Build Directory Using External Sources

Ready to build a new Directory? Bring your favorite systems together by building a Directory from external sources! This option simplifies your initial set-up and can also enable dynamic future updates.

Build Directory from Salesforce

If you use Salesforce to manage your contacts, you’re not alone! Link Salesforce to your Sogolytics account and you’re on the way to bringing everything together. Ready to build a Directory from Salesforce? Follow the steps below.

1. In the top left corner of your screen, click on Directories and select Create a Directory.
2. Add the desired title and description for the directory. Next, click Create.
3. Select the source to import the Contacts as From External Sources.
4. Next, select your preferred source to link for dynamic Directory updates as Salesforce.
5. Select the Salesforce object (e.g., Contacts, Leads, Accounts, and Opportunities) to be used to import Contacts.
6. Next, choose whether to set up a static or dynamic connection.
   • To import Contacts using a one-time process, toggle on Import just this one time.
   • Alternatively, toggle off this option to create a perpetual connection with Salesforce, enabling Contacts to be imported according to a defined automated rule and schedule.
7. Apply any required filters by turning on the Do you want to apply a filter on selected contacts? toggle. Specify the criteria based on which you want your Directory Contacts to be filtered, and click on Continue.
8. Within the Map Fields section, you can specify the type for each field being added to the Directory. The system may automatically identify some of the field types being imported. You can import any remaining values as custom fields, along with their appropriate field types. Available field types include:
   
   1. String – This field type is used for text-based information, allowing the entry of any combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
   2. Email – This field type is used for storing any email address.
   3. Number – The field type is used for storing an integer value.
   4. Date – This field type is used for saving the date in one of the following formats: MM/DD/YYYY, DD/MM/YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD
   5. Time – This field type is used for saving the time as: hh:mm or hh:mm:ss
   6. Date-Time – This field type is used for saving date and time in the following formats:
      • MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm
      • DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm
      • YYYY/MM/DD hh:mm
      • MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm:ss
      • DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm:ss
      • YYYY/MM/DD hh:mm:ss
   7. Boolean – This field type is used for saving any Boolean values such as 1|0, Yes|No, Y|N, True|False. Any value pair used for this will be normalized to True and False after importing.
   8. Phone – This field type is used for saving phone numbers. You can also specify the country code for the saved phone numbers by clicking on the gear icon available next to the Field Type Column.
   9. URL – This field type is used for saving URLs.

   Each Contact must have an associated email address or phone number. Map these with the appropriate system-defined email or phone fields in the Attributes column.

9. Once you have completed field mapping click Continue.
10. If you turned off the Import just this one time toggle, you will be taken to the Automation Rules wizard. This step tells the platform which contacts to import when, based on the criteria and schedule specified here.
11. Define the schedule for importing the contacts: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Custom schedule or System Defined [hourly].
12. Define the Start and End dates for the specified Automation Rule.
13. Select the desired action from the Contact Action that you want to be performed when the automation rule runs. The available Contact actions are as follows:
    • Add Contacts: Inserts new contacts without modifying existing ones.
    • Update Contacts: Modifies existing contacts without adding new ones.
    • Upsert Contacts: Adds new contacts and updates existing ones if they already exist.</>

      During the initial Directory creation, the Upsert and Update actions will be unavailable because Contacts are not yet available. Once Contacts are added, you can enable these options by editing the automation rule and providing a Unique Identifier field in the next step.

14. Enable Email Alerts on your registered email ID to stay informed about any of the following events:
    • Send alert email to confirm successful rule execution.
    • Send alert email if automation fails.
    • If exceptions are found when UIDs in the file are checked, send an email with a file of exceptions.
    • If exceptions are found, do not send, and disable further automation.

    You can also choose to send alerts to alternate email addresses by enabling the Would you like to send alerts to any alternate email addresses? toggle.

15. Once you have set up the rule, click on Save Automation Rule. Add a clear and unique name for the rule and click Done.
16. Your automation rule is now set up and your Directory will be created. This process may take approximately five minutes.

Build Directory from SFTP Server

Even if SFTP, or Secure File Transfer Protocol, is new to you, there’s a good chance your tech team members know all about it! SFTP helps simplify the process of moving content from one system to another, even without a direct integration. While one system drops relevant contact files in your secure folder, our system can take things from there, picking up the files and using those records to build your Directory! Set up an SFTP connection and then follow the steps below.

