Loading Lists from Files

Use the Import List option to import data records from a delimited text file directly into an existing List. Learn more about using the Import List to delete App Channel List records or to delete Web Push Channel List records.

Note: For details about data handling, see Data Load Record Handling and Requirements.

Record uploads are limited to 5,000 records. If you need to upload more records, we strongly suggest that you use a Connect job. The requirements for uploaded files are :

Character to Quote field values as Double Quotes (") and None only.
Character Separator - Comma Only
File must have a header

Importing List Records

To begin importing list records:

Click Data on the side navigation bar, and select Profile Lists. (Not seeing this choice? Refer to the Side navigation bar changes topic.)
If necessary, create a new List. Otherwise, select an existing list from the Change List drop-down list.
Expand List Information, and click Import Data.
Alternately, click Folders on the side navigation bar, select the folder containing the list, click next to list name, and select Load from File.
Follow the steps in the wizard as described below.

Step 1: Inbound Source

In this step, you select the file to load. The file must be in .CSV (comma separated value) format.

Click Choose File to select the file to load.
Confirm the character set of the load file.
Note: If your file contains emojis, you will need to select Unicode (UTF-8) as your character set.
Click Next.
For large files, the next step might take a few moments to appear.

Step 2: File Handling

In this step, you specify file handling options.

Note: If your file contains emojis, they may not display correctly in the File Preview. However, the emojis will display correctly in the View Records dialog once the file has been successfully uploaded.

The File Preview shows the first few lines of the file you're importing. Use it to verify that you selected the correct file.
Select the delimiter (typically a comma) that separates the fields (columns) in the file to be imported.
Specify whether text columns are enclosed in single or double quotation marks.
If the first line in the file contains column names, rather than a data record, select the First line contains field names checkbox.
Note: All column names must conform to Oracle column name conventions. For example, first character of a column name must be a letter.
Click Next.

Step 3: Table Fields

In this step, you can review all fields in your import file and map those fields to corresponding columns in the List. Mapping fields specifies which field corresponds to which column.

Note: The source field in the template and the target column must have the same name and compatible data types so that data is correctly converted from source to target.

You can also save your mappings to a template, then re-use that template as the basis for future uploads.

Note the following:

Long field names are truncated to 30 characters.
Field names are not case-sensitive.
If any changes result in duplicate field names, you will need to manually rename them.
All system field names (defined and reserved by Oracle Responsys) end with an underscore character (_), for example EMAIL_ADDRESS_. This means that imported custom field names cannot end with an underscore character.
Wherever possible, match (if not already auto-matched) like-named incoming fields with existing list fields, for example CUST_ID matched to CUSTOMER_ID_.
For Long Text Fields there is limit of 4000 characters. This limit applies to single-byte character sets, such as English. The limit is lower for multi-byte character sets, such as those used in Asian languages or UTF-8 characters.
Field names cannot contain the single letters A, E, G, K, M P, T and U. These are reserved by the application.
Field names containing at least two characters are recommended.

For more information about data type and field name requirements, see Data Types and Field Names.

If an equivalent list column does not exist

You can create a new column:

Click the arrow next to the related List field.
In the New Field section of the drop-down list, select the appropriate data type for the new column.
A new field entry appears with the same name as the import field.
Change the name of the column if needed.

If you do not want to import a field

Select skip this field from the drop-down list of the corresponding list column.

To create a mapping template

Create your mappings and click Save to Mapping Template.
The Save Mapping Template page opens.
In the Name field, type the name for the template.
Template names cannot be longer than 100 characters and can include only the following characters: A-Z a-z 0-9 space ! - = @ _ [ ] { }
Click Save.

To use a mapping template for an upload

Click Load Mapping Template.
The Load Mapping Template page opens.
In the Mapping Templates list, click the name of the template you want to use.
The Selected Template section shows the mappings and any issues that need to be resolved.
To make any changes to the mapping template or resolve issues, click Edit and make your changes, then click Save.
Note: Any changes you make apply to the mapping template as well as to the current upload.
Click Select Mapping.
The mapping template is applied to the upload.
When done mapping fields, click Next to continue.

Step 4: Record Handling

In this step, you define merge rules when importing new records and/or updating existing List data.

Select a Data Import Date Format to use in timestamp fields.
Define the merge rules for matching new to existing records.
You can match on email address, email address and another selected field, or selective combinations.
Select the action to apply when a record matches (based on the merge choices you made), and when a record does not match your criteria.
If your import file contains channel status values (email, mobile, or postal), enter the values you want to represent the Opt-in and Opt-out status, for example 1 vs. 0.
If you added a channel, indicate the default opt-in/opt-out status.
Check relevant selections to reject customer records with empty email, mobile, and/or postal values.
Select the mobile number upload format for this job. If you choose Local, you'll also be prompted to select the default country code.

