a) Importing Subscribers from a File
If you have a subscription list in excel or notepad file and you want to get it imported, instead of adding one by one. You can do it with our Import tool. In the left navigation menu under the Subscribers tab, click on “Import Subscribers from a File” and you’ll be shown the Import subscriber screen. Click on the “Choose File” button and select if from your computer. Select your file which you want to import -> Select Subscriber List where you want all subscribers within the uploaded list to get imported -> Select the format -> Select Status as unconfirmed (if not already confirmed) and press Start Import.
b) Duplicates
You can select one of the following options while importing the file.
b.1) Skip
Selection of this option will skip the duplicate contacts while importing the file, and will not import the duplicate contacts.
b.2) Ignore
Ignore action for the duplicates to complete the process of importing without making any changes or affecting the duplicates.
b.3) Overwrite
Selecting this option will replace the existing duplicated entry in the selected subscriber list(s) with the new matching record details in the importing file. It will eventually delete the existing entry to overwrite it with the new match in the importing file.
b.4) Update
Unlike overwrite, selecting this option will not delete the existing entry, rather it will just update the duplicate values, and leave the other fields as it is. Like if it finds that the contact email is duplicate, while other fields that exist in the subscriber lists(First Name, Last Name, etc.) doesn't exist in the importing file, it will just update the contact email and leave the other fields without making any changes. It doesn't delete the existing entry, just update the duplicate values.
On the next screen, System reads the headers of your file and displays them separately along with database fields for the selected subscription list in the dropdown. In next step it will display the headers of the file and besides the header of the file, shows the database fields in the dropdown list against every column's header. Map the correct fields for every column.
Once you choose your correct fields for correct headers, you can proceed to import the subscriber’s details from the file to a list. Click on the NEXT button to start the import. The Import undergoes several background operations. Below is a short summary of some of these background operations.
a) Reading File
This function reads your file and counts a total number of subscribers/rows inside. This function isn’t responsible for performing any query other than reading the file.
b) Filtering the file and getting ready to import
During this function, it copies your data to a temporary table to make it available for filtration. Filtration would include removing duplicates and invalid emails from the imported list.
c) Removing Duplicates
It removes the duplicate entries/emails from the imported list.
d) Removing Invalid Emails
This function removes all invalid emails. Invalid emails are those which have an invalid format or don’t look like an email address.
e) Importing Data
Once the duplicates and invalid emails have been removed from the list you just imported, it starts the actual import from the temporary table to the actual table and your list gets ready to be used.
All of the above features are using advanced techniques and highly-optimized queries, which make things, go real fast.