Build Directory Using A File

Ready to get started with a new Directory? Staring with an Excel or CSV file makes it simple. To build a Directory using a File as the source, 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 From File. This option allows you to import records using an Excel or CSV file.
4. Download the sample file provided and format your data accordingly in Excel or CSV format.
5. Upload the formatted file by clicking Choose File. You can also hover over the relevant icons to Preview or Delete the uploaded file. Ready to move on? Click Continue.

Your uploaded file must include an email or SMS number field.

6. 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.

7. Once you have completed field mapping click Continue.
8. Next, fields will be evaluated based on their defined field types. If there are no exceptions, the Directory set-up will be complete.
9. If any exceptions are encountered, all the exception details will be displayed in the Review Data wizard. You can download the exception file here for a detailed clarification of the fields that have not synced as expected using Download all X Contacts with exceptions for review. You can then either proceed to import the valid Contacts on this page or re-upload the corrected file using the Click Here option.
10. Once you confirm that fields have been mapped properly, click Continue. The valid records will be imported and the Directory set-up is complete.