Data Wizard

4 minute read

What is the data wizard?

The Data Wizard allows you to bulk import data from Salesforce to Mailchimp.

You can import records from a number of sources: List view, report, SOQL query or Salesforce campaign.

During the wizard, you can map Salesforce fields to Mailchimp merge fields. And you can assign tags or groups to your contacts. Additionally, the entire import can be scheduled to run automatically, making it easy to keep your Mailchimp audience up to date.

Key features include:

Work with any Salesforce object.
Map Salesforce fields to Mailchimp merge fields.
Add people to groups or tags.
Schedule to automate the process.

How to use the data wizard

The walkthrough below demonstrates using a list view as the import source, but you can also use a report, SOQL query or Salesforce Camapaign.

Note: The fields included on the source (report columns, etc) are the fields available to map in the wizard.

The import wizard creates new members with a Subscribed status. Make sure your source excludes any emails that shouldn’t be subscribed. Unsubscribed records will never be reactivated.

If your import includes archived records, the “Filter Archived Records” setting on the last page of the wizard controls how they are handled.

If double opt-in is enabled in Mailchimp, reactivated and newly imported emails will be treated as new and will receive a confirmation email.

FAQs

How do I fix a heap size error on the data wizard?

If you see a heap size error when running the data wizard, you can adjust how many records we process per execution. The fewer the records the less memory used, the import will run a little slower but for most people this will not be noticeable. Follow the steps below to adjust to 100.

1. Go to the Mailchimp Settings tab.

2. Select Maintenance from the menu.

3. Click on Settings from the dropdown next to Reports.

4. Locate the ‘Data Wizard SOQL records per execution’ setting.

5. Change the value to 100 and save the settings.

This adjustment should help optimize your process. However, if necessary, you can reduce it further, ultimately to 1 record. If you reach 1, then you should probably check other custom code, flows, or processes that are running outside of our product.

How do I sync a Salesforce Campaign to Mailchimp?

You can sync Salesforce Campaign members to Mailchimp via the Data Wizard. Choose Salesforce Campaigns as the data source on the first step of the wizard. To locate a specific campaign, search for it by name. We will also list several recently modified records for quicker access.

You can then filter which Campaign Members are included by their member status if needed.

The fields available for mapping are those on the Campaign Member object. To include contact or lead fields not already included on campaign members by Salesforce, you will need to create a formula on the campaign member object. Or you can consider a report type that combines the fields you need and use a report-based data wizard instead.

Guide: Data Wizard

How do I troubleshoot issue with field mappings?

Mapping fields is possible in several places in the integration. Below are notes to help you troubleshoot the most common mistakes.

All mappings must match in data type. For example, Salesforce picklists can map to Mailchimp single-select lists or text fields. Please refer to the FAQs for checkboxes and multi-select picklists.
We recommend creating new merge fields from the app, with the New Merge Field button above each mapping. We will handle the data type match for you.
Be sure to consider these common fields, which may require special handling: phone numbers, addresses, full names and birthdays.

Data Wizard (guide)

The Salesforce fields for mapping must be available on the wizard's source. They should be columns in the list view or report, campaign member fields, or SELECT parameters in your SOQL query.

Example - To map a contact's First and Last Name instead of Full Name, you should include First and Last Name fields as columns in your report or list view.
All Salesforce fields must be available to the running user via field-level security. This is already true if you are the running user and can include them in a report/list.
You can preview the data before importing, on the last screen of the wizard. Click the Preview tab.

Field Mapping (guide)

Always check Maintenance log for errors in field mappings. (Maintenance logs & email alerts)

Mailchimp to Salesforce:

All Salesforce fields must be available via field-level security to the Salesforce Sync user. (User Security)
If you are creating records, the data can't break Salesforce validation rules or field requirements.
You can preview mapping rules.

Salesforce to Mailchimp:

Users should have our limited permission set so their record edits trigger mappings. (User Security)
Merge fields that are required on Maichimp forms can break the update if not populated (by field mapping or already filled in Mailchimp when we attempt to update Mailchimp).

How are archived records updated in Salesforce?

When working with the data wizard you may filter out archived members. This filter works off the values within Salesforce - specifically Mailchimp_Member__c.Status__c = 'Archived'.

This value is updated as part of the primary sync which runs every hour by default.

What happens if I have 20 report filters?

Salesforce reports support a maximum of 20 filters. Exceeding this limit will result in errors or process failures when interacting with the report programmatically. Our system adds a filter to your Salesforce report during processing. If your report already has 20 filters, adding our filter exceeds the limit, causing the process to fail. To avoid this issue limit the number of filters in your report to 19 or fewer. If that is not possible, consider using SOQL instead.

Can I preview what the data wizard will import?

On the last page of the data wizard, before clicking Save and Import, open the Data Wizard Preview tab. This will preview the number of eligible records in the source that will be synced to Mailchimp and share examples of the email and the merge field data it will send.

