You are here:
Importing Values into Profile Attributes
Learn about importing values into profile attributes in Marketing Cloud Engagement.
This process applies to imports into profile attributes only, which occurs when you import subscribers into lists and when the import is set to Add new subscribers and update subscribers that exist (Add and update) or Update existing subscribers but do not add subscribers that do not exist (Update only). The description in this document cannot apply when:
- Adding information to a subscriber list in a way other than importing, for example, by manually creating a subscriber in the application interface or populating a list with a Smart Capture form.
- Importing subscribers or other information into a data extension.
- The import setting is Add new subscribers but do not update subscribers that exist (Add only).
Explanation
You create profile attributes to contain the information you import about your subscribers. You can set up rules for the profile attributes to be required or optional, to have restricted values, and to have default values.
Part of the import process is to map the fields in your import file to the profile attributes. If you map a field that contains values that do not follow the rules of the profile attributes, the system decides what to do with the data.
Importing into a Text Type Field with No Limit
This table describes how the system processes import data for profile attributes where:
- Data Type is Text
- No Minimum Length is set
- No Maximum Length is set
| Imported value is blank | Imported value is not blank | |
|---|---|---|
| Attribute has a Default Value | System sets attribute to default value. | System sets attribute to the value you imported. |
| Attribute has no Default Value | System sets attribute to blank, even if it previously had a value. | System sets attribute to the value you imported. |
| Attribute has a list of Restricted Values | System sets attribute to default value. | If the imported value is on the restricted values list, the system sets attribute to the value you imported. If the value you imported is not on the list, the system skips the subscriber. |
| Attribute is Required | System skips the subscriber. | System sets attribute to the value you imported. |
| Attribute is Required and has a Default Value | System sets attribute to default value. | System sets attribute to the value you imported. |
Import into a Text or Numeric Type Field with a Limit
This table describes how the system processes import data for profile attributes where:
- Data Type is Text or Numeric
- Minimum Length or Maximum Length is set
| Imported value is blank | Imported value is within limit | Imported value is not within limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attribute has a Default Value | System sets attribute to default value. | System sets attribute to the value you imported. | System skips the subscriber. |
| Attribute has no Default Value | System sets attribute to blank, even if it previously had a value. | System sets attribute to the value you imported. | System skips the subscriber. |
| Attribute has a list of Restricted Values | System sets attribute to default value. | If the imported value is on the valid values list, the system sets attribute to the value you imported. If the value you imported is not on the list, the system skips the subscriber. | System skips the subscriber. |
| Attribute is Required | System skips the subscriber. | System sets attribute to the value you imported. | System skips the subscriber. |
| Attribute is Required and has a Default Value | System sets attribute to default value. | System sets attribute to the value you imported. | System skips the subscriber. |
