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Kathi_Gosche
Kathi_Gosche
Level 4
September 23, 2014
Question

Null value overwriting data value during list import

  • September 23, 2014
  • 6 replies
  • 4394 views
I have a lead that had complete contact information in their profile. However, when I imported a list of webinar attendees from a partner company that included this lead, their phone number and address where changed to null. How is this possible? I was under the impression that list import only changed fields that are populated with different information and that empty fields do not owerwrite populated fields. Is this not true? 
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6 replies

Elliott_Lowe1
Elliott_Lowe1
Level 7
September 23, 2014
For every field you may import, you have to specify to block field updates if there is an exiting value in the field.  Then if a lead's  field has data, the imported data will not overwrite that field.  If you don't block field updates, then a lead's field will be overwritten with the imported data, even if the imported field data is blank.
A
Anonymous
May 18, 2015

Where is this option to block field updates? I did not see this option when I uploaded a list of new and existing leads and ran into the same problem as Kathi. Fields that were already populated in our database were replaced. I was under the impression that only empty fields would be populated.

A
Anonymous
May 18, 2015

Hi Megan, to do this you would go to Admin > Field Management > Field Actions, then choose Block Field Updates.  From there you should be able to toggle which actions result in updates to certain fields, and which are blocked.

Kathi_Gosche
Kathi_GoscheAuthor
Level 4
September 23, 2014
Really? How unfortunate! So if I have a list of leads with varing fields populated, I'm going to have to sort them into smaller lists and import seperatly so that I can block specific fields to not overwrite? This seems very painful. Is there a way to set a global rule that says, if imported data field is null, do not overwrite stored data?
Josh_Hill13
Josh_Hill13
Level 10
September 23, 2014
Yes, you go to Admin > Field Management and field block each field you wish to prevent overwriting.

BUT, I am curious why your NULL value on the sheet overwrote an existing value in Marketo, even w/o field blocking. I was pretty sure that shouldn't happen unless you somehow set the field to "0" or "NULL"
A
Anonymous
September 23, 2014
Yeah, if it's just blank we usually don't overwrite the field.
Kathi_Gosche
Kathi_GoscheAuthor
Level 4
September 23, 2014
I was pretty sure that shouldn't happen either Josh. I'll have to test to verify behavior. If it doesn't, then I will open a case. 

By blocking the field in field management, won't that keep the field from ever being populating from a list upload regardless of what the list contains in that field? I only want it to not overwrite if the field in the list is blank. So a phone number in the system doesn't get replaced by a blank on the list if I don't have that information on my list. 
Josh_Hill13
Josh_Hill13
Level 10
May 19, 2015

It can only be blanked out if you type "NULL" in the field.

Open a ticket or show us the activity log of the leads in question.

A
Anonymous
May 19, 2015

Great, thank you for your help.

On Tue, May 19, 2015 at 9:22 AM, Josh Hill <marketingnation@marketo.com>

Kathi_Gosche
Kathi_GoscheAuthor
Level 4
October 1, 2014
I did a test import today and the populated fields did not get overwritten with blank fields in my list import. I'm glad that is the case. However I still don't know why the other list was overwritten with null fields. I guess I will need to open a ticket.

Thanks for all your help everyone.
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