Related: Data Wizard results

Can I preview before the data wizard sends information to MailChimp?

Yes, we have a preview built into the data wizard. The preview is available on the last part of the data wizard, click the tab to view. If you are looking for a specific email address, you can filter it using the search.

To access it please see the associated interactive demo.

Can I map to a Mailchimp SMS field?

Mailchimp SMS API rollout has not yet completely happened yet. While these features may appear in some datasets, they are not generally available to all users just yet. Until Mailchimp completes this work, likely to be early next year, you cannot map Salesforce fields to SMS fields in Mailchimp.

Can I pause a data wizard import job?

Yes, you can pause a scheduled Data Wizard import job. To do so, navigate to the specific import, click on the dropdown menu to the right, and select “Pause.” This action will pause the schedule. Restart it from the same menu.

To learn more about the data wizard click here.

Can I change the running user on the data wizards?

Yes, you can change the running user of a Data Wizard import.

Have the new running user login (or use Salesforce's "Login As" feature)
Navigate to the specific import
Click on the dropdown menu to the right and select “Change User.”

This action will assign the import process to your user as the running user.

Why are records missing from my import?

If you are missing Mailchimp Member records in your Audience after completing a data wizard, there are several things to check:

1. Are the missing records still present in the source of your data wizard?

The data wizard is dynamic. We pull the criteria of the report or list used in its setup every time we run the wizard.

Note: Data wizards based on reports have an action "View Report" to open it directly: click the down arrow (action menu) on the data wizard.

2. Did the data wizard run successfully?

If so, it should show a completed status.

If the status says 'Failed,' you can click the red badge for more information.

We may also record a Maintenance Log in Mailchimp Settings, and you can subscribe to a report we include called Failed Imports.

3. When you check the results of the data wizard, are any errors shown?

Click the dropdown arrow on the wizard and then View Results.

4. Are emails are duplicated in the source?

you will see a lower number in the source report than imported, as Mailchimp doesn't allow duplicated emails across members.

5. Did you have the "Filter Archived Members" setting enabled in the data wizard?

If you filter out archived members, we won't update them with the wizard.

6. Is email address missing?

We can't import records without emails, so your source report/list should be filtered on records with emails, or the number of lines in the report may be larger than the number in your Results.

Can I see the results of a Data Wizard import?

Yes, every time an the data wizard runs, we store the results to show what updates occurred in Mailchimp

1. Select the subscriber list you want to work with by going to the Audience tab.
2. Then click the name of the list to open it.Now click Data Wizard.
3. Click on the Dropdown arrow on the far right of the import you wish to view. https://jmp.sh/7Hyj4PdL
4. Click Results.

What do the results mean?

• Total Created: Refers to new Mailchimp records, indicating email addresses that were newly added to the audience during the import process.

• Total Updated: Refers to existing members in the audience that were updated as part of the import.

• Message Count: Shows the number of errors encountered during the addition or update of records. Any issues that occurred will be detailed in the section below.

Can I import data from a formula field?

You can import data from a formula field using our data wizard. Simply include the formula field in your source, e.g., a report, list view, SOQL, and then map it to the corresponding field in Mailchimp.

Do you support long area text fields

Unfortunately we don't support mapping long area text fields to Mailchimp via the data wizard due to API restrictions.

How to update picklist values in Mailchimp?

Both Salesforce and Mailchimp can have picklist field types. The values contained within these fields can change.

If a value changes or is added in Mailchimp, it will need to be manually updated in Salesforce to match exactly.

If the values are added or changed in Salesforce, our integration can update Mailchimp, and at the time the field is mapped in the data wizard. Values that don't match before the integration is installed will need to be edited by hand.

Important notes:

The picklist values must active in Salesforce Object settings to be mapped to Mailchimp.
The integration will use the API Name of the Picklist Values, not the Value you see in Salesforce when editing records. Value and API Name are usually the same, but changing values should only be done by an experienced admin. Create new picklist values instead when possible.

How can I work with more than one email for the same person?

In Mailchimp, an email address can only exist on an audience once. Audience membership records (called Contacts in Mailchimp) are contained within a flat table, so there is no possibility to link records or have a single member with many different email addresses.

If you have a Salesforce contact or lead with many email addresses and want to load them into Mailchimp, the best option is to use the data wizard.

As an example, if you wanted to add one Salesforce contact with two email addresses to the same Mailchimp audience, you could use these steps:

Create two Salesforce reports containing the fields you need. Ensure each report includes one of the email addresses (e.g., personal email in the first report and work email in the second).
Use the data wizard to create an import schedule for the first report. Then create another import using the wizard for the second report. Running both imports will create two audience members, each with one of the two emails.
Update the Mailchimp to Salesforce matching rules to include any emails for which you made separate imports. Configuring matching is explained in Field Mappings.

