Importing Contacts by Using Microsoft Excel

Efficiency and accuracy are paramount when it comes to managing participants for your event. With the b2match platform, you have a powerful tool at your disposal that simplifies the process of importing contacts. One such method is by utilizing the flexibility and familiarity of Microsoft Excel.

By leveraging Microsoft Excel for contacts imports, you can leverage the power of spreadsheets to handle large volumes of data efficiently. Whether it's email addresses, contact information, or specific participation details, you can effortlessly structure and format the data in Excel, ensuring its compatibility with the b2match platform.

What information can be imported?

When importing contact data into the system, you have the flexibility to include various pieces of information that are relevant to your event. The following details can be imported from your Excel spreadsheet in which each column should represent one of these items:

• Email - This is a mandatory field, and one column in your Excel table should correspond to the participant's email address.
• First name
• Last name
• Job description
• Organization name
• Phone number
• City
• Street
• Postal code
• Country
• Participation Type - This should align with the participant types defined for your event.
• Validated status
• Visibility status
• Attendance Type - This specifies whether participants will attend the event onsite or remotely. When importing attendance types, ensure that you use the terms "onsite" and "remote" accordingly.

How can I import contacts by using Microsoft Excel?

First, navigate to Import on the left sidebar of the Organizer’s Tool.

Click on Import Contacts and choose Upload XLSX File. Then, click on Continue. 

In the next step, click on the Choose File button to select the Excel spreadsheet containing the contact information you want to import. After selecting the file, click Continue.

Now, you need to match the columns in your spreadsheet with the corresponding information in the system. Click on Edit and from the drop-down menu, select the type of information that aligns with the information listed in the column.

Once you have matched the information from the system with the relevant columns in your spreadsheet, click on Use column to confirm the importation of that information.

Next, click on Match Data. This will display a list of participants along with their import status.

• Valid – All selected fields can be imported, and the contacts are ready for import
• Warning – one or more selected fields cannot be imported, including information which field is not valid
• Error – The contact cannot be imported due to an error, and the reason for the error will be specified. Some possible reasons for import errors include: 
  • Email is invalid - The email provided is invalid, preventing the mandatory email field from being filled in. Verify the email and correct any errors in the Excel document.
  • Participant with that email is already invited - An invitation has already been sent to this participant from the b2match platform.
  • Participant with that email is already registered - The participant has already registered, or the organizer has registered the participant. You can find this participant under Participants within the Organizer's Tool.

Once you have reviewed the import status, click on Import Contacts located in the upper right corner. This will open the list of Imported Contacts. Here, you can view all the imported contacts and take further actions such as inviting contacts, registering on their behalf, or deleting them. 

If you didn't find an answer to your questions, please get in touch with the Support Team here.