Updating with Importing Confusion

Brooke DennisLister

I'm trying to update a group of records of constituents who attended an event. However, instructions say "Please note that when we are updating existing records, we will need an existing Import ID, Constituent ID, or SSN for the constituent and/or the item we are update"... Does that mean that in order to update these records I have to find each constituents ID or SS number?? That seems counter-productive; if I have to look up each constituent's ID # then I might as well just manually add the event they attended. This can't be correct... Please help!! 

Dariel Dixon 2

That's correct.  In order to import data, you have to have a unique identifier, which in RE is either the Import or constituent ID, or SSN. It may be possible to create a query to gather that information and export it if you can group them all as event attendees or participants.

JoAnn Strommen

For import, I second what Dariel Dixon‍ posted. 


If you can create a query of the group of records (event attendees - edit those registered), you could possibly do a global change using that query. May depend on what you want to update.

Anna Zimmerman

I agree with all of this! 


If you're adding NEW constituents, though, you won't need an ID or social. 

Madeleine Holdsworth

It's still quicker to use import.  Also, be aware that some Import IDs are only accessible through export (I think Participant Import ID may be one of those), so you have to query then take it to export.  I usually separate participant imports into those that have constituent IDs and those that are new.  Check for the field info help at the bottom of the import screen and it will provide which fields are optional or required for the import.  Good luck!  It's clunky but once you figure it out, you will be fine.  I also save old import files for reference in case I need to look back at them to remember which fields that are needed....!