When importing data to populate standard system objects in Slate, such as gifts, addresses, and devices, Slate will attempt to prevent the duplication of system objects associated with the Person or Dataset record. In many cases, matching system objects are updated based on the imported data, while in others, the data is removed from the process to avoid creating duplicate system objects. This article details the process Slate uses to match or create each type of system object when imported.
Interactions and Activities never match existing interactions. Instead, they are added as new interactions, but they are deduped using the following criteria:
- If an activity or interaction already exists for the record with the same code and the same source (meaning the same source file or form), then the interaction will not be re-added.
- If an activity or interaction already exists with the same code, subject, and date (or the date was not mapped), then the interaction will not be re-added.
Some items can be mapped to override these behaviors:
| Source Field | Destination |
|---|---|
| 1. Interaction: Allow Duplicate Interactions | Can be mapped to Yes on a form to allow multiple submissions of the same form to add the same interaction code. |
| 2. Activity: Prevent Duplication or Interaction: Prevent Duplication | Can be mapped as a static value to No to prevent deduping using method #2 above. This can be useful if you have an import that maps the activity/interaction code and subject but not a date, and you want the activity/interaction to be added each time the record is included in an uploaded file. |
Activity/Interaction Creation
If the activity or interaction is not considered a duplicate, one will be added as long as Activity: Code or Interaction: Code is mapped. If no date is mapped, the current date is used.
Addresses do not match existing address objects. Instead, they are added as new addresses but are deduped first. Address, Mailing Address, and Permanent Address destinations all have the same import behavior. While items discussed in this section can reference Address specifically, the coinciding destinations for Mailing Address and Permanent Address will be the same.
An address is considered to already exist on the record if the address has the same:
- address type
- priority
- street
- postal code
- city
- country
Address Creation
If an address does not yet exist, one will be added if Address - City has been mapped and has a value and at least one of the following has been mapped and has a value: Address - Region, Address - Region Code, or Address - Country. If there is no country value for a new address, then the address will be imported as a US address.
The device is not updated if the record has a device with the same device type and value. If the device type or value is changed, that device will be updated.
Device Creation
If the device does not yet exist, then a new device will be added if both Device - Type and Device - Value are mapped and have a value.
Entities use multiple matching criteria to match an existing object on the record. The criteria are evaluated in the following order, and once a match is found, no other matches are attempted:
- GUID
- External ID
- Identity
- Custom unique for matching field scoped to the entity
Entity Creation
A new entity will be created if a matching entity object is not found. An entity object requires at least one entity field to be mapped and have a value for a new entity object to be created.
If the record has a form registration for the exact same form that has been mapped, then the registration will be updated.
Form Registration Creation
If the registration does not yet exist, then a new form registration will be added if a form has been mapped using either Form ID or Form Title.
Gifts, Pledges, and Planned Gifts use multiple matching criteria to match an existing object on the record. The criteria are evaluated in the following order, and once a match is found, no other matches are attempted:
- GUID
- External ID
- Identity
Gift, Pledge, Planned gift Creation
At a minimum, the acronym FAST best describes the four required data points needed to create a gift, pledge, or planned gift:
- Fund
- Amount
- Status
- Type
Interests use two matching criteria to match an existing interest on the record. The criteria are evaluated in the following order, and once a match is found, no other matches are attempted:
- Interest - GUID Matching Only
- Interest - Name (Value)/Interest - Name (Prompt) and Interest - Type (Value)/Interest - Type (Prompt) and Interest - Role all match the existing interest object.
Interest Creation
If a matching interest object is not found, then a new interest will be created. An interest record requires a name, so Interest - Name (Value) or Interest - Name (Prompt) must be mapped and have a value for a new interest to be created.
Jobs use two matching criteria to match an existing job on the record. The criteria are evaluated in the following order, and once a match is found, no other matches are attempted:
- Job: GUID Matching Only
- Job: Key
Job Creation
If a matching job object is not found, then a new job will be created. A job object requires an employer, so Job: Employer must be mapped and have a value for a new job object to be created.
Opportunities use multiple matching criteria to match an existing object on the record. The criteria are evaluated in the following order, and once a match is found, no other matches are attempted:
- GUID
- External ID
- Identity
Opportunity Creation
If a matching opportunity object is not found, then a new opportunity will be created. An opportunity object requires a summary (name). This destination must be mapped in order for a new Opportunity to be created.
