How to Load Email Data into Avid

Use this article when…

• You want to load email contact data into Avid using a file.
• You want to append new email contacts or statuses over time.
• You need consistent reporting on email eligibility, bounces, and unsubscribe behavior.

Applies to

Steps

Step 1: Go to the data upload page

1. Log in to Avid.
2. In the left navigation, go to Settings.
3. Open the Files section and locate the Add file button. This is where you upload files or connect SFTP/public links. 
   Expected result: You see options to add a new file using different upload methods.

Step 2: Upload your file

1. Choose your upload method:
   • SFTP: Set up an SFTP drive that automatically processes any data files uploaded to it.
   • Direct upload: Drag and drop your file into the upload area or use the file picker.
   • Public link: Generate a Public link and share it with your data handlers so they can upload the file without accessing the rest of Avid.
2. Prepare your file: 
   Include the key columns below. The more fields you include, the richer your reporting will be. For a full and complete list of supported columns, see Columns for email file uploads.

Required columns

• Email (Required): The individual email address.
• Date created (Required): The original inception date for the email contact when available.

Recommended columns to improve matching

These fields help Avid match your email file to your donor records:

• Contact ID (Recommended): System identifier for this contact.
• Donor household account ID (Recommended): Household-level CRM ID.
• Donor individual contact ID (Recommended): Individual/contact-level CRM ID.

Optional columns for better email analytics

These fields help you understand eligibility, bounces, and engagement over time:

• Status (Optional): Email status (for example, sendable, bounced, unsubscribed).
• Unsubscribe date (Optional): The date the subscriber opted out.
• Date first bounce (Optional): The date the subscriber first had a tracked bounce or undeliverable event.
• Date last bounce (Optional): The date the subscriber most recently had a tracked bounce or undeliverable event.
• Date first send (Optional): The date of the first email the subscriber received.
• Date last send (Optional): The date of the most recent email the subscriber received.

Once your file includes the columns you need, click Upload and select your file. After uploading, you can view it in the Files tab. You can upload multiple files and they will all be available for reporting.

Step 3: Configure the file for email contact reporting

1. In Settings > Files, find your uploaded file and select the + Add button next to its name. 
   Expected result: You open a configuration screen to create a data set for this file.
2. Enter the following details to create a reusable data set that future files can append to automatically:
   • Name: Choose a descriptive name, such as Email file upload.
   • Category: Select Email contacts.
   • Refresh type: Choose Append so you can add multiple files over time and maintain a continuous record of mailings and recipients.
   • Deduplication (Optional): Choose how future files deduplicate against existing records (for example, when the same file is uploaded twice). A common approach is to select the Email column and Contact ID if available.
   • File name pattern: This tells Avid which future files belong to this data set.
     • Full file name: If you use the same file name every time, leave the default as is.
     • Wildcard matching: If the file name changes, enter a pattern that includes specific words plus the % wildcard before and/or after them. For example, a pattern of email% will match files like email_september.csv and email_contacts_20241010.csv.
3. Click Next when you finish configuring the data set.
4. On the Inclusion filter screen, you can skip this step unless you need to include only certain rows. Click Next to continue.

Step 4: Map your data columns

After the inclusion filter, you reach the final step of the setup process. Here you align each column in your file with the corresponding Avid field.

Use the dropdowns on the left to choose the Avid field for each file column on the right. First, map all required fields, such as Email and Date created. Then, map any additional fields you included.

If there is no default field for a column you want to use, create a Custom column. Custom columns can be used for filters or custom charts later.

Pro tips

• Flexible columns: Column names in your file do not need to match Avid names exactly. Keep naming consistent across files so processing stays reliable.
• Appending new data: Always choose the Append refresh type for long-term email reporting across multiple sends and campaigns.
• Custom filters: Use mapped fields (for example, segment, category, or package) to filter and slice your email performance in Avid.

What to expect

After you finish these steps, your email contact file is uploaded, configured as a reusable data set, and mapped to Avid’s fields. Future files that match your file name pattern will append automatically, giving you consistent, up-to-date email reporting.

Next steps

• Review all supported columns in Columns for email file uploads.
• Use your email contact data in Avid reporting and dashboards to evaluate list health and fundraising performance over time.