The data wizards will create two audience members related to the one contact. When Mailchimp data--like subscription status, activity history or mapped fields--is synced to Salesforce, it will be related to the correct contact.

Do you add back unsubscribed records?

The Data Wizard will not re-add a record that has been unsubscribed in Mailchimp, even if the email address exists in the Salesforce source being utilized. However, if an archived record is included in the import, we can update its status from archived to active, depending on the wizard's settings.

We do offer a resubscribe option via our Invocable Actions.

Data Wizard User Guide

How does the auto map feature work?

When mapping fields through either the field mappings feature or the data wizard, you'll notice an "Auto Map" button. Clicking this button applies default mappings automatically on standard fields.

If you customize your own mappings afterward, these customizations are saved for future use. The next time you utilize the "Auto Map" feature, it will incorporate both the default mappings, adjusted by any personalized mappings you've previously set up, ensuring a more tailored mapping experience.

Does the data wizard allow you to delete records?

Currently, the data wizard does not allow you to set audience members to deleted. We do, however have a feature request for this and are reviewing options.

What happens if I try to import archived records via the data wizard?

The import wizard includes a setting on the last page: Filter Archived Members.

If enabled, we will not re-import or update archived members, even if they appear in the import source.

If disabled, any archived members in the import source will be set back to active in Mailchimp.

Note: When the wizard runs, archived members are filtered out based on their status in Salesforce at the time, not Mailchimp. To use this feature effectively, we recommend that the primary sync run hourly to keep member records up to date.

Learn more about the Data Wizard.

https://jumpshare.com/embed/h1JQSSvrxSB2WP6rgvpo

What editions does the data wizard work with?

The data wizard works with all In Mailchimp account types and Salesforce Professional Edition and above. When importing data you can choose between a:

Salesforce Report (up to 50,000 records per report).
Salesforce List View (except with Professional Edition)
Salesforce Campaign
SOQL query

Limits

Salesforce reports - Salesforce has a hard limit of 50,000 rows in a single report import. Keep in mind you can create more than one import wizard. Or you could filter your report to include only recently changed records and have it run on a scheduled basis.

SOQL and List views don't have any limits however you cannot use a list view if you are on Salesforce Professional edition. This is because Salesforce have limited API access for Professional users.

How do tags work in the data wizard?

The Data Wizard imports and update Mailchimp members from a variety of sources. When you reach the last screen, you can assign one or more tags to the records you are importing.

Click add tags. This will allow you to assign any tags that have already been created or create new ones. The replace option, if checked, will remove any tags to the records you are importing. It will then assign the selected tags you have specified. If you need more granular control of tags, consider our invocable action for tags.

How does the data wizard work with groups?

If you have already created groups in your Mailchimp audience, you will be able to assign imported members to them on the last screen of the data wizard. Click edit groups to choose groups for that import. Groups can only be added, not removed, via the import wizard.

Groups must be set up in Mailchimp directly. If you have not already set up groups or would like further information please see - https://mailchimp.com/help/getting-started-with-groups/

What is the running user on the data wizard?

The owner of an Import job is the user who created or last configured the job. When you create a new Import job, the owner will be you, the current Salesforce user. If you are importing data for another user, you can login to Salesforce as that user and then configure the Import job.

Running users should have our standard permission set. More on Mailchimp for Salesforce User Security

How do I schedule an import?

You can schedule the data wizard to run automatically. This appears on the last page of the wizard - https://jmp.sh/KU4E60f8. Once clicked, you can choose a preset frequency or a custom one. When you click save or save and import, the schedule will be set.

What are the different sources?

There are four different types of import sources. We typically recommend using either a Salesforce report or a list view.

List View
Pros - Easy to use, and you will often have them set up.
Cons - You will be limited to one Salesforce Object. First and Last Name is not split for you. It's challenging to see the total number to be imported on a large list.

Report
Pros - Easy to use, and you will often have them set up. They can work across objects. Salesforce includes some means to limit access to the source report.
Cons - You are limited to 50,000 records per import.

Campaigns
Pros - It is useful if you have a defined Salesforce campaign and campaign members.
Cons - You are limited to a single Salesforce campaign. Data from the contact/lead can only be included via formulas.

SOQL
Pros - Provides a high level of flexibility.
Cons - Requires a person with development skills to set up and maintain.

Is there a limit on how many records I can import?

When importing via the Data Wizard, only the Salesforce report as the source has a hard limit of 50,000 records. This is a limitation of Salesforce reports, not the integration.

Options:

You can limit the number of lines in the report by updating report filter criteria. For example, using last modified date to only sync records that have changed in the last few days will keep changed records updated without having to import all records again.
If you are uploading data to Mailchimp for the first time, you can split up the data into multiple import (splitting into multiple reports based on record created date is easy). Or you can upload directly to Mailchimp with an export from the full Salesforce report.
Use a different source without the same limits: More information

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What is the data wizard?

How to use the data wizard

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