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Import Entries

This feature is available on Premium plans and above.

Written by Rafael Felsemburg

Entry Importing (Import Entries)

The Import Entries feature allows you to upload entrants into your Viralsweep promotion using a spreadsheet. This is ideal when you need to add participants in bulk instead of collecting entries through automated entry methods. It also works when you need to add a single entrant who can't be found in your Entrants list.

How Entry Importing Works

You can upload a spreadsheet containing entrant information directly into your campaign. The file must follow Viralsweep’s import template and include required fields. Optional and custom fields can also be included if they already exist on your campaign’s entry form.

Importing Entries

You can import entrants into a Viralsweep promotion using a CSV or Excel (.xlsx) file. This is useful for migrating existing entrants, adding offline entries, or updating existing entrant data in bulk.

Before You Begin

Before importing entries, make sure:

  • Your file is in CSV (.csv) or Excel (.xlsx) format.

  • The first row contains column headers.

  • Each entrant has a unique email address.

  • Your file uses supported Viralsweep column names.

Importing Entries

To import entrants:

  1. Open your promotion.

  2. Navigate to Entrants.

  3. Click Import.

  4. Upload your CSV or Excel file.

  5. Review the import summary.

  6. Confirm the import.

    Note: You can also download the Import Template by navigating to Entrants → Import → Import Template. This template includes the supported column names and recommended formatting for importing entrants.

Column Header Matching

Column headers are matched case-insensitively.

Spaces () and underscores (_) are treated interchangeably, so you don't need to match the formatting exactly.

For example, all of the following column names are accepted:

Accepted Variations

LOCATION, location, Location

INITIAL ENTRY, initial_entry, Initial Entry

ENTRY SOURCE, entry_source, Entry Source

FIRST NAME, first_name, First Name

LAST NAME, last_name, Last Name

This flexibility applies to all predefined ViralSweep columns.

Flexible Column Names

ViralSweep accepts both the official import template column names and the column names found in ViralSweep export files.

This allows you to edit an exported CSV and import it again without renaming predefined columns.

Examples

Import Template

Export File

Accepted

timestamp

Date

✅

referral_count

Total Referrals

✅

initial_entry

Initial Entry

✅

entry_source

Entry Source

✅

Supported Columns

Column

Required

Description

email

Yes

Entrant email address.

first_name

No

Entrant's first name.

last_name

No

Entrant's last name.

phone

No

Phone number.

location

No

Entrant location.

entry_source

No

Source of the entry.

initial_entry

Yes

Number of entries to assign during import.

referral_count

No

Number of referrals to assign.

timestamp / Date

No

Entry timestamp. Either column name is accepted.

update_entry

No

Updates existing entrants instead of skipping them.

Custom Fields

No

Any existing custom field in your promotion.

Updating Existing Entrants

By default, ViralSweep only imports new entrants.

If an entrant already exists, they will be skipped unless you include the update_entry column.

How update_entry Works

Add a column named update_entry to your file.

Value

Result

(Blank or omitted)

Existing entrants are skipped. New entrants are imported.

1

Existing entrants are updated using the values in your import file.

Use update_entry = 1 when you want to:

  • Update existing entrant information.

  • Modify custom field values.

  • Update referral counts.

  • Re-import previously exported entrant data after making changes.

If you're only importing new entrants, you can leave this column out.

Custom Fields

You can import values into any custom fields that already exist in your promotion.

To do so:

  1. Create a column using the exact name of the custom field.

  2. Enter the desired value for each entrant.

If the custom field exists in the promotion, ViralSweep will automatically import the values.

Common Import Tips

  • Verify email addresses before importing.

  • Review your column headers before uploading.

  • Export your entrant data before making bulk edits.

  • Large imports may take several minutes to complete.

Troubleshooting

Existing Entrants Were Skipped

Existing entrants are skipped unless your file includes:

update_entry = 1

Without this column, only new entrants are imported.

My Exported CSV Won't Import

ViralSweep accepts both import template column names and exported column names for all predefined fields, so renaming columns is usually unnecessary.

Check that:

  • Required columns are present.

  • Email addresses are valid.

  • The file is saved as a CSV or Excel (.xlsx).

Import Failed

If your import fails:

  • Verify that the file format is supported.

  • Ensure the first row contains column headers.

  • Confirm there are no duplicate or invalid email addresses.

  • Review your column names for unsupported fields.

Need Help?

If you have questions about importing entrants or encounter an import error, contact our support team using the chat icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen.

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