You can add your own data to Members you already have by uploading a CSV file in Settings > Customize. Each row is matched to a Member by phone number, and the values are saved as Custom Member Data fields you can use to filter recipients and personalize Campaigns.
Custom Member Data is available for qualified customers on our usage-based plans. Feature availability and functionality may vary by service plan. Please reach out to your Account Manager or yourfriends@community.com to see if you are eligible.
How do I upload Custom Member Data?
- In the Community web app, go to Settings > Customize.
- Under Custom Member Data, click Upload CSV. If you don't see this option, your seat may have read-only permission. Contact yourfriends@community.com.
- On the Begin Uploading Custom Member Data screen, name your upload.
-
Drag and drop your CSV file onto the upload area. See What format does the CSV need? before you start.
- Review the Preview of your file, then accept the Terms and Conditions.
- Map each column to a data type: Plain Text, Integer, Decimal or True/False. Click Next.
- Wait for the upload to process. You can leave the page. You'll be notified when it's complete.
- Review the summary. It shows your file details and how many values were uploaded. Any phone number that doesn't match an existing Member is skipped.
What format does the CSV need?
Start from the template so the structure is right: Download the CSV template.
- Column 1 holds Members' phone numbers.
- Every other column is one Custom Member Data field.
If you have Data Exports enabled, you can export your Members' phone numbers from the dashboard and use them as your starting column. See Data Exports.
A file with three fields looks like this:
| phone_number | buyer_channel | account_number | total_purchase_amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16789012345 | Amazon | 456 | 43.99 |
| 19012345678 | Target | 7891 | 120.00 |
| 11234567890 | Best Buy | 12380 | 114.35 |
Data format rules
| What | Rule |
|---|---|
| Phone numbers | Digits only, starting with the country code. US numbers start with 1, for example 12223334444. No spaces, dashes, periods or parentheses. TK |
| Column names | Lowercase, with underscores between words, for example streaming_service. |
| Plain Text | Up to 100 characters. |
| Integer | Up to 10 characters. Digits only, no commas or periods. |
| Decimal | Up to 10 characters, not counting the decimal point. No other separators. TK |
| True/False | Any capitalization works: True, true and TRUE are all accepted. |
| Starting characters | Can't start with =, +, -, @, a tab or a carriage return. TK |
| Number of fields | Up to 50 Custom Member Data fields. TK |
Why did my upload fail?
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The upload fails | The file has the same phone number more than once | Remove duplicate rows so each phone number appears once. |
| The upload fails | Two columns have the same name | Rename one of the columns. |
| Fewer values uploaded than rows in your file | Some phone numbers don't match an existing Member | Nothing to fix. Those rows are skipped by design. Check the numbers are formatted correctly if you expected them to match. |
| New Upload isn't there | Your seat has read-only permission | Contact yourfriends@community.com. |
Where can I use my uploaded data?
Once the upload finishes, you can:
- See each Member's values in Member Details.
- Filter Campaign recipients by Custom Fields when you choose your audience.
- Insert a field into a message as dynamic text, up to 4 fields per message. TK See Inserting dynamic text into messages.