columns have been parsed. a. When importing into a subscriber ‘list’, column numbers must start at 0. b. When importing into a ‘data extension’, column numbers must start at 1. 'Map Manually' - Each column header in the import file is mapped according to a sample file that you provide. -> Review and save your activity. -> save and schedule automation.

Create new activity with 'Data Copy or Import (formerly Import File)' activity in Automation Studio without 'Import Definition'/'Import Activity' using external data as source

Automation Studio -> click 'Activities' tab -> 'click 'Create Activity' button. -> click 'Data Copy or Import' button. -> click 'Create New Copy or Import Definition', and provide the details. -> fill in Property: 'Name' - Enter a unique name. 'Description' - Identify the activity so that others using the account know what it is. 'External Key' - Enter a value that uniquely identifies the activity when using the API. 'Notification Settings' - To receive notifications for this activity, enter an email address. -> Select 'File Location' as your data source and the file that you want to import. Configure the import settings property: 'File Location' - Choose an ‘existing external public cloud’ or ‘FTP file location’. 'File Naming Pattern' - Enter the name of the import file. You can use a dynamic file naming pattern based on date and timestamp. 'Date Format' - Select the import file’s date format. 'Delimiter' - Select the import file’s delimiter type. If you select Respect double quotes ('') as a text delimiter, a quotation mark is interpreted as a delimiter. 'Bad Data Behavior' - If you select this option, a file containing bad or invalid data is emailed to the address that receives notifications for this import activity. If the file is larger than 25 MB, it’s added to your FTP folder instead. 'Skip import if last import occurred' - Select to not import the file if it was imported within the specified time period. 'Fail import if file is older' - Use when files are frequently added to the file location and you want to always import the most recent file. 'System Buffer' - Add a buffer of 1 or more hours between activities in an automation. 'Blank File Behavior' - Choose how to handle empty files. -> Select a ‘data extension’ or a subscriber ‘list’ as the destination for the imported data. -> Select how the import writes data to the destination. Unless you choose to overwrite on import, your file must have at least one primary key column. Data Action: 'Add Only' - New data is added to the destination, and existing data isn’t updated. 'Update Only' - Existing data is updated in the destination, and new data is ignored. 'Add and Update' - New data is added to the destination, and existing data is updated. 'Overwrite (Data Extensions Only)' - All data in the destination is replaced with data from the import file. You can’t recover overwritten data. -> Select how the data is mapped to your destination. Mapping Option: 'Map by Header Row' - Each column header in the import file must match the column name in the destination. 'Map by Ordinal' - The first column in the destination is updated with the first column in the import file. This pattern continues for each column in the import file until all columns have been parsed. a. When importing into a subscriber ‘list’, column numbers must start at 0. b. When importing into a ‘data extension’, column numbers must start at 1. 'Map Manually' - Each column header in the import file is mapped according to a sample file that you provide. -> Review and save your activity.

2 ways to add 'Data Copy or Import' activity into Automation Studio

Automation Studio -> click 'Activities' tab -> 'click 'Create Activity' button. -> click 'Data Copy or Import' button. -> click 'Create New Copy or Import Definition', and provide the details. ->

Automation Studio -> click ‘Overview’ tab -> click 'New Automation' button -> on the left drag 'Starting Source' to the 'Workflow' -> drag the 'Data Copy or Import' activity onto the 'Workflow' tab canvas it is on 'Step 1' -> click 'Data Copy or Import' button on 'Step 1'. ->

Property

'Name' - Enter a unique name.

'Description' - Identify the activity so that others using the account know what it is.

'External Key' - Enter a value that uniquely identifies the activity when using the API.

'Notification Settings' - To receive notifications for this activity, enter an email address.

'File Location' as your data source and the file that you want to import.

Import settings property

'File Location' - Choose an ‘existing external public cloud’ or ‘FTP file location’. 'File Naming Pattern' - Enter the name of the import file. You can use a dynamic file naming pattern based on date and timestamp.

'Date Format' - Select the import file’s date format.

'Delimiter' - Select the import file’s delimiter type. If you select Respect double quotes ('') as a text delimiter, a quotation mark is interpreted as a delimiter.

'Bad Data Behavior' - If you select this option, a file containing bad or invalid data is emailed to the address that receives notifications for this import activity. If the file is larger than 25 MB, it’s added to your FTP folder instead.

Error Handing part:

'Skip import if last import occurred' - Select to not import the file if it was imported within the specified time period.

'Fail import if file is older' - Use when files are frequently added to the file location and you want to always import the most recent file.

'System Buffer' - Add a buffer of 1 or more hours between activities in an automation.

'Blank File Behavior' - Choose how to handle empty files. ->

‘Destination’ -Select a ‘data extension’ or a subscriber ‘list’ as the destination for the imported data. -> Select how the import writes data to the destination. Unless you choose to overwrite on import, your file must have at least one primary key column.

Data Action

'Add Only' - New data is added to the destination, and existing data isn’t updated.

'Update Only' - Existing data is updated in the destination, and new data is ignored.

'Add and Update' - New data is added to the destination, and existing data is updated.

'Overwrite (Data Extensions Only)' - All data in the destination is replaced with data from the import file. You can’t recover overwritten data. -> Select how the data is mapped to your destination.

Mapping Option

'Map by Header Row' - Each column header in the import file must match the column name in the destination.

'Map by Ordinal' - The first column in the destination is updated with the first column in the import file. This pattern continues for each column in the import file until all columns have been parsed. a. When importing into a subscriber ‘list’, column numbers must start at 0. b. When importing into a ‘data extension’, column numbers must start at 1.

'Map Manually' - Each column header in the import file is mapped according to a sample file that you provide. -> Review and save your activity.