IMPORTANT NOTE: To keep your winners' information as secure as possible, never email your winner database from one person to another. We have designed to our winner database import to be completed by you, without sending any information via file transfer or email to anyone else.
NOTE: If you see the "Winner Upload Complete" message when you initially go to the Winner Supload area, it means that a previous winner database has been uploaded. Contact the Help Desk if you need to upload a subsequent database.
Importing Winners can be completed in Settings / Firm / Winner Imports by a Firm Admin only.
Formatting Your Database
Download the provided template.
The Winner Import template can be downloaded from Settings / Firm / Winner Imports. It is called, "firm_winner_import_template.tsv".
We use the "Tab-Separated Values" format to avoid issues when importing database with commas in them. To open a TSV or a Tab-Separated TXT file in Excel:
- Click "File,"
- Choose "Open"
- Click "Browse"
- In the lower right fo rthe browse window, click "All Excel Files" to show file options.
- Choose "All Files"
- Click on "firm_winner_import_template.tsv" where ever it was saved.
- Click "Open."
- In the Text Import Wizard Step 1, make sure the "Delimited" button is activated, and click "Next."
- In Step 3, make sure the Tab checkbox is checked
- Format any Date columns as Dates MDY and click Finish. (See "Formatting Dates" below.)
- You should see the sheet laid out for you.
Make sure your file conforms to the columns layout exactly.
The key is to make sure that the database that you upload conforms to the column layout in the import template with the correct information in each column:
Column | Label (data) | Formatting Notes |
A | Winner First Name | Must not be blank |
B | Winner Last Name | Must not be blank |
C | Date of Birth | (See "Formatting Dates" below.) |
D | Primary Phone | |
E | Mobile Phone | |
F | Street Address | |
G | Apartment # | |
H | City | |
I | State | |
J | Zipcode |
Zip codes with leading zeros require the Excel "special" format type for zip code (for other spreadsheet vendors use "00000") |
K | Email Address | Only one email address is allowed per winner and it must follow standard character restrictions |
L | SSN | |
M | Date Won | (See "Formatting Dates" below.) |
N | Contest Name | |
O | Prize Claim Date | (See "Formatting Dates" below.) |
P | Prize Value |
You'll want to search your database for formatting errors and duplicate entries, misspellings, etc. to make sure the uploaded list is "clean."
NOTE: This should be one database for all stations. You may need to copy/paste databases together in one sheet if your existing database is siloed into individual stations databases.
Formatting Dates
All of the dates in your winner database should be formatted the same way. The best way to accomplish this is in Excel is:
- Highlight the columns that contain dates and right mouseclick
- Choose "Format Cells"format the columns as dates
- Choose Date from the Category area on the left.
- Choose *3/14/2012 as the Type. (M/D/YYYY)
- Click OK
Look over your dates to ensure that all are the same with either / or - as separators between Month, Day, and Year.
Saving Your Formatted Database
Now that your format is merged into one clean, properly formatted sheet, you'll need to save it as either a ".tsv" file, or a tab-separated ".txt" file.
- In Excel, you'll choose "Save As".
- Choose "This PC" as the location or browse to find a location that you will remember.
- Below the file name, click on the dropdown and choose "Text (Tab delimited) (*txt).
- Save.
Now, your database is ready to upload.
Uploading Your Database
- In Settings / Firm / Winner Imports, click the "Choose File" button.
- In the bottom instructions area on the Winner Imports screen under Validate Data, there are instructions that specify how the dates in your winner database are formatted. They say, "All date formats should be MM-DD-YYYY (slashes accepted in place of dashes) OR as specified here: " followed by a white box. Type in the Date Format that your winner database uses with "M" representing month digits, "D" representing day digits, and "Y" representing year digits.
EXAMPLES
- If your dates have 2-digit Months and Days ("07/04" for July 4), use MM/DD.
- If your dates have 1-digit Months and Days ("7/4" for July 4), use M/D.
- If your dates have 2-digit Years ("21" for 2021), use YY.
- For dates that look like this: "3/14/21" you should enter "M/D/YY" in the white box.
- For dates that look like this: "3/14/2021" you should enter "M/D/YYYY" in the white box. - Now, click the "Browse" button to find your winner database file.
- Select your file and click "Open".
- You will see a list of all of the data that will be imported. If satisfied, click the blue "Import Verified Winners" button
- Wait for Winners, Encryption, and Winner History to finish rendering.
- When the "Winner Upload Complete" message shows, you are finished!
NOTE: If you see the "Winner Upload Complete" message when you initially go to the Winner Supload area, it means that a previous winner database has been uploaded. Contact the Help Desk if you need to upload a subsequent database.
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