Use this article when your integration sends files to Avid by email. You will learn how to send an attached file or direct download link that Avid can process.
Use this article when
- You need to send a donor, gift, transaction, or report file to Avid by email.
- Your CRM or source system can email scheduled report files.
- Your emailed file does not appear in Avid after you send it.
Applies to and prerequisites
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Integration type | Email-based file integrations that use an Avid forwarding address. |
| Forwarding address | Use the exact email address provided by Avid for your integration. |
| File format | Use .csv when possible. Avid can also process .xlsx files. |
| File size | Keep the email attachment small enough to send by email. Most email providers limit attachments to about 25 MB. |
| Time | Allow several minutes for Avid to receive and process the file. |
Steps
Copy the exact Avid forwarding address for your integration.
You should see an address that ends in
@forward.avidai.com.Confirm that the address matches exactly before sending.
A small typo can send the file to the wrong place, and Avid will not receive it.
Attach the raw
.csvor.xlsxfile to the email.The file should be attached directly to the message, not shared as a cloud-storage link.
If you need to send a zip file, attach one unprotected
.zipfile.The zip file should contain only one file, and it must not require a password.
If your source system sends a link, confirm the link downloads the file directly.
Avid can only process the link if it opens without a login, password, or access request.
Send the email to the Avid forwarding address.
Avid receives the message and starts processing the attached file or direct download link.
Wait several minutes, then check the integration or file upload area in Avid.
You should see the uploaded file after Avid finishes processing it.
What you will see
After Avid processes the email, the file appears in the related integration or file upload workflow. The exact processing time can vary by file size and source system.
Links and attachments that work
- Directly attached
.csvfiles. - Directly attached
.xlsxfiles. - Unprotected
.zipfiles with one supported file inside. - Public direct-download links that immediately download a
.csvor.xlsxfile.
Common reasons files do not process
Check the forwarding address first. The address must match exactly. Do not add or remove words from the address.
- The email was sent to the wrong forwarding address.
- The file was shared as a Google Drive, Google Docs, or similar cloud-storage link.
- The download link requires a login, password, or access approval.
- The zip file is password-protected or protected by another security setting.
- The zip file contains more than one file.
- The attachment is too large for your email provider to send.
- The file is still processing and needs more time to appear.
If your file does not appear
Wait at least 15 minutes after sending the email.
The file may still be processing.
Confirm that the email was sent to the exact Avid forwarding address.
If the address was wrong, resend the file to the correct address.
Resend the file as a direct attachment instead of a link.
This removes access issues from cloud-storage or protected report links.
If an
.xlsxfile does not finish processing, export and resend it as a.csvfile.CSV files are the safest option for email-based integrations.
If you sent a zip file, confirm it has one file inside and no password.
Then resend the corrected zip file.
Notes and warnings
Public links must download directly. If a person must sign in before downloading the file, Avid cannot process the link.
Google Drive and Google Docs links do not work for this workflow. Attach the file directly or use a public direct-download link.
Use CSV when you can. If your source system supports both .csv and .xlsx, choose .csv.