How Can I Bulk Update Records Using an Import File? – Virtuous

If you find yourself needing to update records in bulk, you can utilize Virtuous' Bulk Update Tool.

Now you might be thinking, but there are bulk actions that we can make using a query, what's the difference here? When would I need to do a bulk import? Great questions!

If you are updating the same value on every record, utilize bulk actions from inside the query tool. For example, maybe you want to mark a specific field as 'true' for every record that's a part of your query results. To learn more about the various bulk actions available in a query, check out this Support Article.
If you are updating different values for every record, then utilizing the bulk update tool is appropriate. For example, perhaps you have updated addresses for a large portion of your database, and that value will be different for each record.

This tool should be used with great caution for a few reasons

Unlike the Gift & Contact Import tool, when you use Bulk Import Tools, Virtuous DOES NOT check for duplicate information. However, this is only applicable to creating new records using these tools rather than updating - Update templates require IDs for the items being updated, so duplicate records should not be created in this instance.
When using any of the Update templates, if you do not insert a value for a field, then the empty value will override the existing value.

Preparing for Import

Navigate to the Bulk Data Tools within the main menu by selecting Settings -->Bulk Data Tools

Near the top of the screen, click "UPDATE" to see the data options for bulk updates.

You can update the following items:

Contacts
Contact Individuals
Contact Addresses
Contact Wealth
Projects
Gifts
Custom Field Data

Once you have chosen the appropriate update, download the corresponding Update Template and format your data. Depending on the specific template, an ID for the records you wish to update will be required (e.g., ContactId is required for updating Contacts, GiftId is required for updating Gifts, etc.) - this helps Virtuous to identify the exact records that will be updated. Anything else on the import is the information that will be updated. Again: if you do not insert a value for a field that had a value before the update, then the empty value will override the existing value.

Knowing that you will need an ID for each record being updated, it may be helpful to export a CSV file from Virtuous in advance with the appropriate IDs before using the Bulk Update. This way, all of the data is included, and you can simply edit the field values you wish to change and change the headers to align with the Update Template’s.

Importing Your Data

Once your file is ready, you can click in the shaded area for the import you'd like to do and search for the file on your computer to upload it. Or, just drag the file from its location and drop it into the shaded box.

Once you upload your file, Virtuous will start the two-stage import process. The first stage is to check that the headers and fields are appropriate for the import. If they are invalid, you might need to manually map them.

If your headers match the import template, or after you've mapped them correctly, Virtuous will process your file. This step will search for any data errors or missing values.

Once your file is processed, you'll receive a notification to review the import. Virtuous will allow you to download a CSV file with all of the import records to review any errors that were identified in your file (if any). At this stage, you can choose to reject the import to correct any issues and then re-upload your corrected file or import your file as-is. If you start the import, Virtuous will process it and let you know when it is complete.

Preparing for Import

Importing Your Data

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