Relationships use multiple matching criteria to match an existing relationship on the record. The criteria are evaluated in the following order, and once a match is found, no other matches are attempted:
- Relationship: GUID Matching Only
- Relationship: External ID
- Relationship: First and Relationship: Last and Relationship: Type all match
Relationship Creation
If a matching relationship object is not found, then a new relationship will be created. A relationship object requires that at least one of the following has been mapped and has a value to be created: Relationship: First, Relationship: Last, or Relationship: Email.
Schools use multiple matching criteria to match an existing school on the record. The criteria are evaluated in the following order, and once a match is found, no other matches are attempted:
- School: GUID Matching Only
- School: External ID
- School: Key or School: Name match, and both of the following are true:
- School: Degree matches the existing school object degree, or it is not mapped, or the existing school object does not have a degree.
- School: Level of Study matches the existing school object level of study, or it is not mapped, or the existing school object does not have a level of study.
School Creation
If a matching school object is not found, then a new school will be created. A school object requires a name, so School: Name must either be mapped or School: Key must be mapped, whereas an Organizations dataset record has a matching key.
If School: Key is mapped, a lookup is performed to capture the organization's name, city, region, and country. These items are used only in the absence of this data from the import. For example, if School: Location City is mapped and has a value for the school object, then the value from the import would be used instead of the value from the Organizations dataset record. School: Location Region and School: Location Country are the other two mappable values that would override the Organizations dataset record location for the school object.
Courses use multiple matching criteria to match an existing course on the record. The criteria are evaluated in the following order, and once a match is found, no other matches are attempted:
- School Course: GUID Matching Only
- School Course: External ID - The school object must also match using the criteria listed in the Schools section above.
- School Course: Name - The school object must also match using the criteria listed in the Schools section above, and all four of the following must be true:
- School Course: Level matches the existing course's level, or it is not mapped, or the existing course object does not have a level.
- School Course: Term matches the existing course's term, or it is not mapped, or the existing course object does not have a term.
- School Course: Semester matches the existing course's semester, or it is not mapped, or the existing course object does not have a semester.
- School Course: Grade Level matches the existing course's grade level, or it is not mapped, or the existing course object does not have a grade level.
Course Creation
If a matching course object is not found, then a new course will be created. A course requires a school; use the items outlined in the Schools section above to import or match onto a school object. School Course: Name must also be mapped and have a value for the course to be created.
Sports use multiple matching criteria to match an existing sport on the record. The criteria are evaluated in the following order, and once a match is found, no other matches are attempted:
- Sport - GUID Matching Only
- Sport - External ID (Note: This mapping can also be used to uniquely identify a person record.)
- Sport - Sport
Sport Creation
If a matching sport object is not found, then a new sport object will be created. Sport - Sport must be mapped and have a value for the sport object to be created.
Test scores use multiple matching criteria to match an existing test score on the record. The criteria are evaluated in the following order, and once a match is found, no other matches are attempted:
- Test: GUID Matching Only
- Test: External ID and Test: Type
- Test: Type and Test: Date and Test: Verified and Test: Location all match
- If Test: Score Report is mapped to Yes:
-
Test: Type and Test: Date and Test: Location and all scores match, and the existing score's status is Self-Reported and Test: Verified is mapped as Verified.
Note: If Test: Score Report is mapped to Yes and a Self-Reported score exists on the record where the Test: Type, Test: Date, Test: Location all match, and Test: Verified is mapped as Verified, and any of the scores do not match the existing score, then the existing score will be updated to have the status Discrepancy.
Test score data can be mapped using the test-type-specific destinations and the generic test destinations. An example test-type-specific destination is Test: ACT - Date. An example generic test destination is Test: Date. For simplification purposes, this section of the article refers to the generic test destination mapping; however, both have the same behavior as long as a Test: Type is mapped and has a value when using the generic test destination mappings. When Test: Type is mentioned above, the test-type-specific destinations already automatically include the test type; however, for test types that use subtypes, the subtype must also be mapped (for example, Test: AP - Subtype).
When referring to Test: Date, the combination of Test: Date (month only) and Test: Date (year only) will produce a date on the first of the month (for example, 12/01/2017). This concatenated date then behaves the same as Test: Date.
Test Score Creation
If a matching test score object is not found, then a new test score will be created. A test score requires a test type, so either a test-type-specific score must be mapped (with Test: {type} - Subtype mapped with a value, when applicable), or Test: Type must be mapped with a value. A test score also requires either a date or a score to be created, so either Test: Date must be mapped with a value, or one of the scores must be mapped with a value, such as Test: Total, Test: Score 1, or Test: Score 2.