How to Use Default Values When Importing Contacts

When importing contacts from a spreadsheet or configuring your incoming web leads, you may encounter the term "Default Value." A Default Value is information that is applied to all contacts being imported, such as Lead Source, Team, Contact Owner, and more. This feature is useful for adding consistent data across all contacts in a file without overwriting any existing information. The Default Value will only populate if the contact's corresponding field is blank.

Using Default Values

Default Values can be utilized in two areas: while importing contacts from a spreadsheet and when configuring your incoming web leads. Below are the steps to enable Default Values in each section:

Importing From a Spreadsheet

  1. Enable Default Value: While importing contacts, check the Enable Default Value Import checkbox.
  2. Select Field: Find the VanillaSoft field to which you want to apply the Default Value.
  3. Enter Information: Enter or select the desired information into the Default Value field.
  4. Start Import: Complete the rest of your import setup and select Start Import.

For more detailed instructions on importing contacts, refer to the How to Import Contacts into VanillaSoft article.

Configuring Incoming Web Leads

  1. Open Field Drop-down: In the incoming web lead settings, find the Default Value header.
  2. Select Field: Open the VanillaSoft Field drop-down and select the desired field.
  3. Enter Information: Enter the desired information into the Default Value field.
  4. Add Value: Click the green plus symbol to apply the Default Value.
  5. Save Configuration: Complete the rest of your configuration and click Save.

If the VanillaSoft field is already mapped, you can click Edit and enter the desired information into the Default Value field.

Note: This is a plain text field. To set values like Team, Lead Source, etc., ensure the information is typed exactly as listed in your project to avoid creating duplicates.

For more detailed instructions on setting up incoming web leads, refer to the How to Set Up Incoming Web Leads article.

Using Default Values when importing contacts or configuring web leads in VanillaSoft ensures that essential data is consistently applied across all contacts without overwriting existing information. This feature simplifies data entry and maintains data integrity. 

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