Contact sync overwrite versus merge

Understand the difference between the overwrite and merge options when importing contacts from a third party into Constant Contact

When connecting some of our contact sync integrations, such as Office 365 or Salesforce, you're prompted to choose whether to overwrite or merge the synced contacts. It's important to understand the difference between these two options, as they differ in how your Constant Contact list will be impacted by the import.

• Understanding the overwrite contact list option
• Understanding the merge contact list option
• Determining which method to use
• Determining the Import Type for an existing import
  
  
  
  

Understanding the overwrite contact list option

If you choose to overwrite, the contact list in your Constant Contact account is updated to match the third-party contact list after the import, and the imported contacts fully replace any contacts that are currently on the selected list. However, the overwrite option pertains to list membership, not contact data. Contact data is instead updated to reflect new information from the import, while existing information isn't removed if it's missing from the third-party contact record.

For example:

• Let's say that contact Demi Stratton is part of the Donors list and Volunteers list in your Constant Contact account, but does not exist in the Salesforce list that's being imported. When you choose the overwrite option, Demi Stratton is removed from the Donors list, but remains on the Volunteers list.
• Let's say contact Leigh Grammer is part of the Donors list in your Constant Contact account and has a stored address of 10 Main Street and a birthday of 6/30/89. Leigh Grammer is also a part of the Salesforce list that's being imported, but has a stored address of 20 Jones Way and no birthday on file. When you choose the overwrite option, Leigh Grammer's address is updated to 20 Jones Way in your Constant Contact account, and the birthday remains 6/30/89.

Understanding the merge contact list option

If you choose to merge contacts, the list in your Constant Contact account is updated to include the new contacts from the third party, and keeps the existing contacts on the list. Additionally, if any of the imported contacts already exist on your Constant Contact list, their information is updated to reflect new information from the import, while existing information isn't removed if it's missing from the third-party contact record.

For example:

• Let's say that contact Demi Stratton is part of the Donors list in your Constant Contact, but does not exist in the Salesforce list that's being imported. When you select the merge option, Demi Stratton remains on the Donors list.
• Let's say contact Leigh Grammer is part of the Donors list in your Constant Contact account and has a stored address of 10 Main Street and a birthday of 6/30/89. Leigh Grammer is also part of the Salesforce list that's being imported, but has a stored address of  20 Jones Way and no birthday on file. When you choose the merge option, Leigh Grammer's address is updated to 20 Jones Way in your Constant Contact account, and the birthday remains 6/30/89.

Determining which method to use

When deciding between the Overwrite and Merge methods, we recommend considering which list contains the most up-to-date memberships. If the list of contacts from the third-party source is more accurate, the overwrite method is the better option. If the list of contacts in your Constant Contact account is up to date and you are adding to/growing it by syncing from a third-party source, the merge method is the better option.

Determining the Import Type for an existing import

To determine how contacts were handled for a specific import, take note of the "Import type" column in the imports list. This field indicates whether an overwrite or a merge was performed.

Questions?