1. In the top left corner of your screen, click on Directories  and select Create a Directory.
2. Add the desired title and description for the directory. Next, click Create.
3. Select the source to import the Contacts as From External Sources.
4. Next, select your preferred source to link for dynamic Directory updates as SFTP Server.
5. Select the folder from which you want the data to be imported. All folders on your SFTP server will be displayed in the dropdown list. Click on the Refresh icon beside this dropdown to fetch any newly created folders.
6. After selecting the desired folder, all the files in this folder will be listed. Select a file based on which you want to map the contact fields. Click Continue.
   • The sample data file must exactly match the format of files that will be used to add/update Directory records.
   • The sample file selected will be used only for mapping columns no actual records will be added until automation starts.
   • Mismatches and failures can occur if the actual files do not match the exact column sequence in the sample.
7. Within the Map Fields section, you can specify the type for each field being added to the Directory. The system may automatically identify some of the field types being imported. For the remaining field types, you can import them as Custom Fields along with their appropriate field types. Available field types include:
   
   1. String – This field type is used for text-based information, allowing the entry of any combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
   2. Email – This field type is used for storing any email address.
   3. Number – The field type is used for storing an integer value.
   4. Date – This field type is used for saving the date in one of the following formats: MM/DD/YYYY, DD/MM/YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD
   5. Time – This field type is used for saving the time as: hh:mm or hh:mm:ss
   6. Date-Time – This field type is used for saving date and time in the following formats:
      • MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm
      • DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm
      • YYYY/MM/DD hh:mm
      • MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm:ss
      • DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm:ss
      • YYYY/MM/DD hh:mm:ss
   7. Boolean – This field type is used for saving any Boolean values such as 1|0, Yes|No, Y|N, True|False. Any value pair used for this will be normalized to True and False after importing.
   8. Phone – This field type is used for saving phone numbers. You can also specify the country code for the saved phone numbers by clicking on the gear icon available next to the Field Type Column.
   9. URL – This field type is used for saving URLs.
8. Once you have completed field mapping click Continue.
9. Next, you will land on the Automation Rules wizard. The platform will then import Contacts based on the criteria defined in this wizard, following the specified schedule.
10. In the automation wizard, choose the files the system should use from the linked SFTP server using the File Selection options:
    • All files: All contacts from all the files uploaded to the SFTP server will be imported.
    • New Files Only: All contacts from all the newly uploaded files on the SFTP server will be imported.
    • Files uploaded on selected days: All contacts from the files uploaded on a selected day or days to the SFTP server will be imported. Add multiple days by clicking the plus icon.

    To prevent the import from same file again, enable Never use the same file again.

11. Next define the schedule for importing the contacts: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Custom schedule or System Defined [hourly].
12. Define the Start and End dates for the specified Automation Rule.
13. Select the desired action from the Contact Action that you want to be performed when the automation rule runs. Available Contact actions are as follows:
    • Add Contacts: Inserts new contacts without modifying existing ones.
    • Update Contacts: Modifies existing contacts without adding new ones.
    • Upsert Contacts: Adds new contacts and updates existing ones if they already exist.

    During the initial Directory creation, the Upsert and Update actions will be unavailable because Contacts are not yet available. Once Contacts are added, you can enable these options by editing the automation rule and providing a Unique Identifier field in the next step.

14. Enable Email Alerts on your registered email ID to stay informed about any of the following events:
    • Send alert email to confirm successful rule execution.
    • Send alert email if automation fails.
    • If exceptions are found when UIDs in the file are checked, send an email with a file of exceptions.
    • If exceptions are found, do not send, and disable further automation.

    You can also choose to send alerts to alternate email addresses by enabling the Would you like to send alerts to any alternate email addresses? toggle.

15. Once you have set up the automation rule, click on Save Automation Rule. In the modal that appears, enter the desired name for the automation rule. You can also enable Initial Sync to import records from all the relevant files defined in the automation rule at the same time. Click Done.

    Initial Sync is a one-time sync. Moving forward, the data sync will occur as per the automation rule.

16. Your automation rule is now set up and your Directory will be created. This process may take approximately five minutes.