Oracle Responsys validates the format of inbound mobile numbers according to the format selected for your account. The mobile number upload format you select here overrides the account setting for this job, unless the upload format you select is incompatible with the account format. The following restrictions on import format at the job level help prevent invalid and duplicate mobile number values:

When your account settings are E.164 or Local, you can't select No Format Enforced for the mobile number upload format.
When your account settings are No Format Enforced, you can't select E.164 or Local for the mobile number upload format.

Learn more about how Responsys handles mobile phone number values for accounts with Local or E.164 format settings.

If your file contains Preferred Email Format data, define values to indicate HTML and Text formatting, for example H and T.
Click Next.

Step 5: Load File

In this step, you provide load characteristics.

Select the checkbox if you want to enable filtering against the latest load with the same name.
Note: When selected, you can specify the criteria (via the Filter Designer) for selecting customers within this load to receive a campaign or be exported into a .CSV file.
In the Load Name field, type the name for the load name.
Load names cannot be longer than 100 characters and can include only the following characters: A-Z a-z 0-9 space ! - = @ _ . [ ] { }.
This information will be available in the Load History for tracking and auditing purposes.
Optionally, in Custom Event Type, select a custom event to trigger for each customer match occurring with this load.
What's this? Custom events signal an external source that alerts Oracle Responsys when notable customer activity occurs and should be recorded, or when a notable activity occurs to a customer. Custom events can also be used to trigger Program, or to record behaviors in the Data Mart. (Data Mart-related events can be used in List filtering rules. Custom events are defined by your account administrator via the Account/Defining Custom Event Types or REI.
Important: If a customer is listed in a load more than once, multiple events will be triggered for that customer.
Click Next to begin loading the file.

When your load completes, click View Import History on the Profile Lists page to view and audit load record details. If you choose, you may download rejected records, resolve any issues, and repeat the Load from File option for the corrected data.

Reasons that Records are Rejected

Email records can be rejected during a list import for any of the following reasons.

INVALID DATA FORMAT: For example, improper use of field separators and enclosing characters, such as enclosing quotation marks in another set of quotation marks.
NOT UPDATED PER MERGE RULE. MUST HAVE VALID CUSTOMER ID OR EMAIL ADDRESS OR MOBILE NUMBER: The record doesn't match the merge rules.
NOT UPDATED PER MERGE RULE. MATCH FIELD CANNOT BE EMPTY: There must be data in the match field to process the record.
NOT UPDATED PER MERGE RULE. POSTAL_STREET_1_ FIELD CANNOT BE EMPTY: In this case, the postal street address value is missing.
INVALID FORMAT FOR MOBILE NUMBER. Must have 6-15 digits: The mobile number is too long or too short.
NOT UPDATED PER MERGE RULE. MOBILE NUMBER FIELD CANNOT BE EMPTY: There is no mobile number field in the record and one is required by the merge rules.
INVALID FORMAT FOR MOBILE COUNTRY. Must have valid ISO2 country code-"+mobileCountryVal: International mobile campaigns require a country code.
NOT UPDATED PER MERGE RULE. EMAIL ADDRESS IS EMPTY: The record has no email address.
INVALID FORMAT FOR EMAIL ADDRESS: The email address is badly formatted, and may contain spaces or invalid characters; it may be missing the domain name). Or, top level domain names that are not listed (for example, lala_smith@lul.xyz). See the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for a list of all allowed domain extensions.
VALUE TOO LONG FOR THE FIELD: The value exceeds the permitted limit in at least one field.
LINK NAME IS EMPTY
LINK NAME IS INVALID
LINK URL IS EMPTY
RECORD HAS NO MAPPED DATA
NO VALID RECORDS TO MERGE: There are no records to upload.
LOAD WAS ABORTED BY USER - NO VALID RECORDS TO MERGE: There are no records because the upload was aborted.
REJECTED PER RULES + String.valueOf(this.totalSkipCnt): For example: REJECTED PER RULES: 17 records. In this case, 17 represents the number of records that were skipped according to the do not insert or do not update rules.

Valid Email Formats and Top Level Domains

Email addresses contain a local part and a domain, separated by a "@". Oracle Responsys validates generic and country code top level domains. For more information, see Understanding List and Data Sources.