Importing Data

From the Data Import area, you can upload your lists of contacts, companies, products and tags. You can also use this feature to update existing contacts.

import your data

1. Open the Navigation menu in the upper left-hand corner of the navigation bar and click Import Data under the Admin section. 
   
   This opens your Data Import screen.  On this screen, you can use a download tool for importing the data you’ve exported from AWeber, Constant Contact, iContact, 1Shopping Cart or Outlook. You can also click view your previous imports to see what you’ve imported in the past. 
    
2. Click the Contacts drop-down to choose what type of import you are attempting and click Go. 
   
    
3. The Upload your file screen is displayed. 
   
   Here, you can Watch a video about importing contacts for a video walk-through, download a sample .csv file for importing contacts, or click the Browse button to choose a local file on your computer to import. 
    
4. Once you’ve chosen a file, click Next.
   

Match Fields

•  You will now be asked to match your fields to Keap's fields. 
• The fields that Keap understands from your fields on the left will be displayed on the right with a green arrow in between. 
• A yellow caution sign indicates that the field is not recognized by Keap. 
  • Use the drop-down in the box to the right to match the field accordingly. You may choose from general information such as first name, last name, phone and fax, billing, shipping and optional addresses, additional, or global information. 
     

5. If your field is not represented use "Add a custom field" 
    
    
   • If you are importing tags regardless if they are brand new or existing, select. "Create tags from your field Values"
     
      
   • If you have a Full name instead of a First and Last name column, use "Split Full Name to First, Last."
     
      
   • Don't need the field? Then use the "Do NOT import this field"
     
      
6. Click additional field matching options... at the bottom of the page to add your field choice to multiple fields or to mass add a field value to the entire list. 
   
    

7. Click Next.
   
    

   Note: Next could be the value matching screen. This is  where you can match the fields in your import to fields in Keap. An example would be if your list has the first phone number listed as Home, Work or Cell but Keap has it matched as personal, business or mobile. You can change this in Keap globally to match your data.

    

8. The Preparing for Email Marketing screen is displayed asking you to confirm you have permission to market to these contacts. Remember there is no need to opt-in your list again if they have already been opted in elsewhere in accordance with and in keeping with your end user agreement. 
   
    
9. Click Next.
   
    
10. A final preview screen is displayed. 
     
     
11. Click the blue arrows to check that your contacts look correct. 
     
     
12. You can also run an action as soon as the contacts are imported. The most common action would be to add a tag(s) to these contacts in order to organize them. Click the Run some actions (start a sequence, create tasks, etc...) link to get started.
    
     
13. Click Done when you are finished
    

FAQs

Does the Contact Import run a Duplicate check?

No Duplicate check is run. If duplicates exist in the import file or in the application, follow the instructions in Identify Duplicate Contact Records.

What data should I import?

Take the time to be thorough. Have an in-depth understanding of exactly what data you currently have. Typically, you only want to bring actionable data over from a previous system. Any data that is not actionable now or in the foreseeable future should be scrutinized. If the data does not provide value to your organization, don't import it. The more data you bring over, the more complex the migration will become.

How do I clean up my source data?

Make sure to prepare your data for the migration. Follow this guide to avoid common mistakes. If you have data spread across multiple spreadsheets, you will likely need to use functions like Microsoft Excel's VLOOKUP and/or Text to Columns to format your data accurately in excel. If these functions seem overwhelming, it may be a good time to turn this over to experts.

What is CSV - comma delimited format?

CSV formatting enables a smooth transition of data between systems. Before you import, make sure that your data is in csv (comma delimited) file format and that it has been properly prepared. Click on the links below to view sample .csv files:

• Contacts
• Contacts with Credit Cards
• Companies
• Tags
• Products
• Subscription Programs

How do I import UTF-8 characters? 

Imports with UTF-8 characters will fail if the file was created or edited using Microsoft Excel. Instead, convert your excel spreadsheet to a Google Sheet: 

1. Open your Excel file, select all data and copy (Ctrl-C).
2. Open Google Sheets and paste your data into a new sheet (Ctrl-V).
3. Save your Google Sheet as a CSV file (top left corner in Sheets: File > Download As > Comma-separated values (.csv , current sheet). Remember, do not open the newly saved CSV file in Excel at any time after this step.
4. Navigate to Keap and import the CSV file you just saved from Google Sheets using the import tool. 

How do I build the structure in Keap? (Tags vs. Custom Fields)

When deciding on what method to use to segment data, first ask yourself how you plan on searching for the data and what type of reports would you like to create?

• Tags are labels that you can apply to contact records in Keap. 
  • Tags are visible when looking at the contact record. 
  • Tags are used as filters in search queries. 
  • Many different types of reports allow you to filter by tag. 
  • Tags are the most commonly used way to segment data in Keap. For example, you could search for everyone in your database that has tag x, but does not have Tags y and z.
• Custom fields allow a ton of flexibility. 
  • You can create many different types of custom fields and merge custom field data into emails to personalize them. 
  • If you want to store data in custom fields, take a look at all of the available field types and decide which field type a particular piece of data should use. 
  • The best way to determine what type of field to use is to think about how you want to search for that data when you build a report. For example, if you are importing a date, you wouldn't want to import dates into text fields or as individual tags; you would want to import them into date fields so you can perform searches based on date ranges. 
  • You can add up to 150 custom fields in Keap Max Classic. 
  • It's fine to build custom fields and import some sample data to see if it meets your needs. You can always delete custom fields and rollback imports. 
  • Take the time to test things out to find the optimal way to store your data.

How do I quality check my data?

Search through your data and evaluate the results. If you've made a mistake, or just aren't happy with the results, you can always rollback your imports and rebuild your custom fields and tags. Taking the time to do this right will give you the power to effectively and efficiently slice and dice your data when that time comes.