Importing contacts into SurveySparrow via SFTP
The Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) is used across industries that deal with large amounts of sensitive data. Using authentication and encryption, SFTP ensures that you can perform regular file operations on a remote server and manage data without any information security risk.
SurveySparrow has native support for SFTP, allowing you to handle your data with complete security. You can use SFTP to:
- Import employee lists into SurveySparrow: click here to learn how.
- Export survey responses to a remote server: click here to learn how.
- Share email surveys: click here to learn how.
In this article, we’ll take a look at another application of SFTP: importing contacts from a remote server into SurveySparrow.
1. Inside the SurveySparrow app, open the Contacts menu, then select Contacts.
2. The complete contact list opens up. Click Add Contacts in the right corner.
3. Then click
4. To import contacts, you will need a connection to an SFTP server. Set it up by typing in the credentials in the respective fields.
5. Once done, click Save Connection.
6. Now, you must choose the location where the contact list is stored. Click on the drop-down menu titled Choose and select one of the options.
7. Then, click Choose file or folder.
8. The file directory of the SFTP server opens up. You will see folders, which you can open to see the inner files. To do this, click on one of the folders, then click Select.
Note: You can click the plus icon to the left of the folder to automatically open it, or use the search box at the top of the pop-up.
9. Click on the file you want to import, then click Select.
10. Now you will see the Import location and file details, which you can edit if needed. To proceed, click Continue.
Note: If your list has different date-based versions, you can create a dynamic name pattern. This helps SurveySparrow identify and pull files matching it from the SFTP server. To do this, click Choose Pattern.
After this, a text box opens up. Type in your file name (the text string part) and click on the brackets icon at the end of the text box to add a date variable.
A drop-down menu appears with 4 date formats. Choose the one that you wish.
11. You will proceed to the mapping section, where each of the contact data points from the CSV gets mapped to the corresponding field inside SurveySparrow.
12. Fields with essential data like names get automatically mapped. In case there is any data that is unmapped, or if you want a different mapping for a particular data field, you can change it. Click on the corresponding drop-down menu under the Mapping column and choose from the options.
13. When you’re satisfied with the mapping, click Import.
14. Now you must configure the import schedule. First type in a name for the import.
15. Then choose the import frequency. The default option is a one-time import. But if you wish to have a recurring import, click on Schedule.
16. Then choose the unit of time (daily/weekly/monthly), the time and the time zone.
17. Finally, you must add an email address of someone in your organization so that they are notified about the import.
Troubleshooting: If the import fails with an error like “Internal error 04: Please contact support”, check whether your CSV contains a UniqueID that already exists in SurveySparrow for a different contact. UniqueID values must be unique in the system; if the same UniqueID appears for another contact (especially with a different email), the import can fail. Fix: remove the conflicting row(s) or update the UniqueID in your file, then try importing again.
Note: You can add more than one email address. After typing in an email address, press Enter (or Return) on your keyboard, then type in the next email.
18. Once you are ready, click Schedule.
Note: If you choose a one-time import, you must click Finish Import.
19. Then you will be taken to the Imports section, where you can see finished and upcoming imports
20. To pause an import, hover over it. You will see a green toggle, which you must click.
21. To delete an import, hover over it. You will see a grey dustbin icon, which you must click.
With that, you’re fully prepared to use SFTP to handle your contacts. Automate contact importing or take care of bulk imports in a single go. Whatever your use case is, your data is safe and confidential.
Feel free to reach out to our community, if you have any questions.