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I am looking for documentation on how to bulk add existing contacts to a roster. We have a community platform on Higher Logic and I want to send an email to all members who have not logged in to HL yet. There are automated emails we can use in HL but we want to send through Customer Insights - Journeys to have consistent branding.

I have an excel file of all the Contacts who have logged in. I would like to export a list of current members (~8k), compare to the excel file (~1k) to remove the people who have already logged in. Then I would like to import the Contacts who have NOT logged in (~7k) to a Roster.

When I have tried to do this in the past I end up with NEW contacts instead of updating existing. Any guidance is appreciated.

I also looked into using a Zapier. Open to other ideas for most streamlined way to do this. We'll likely continue sending emails to this group so will need to refresh the list.

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Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Hello BJ-20051632-0,

You're on the right track with your approach, but the key is to ensure you're matching and updating existing contacts during the import process, rather than creating new ones.

Here's a breakdown of how to achieve this in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights - Journeys (formerly Marketing), along with some considerations for your Higher Logic integration:
1. Preparing Your Data:

Export from Dynamics 365:
- Export your entire contact list (8k) from Dynamics 365 as an Excel file.
- Include the following columns:
  - Email Address (Crucial for Matching): This is the most reliable way to match existing contacts.
  - Contact ID (GUID): This is the unique identifier for each contact in Dynamics 365.
  - Any other relevant fields you might need.
Prepare Your "Logged In" List:
- Your Excel file (1k) of contacts who have logged in should also contain the email address.
Data Comparison and Filtering:
- Use Excel or a similar tool to compare the two lists and identify the contacts who are in the Dynamics 365 export but NOT in the "logged in" list. You can use functions like VLOOKUP or MATCH for this.
- Create a new Excel file containing only the contacts who have NOT logged in (your 7k list).
- Make sure that this new file contains the email address and contact id columns.

2. Importing Contacts to a Segment (Roster Equivalent):

Create a Static Segment:
- In Customer Insights - Journeys, go to "Segments" and create a new "Static segment."
- Static segments are essentially your "rosters" for one-time or recurring campaigns.
Import from Excel:
- When creating the static segment, you'll have the option to import from Excel.
- Crucial Step: Mapping Fields:
  - During the import process, you'll need to map the columns in your Excel file to the corresponding fields in the Contact entity.
  - Make sure to map the email address column from your excel file to the email address column in dynamics 365, and the contact ID column from your excel file to the contact ID column in dynamics 365.
  - Ensure that you are not mapping first name, last name, or other data that could be different from the data that is already in dynamics 365. If you map those fields and the data is different, it will update the data in Dynamics 365.
  - This is the most important step. Mapping the contact id will tell dynamics 365 that you are updating existing contact records.
- Duplicate Detection:
  - Dynamics 365 has duplicate detection rules. Make sure you have the duplicate detection rules set up to match on email address.
- Run the Import:
  - After mapping the fields, run the import. Dynamics 365 will use the email address and contact ID to match existing contacts and add them to the segment.

3. Using the Segment in Customer Insights - Journeys:

Create a Journey:
- Create a new journey in Customer Insights - Journeys.
- Use your newly created static segment as the audience for the journey.
Design Your Email:
- Create your branded email message.
Send the Email:
- Configure the journey to send the email to the segment members.

4. Higher Logic Considerations:

API Integration (Advanced):
- For a more streamlined and automated approach, explore the Higher Logic API.
- You could potentially use the API to:
  - Retrieve a list of members who have not logged in.
  - Automatically update a Dynamics 365 segment with this list.
Zapier or Power Automate:
- Zapier or Power Automate can be used to automate the process of moving data between Higher Logic and Dynamics 365.
- You could use zapier or power automate to pull the list of users who have logged in from higher logic, and then update a field in dynamics 365. You could then create a dynamic segment in dynamics 365 that only includes the contacts that do not have that field populated.

Key Tips:

Test Thoroughly: Always test your import process with a small sample of data before importing your entire list.
Data Quality: Ensure that your data is clean and accurate. Inconsistent email addresses can lead to matching errors.
Regular Updates: To keep your list up to date, schedule regular exports and imports.

By carefully mapping your fields during the import process, you can avoid creating duplicate contacts and ensure that your emails are sent to the correct audience.

If my answer was helpful, please click Like, and if it solved your problem, please mark it as verified to help other community members find more.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.

My response was crafted with AI assistance and tailored to provide detailed and actionable guidance for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 query.

Best Regards,
Daivat Vartak

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