Universal Import - How to create a new Universal Import Template
Sumac's Universal Import tool allows users to create their own Import Template to quickly import data from external applications.
For example, If you use an external online donation collection tool (e.g. PayPal), you can download a report generated from your external tool, and use this report to create your own Universal Import template to tell Sumac what type of records to create, which field in Sumac is associated with each column in the report, and define any Fixed Values or Default Values, as needed.
From your Sumac console, click Utilities > Import > Universal Import, then click Manage Templates.
Click New to add a new Universal Import Template, then choose a sample of the file you'll be importing whenever this template is used. For example, if you'll be importing from PayPal, download the report you typically use from PayPal, and use this as your file for setting up the Universal Template.
Sumac opens a new window where you can set up your Universal Import Template preferences.
Start by giving your template a name. For example, if you will be using this template to routinely import donations you received through a PayPal page, give this Universal Import Template a name like "PayPal Donations."
Now you can start assigning Sumac fields to the columns in your spreadsheet. On the left hand side of this window, you will see the fields available, grouped by the area of Sumac. Click the arrow icon to expand the area of Sumac to see the fields available to import into that area.
On the right side of this window, you will see a snapshot of your spreadsheet. Drag and drop field titles from the list of Available Fields to the corresponding column of your spreadsheet on the right. You can assign the same field to multiple columns in the spreadsheet, as needed.
Important Note: When importing Contact data through Universal Import, Sumac uses contacts' email addresses to identify potential duplicate contacts in the incoming data. It is important that you assign a contact email address field to a column in your Import Template.
Use the "Default Value" option to assign a default value you want Sumac to apply whenever it sees a field in the incoming records is empty.
If your spreadsheet does not contain a column of data that Sumac requires to complete the import, you can set "Fixed Values" that you want Sumac to apply to all incoming records. For example, if you were setting up an Import Template for importing PayPal donations into Sumac, you might want to set "PayPal" as a Fixed Value for the Donation Type field for donations being imported. Drag and drop field titles from the Available fields to the Fixed Value section on the right. Then, click to choose a Fixed Value for that field.
Once you have assigned Sumac fields to each of the columns in your spreadsheet, and set up any Fixed Values required for importing, click "OK" to save your new Universal Import Template. Once saved, you can continue to use this Universal Import template whenever you need to import data from that external tool!
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