Arlo allows you to import organisations from a spreadsheet using the organisation importer. This allows you to create and update existing records. It can be used for a one-off import or as part of a routine process to keep organisation records synchronized with another system, e.g. HR, CRM, or member database.
- Read our tips and tricks for importing data.
- Requires only the Name column to be included in the import file. All other supported columns can be added or omitted as required.
- Supports matching and updates existing organisations' details if the rules for updating organisations are followed.
- Supports linking an organisation with a Key Contact, a Parent Organisation, and an Account Manager. Either creates the entity as part of the import or uses an existing record if a match is found.
- The import file must be a CSV (Comma delimited) file type. Use the Save as. feature in Microsoft Excel to save the import file in the correct file type format.
- The default import limit for an organisation import is 500 at a time.
- Open the Contacts menu item.

- Select More... and click Import Organisations.

- Click Download the template file and fill it in with the information you would like to import. Ensure you review the columns and rules for using the importer.

- Choose whether or not you want to update existing contact information, with any new information on the import file detected.
If you choose to update existing information where a match is found the following rules apply:
- If the existing organisation contains data in a field and same field being imported is has no value (is blank), then the data in the existing field will be deleted.
- If the existing organisation contains data in a field and the same field being imported also contains data, then the data in the existing field will be updated with the data being imported.
- If the existing organisation contains data in a field, but the field is not included in the file being imported, then the existing data will remain unchanged.
If you do not choose to update existing information, then where a match is found the details for the existing organisation will not be updated.
- Choose where key contacts (if any) in the import file will replace or append (be added too) existing key contacts.

- Add your completed CSV import file to the wizard by pressing Browse.
- Press Upload Organisations to begin the import. If any errors are detected they will be displayed on-screen.
The importer is designed to allow you to update the details of existing organisations. Arlo will attempt to match an organisation being imported with an existing organisation when;
- The Name field is the same, or
- The OrganisationCode is the same, or
- The ID is the same.
The system will first attempt to match on ID, then OrganisationCode, and then Name.
- If the system matches on organisation Name then all other information (including the OrganisationCode) will be updated.
- If the system matches on ID with an existing organisation then all other information, including the OrganisationCode and Name will be updated. This is useful if you need to change existing organisation's names, without creating a new record.
- If the system matches on OrganisationCode then all other information will be updated (excluding ID).
If you try to update an organisations name without including the ID or OrganisationCode in the import file, a new organisation will be created.
- Open the Organisations menu item.

- Select Export all organisation information, with date offset.

- The OrganisationCode can be found in the organisation_code column of the export.
- The ID can be found in the organisation_id column of the export.
- Copy the relevant columns from the export to a new column, labelled OrganisationCode or ID.
- When completing the import, tick Update existing organisations information to activate this option.

The following table provides a list of columns that can be included in your import file. The table also includes any additional rules that must be followed for an import to be successful.
- Column headings are not case sensitive.
- Each of the fields listed must be activated on your platform before they are visible when editing an organisation. Read more information about adding fields.
- All fields have a maximum number of characters that they will accept. Typically this is either 63 or 127 characters.
- If an import fails with an Inner Exception error, look for a field in your import file that exceeds this character limit then edit it down.
COLUMN HEADING | REQUIRED | VALUE | NOTES |
---|---|---|---|
Name | Yes | Single line of text | |
LegalName | Single line of text | ||
Information | Multiple lines of text | Field does not support HTML tags. | |
ParentOrganisation | Single line of text |
Arlo will attempt to match the ParentOrganisation with an existing organisation. If a match is found the existing organisation will be linked to the organisation as the parent. If a match is not found a new organisation will be created and linked to the organisation as the parent. Note: You will need to enable the parent organisation field in Settings > Fields > Organisation fields. |
|
Phone details | |||
MainPhone | Single line of text | ||
OtherPhone | Single line of text | ||
Fax | Single line of text | ||
Internet | |||
EmailAddress | Valid email address | ||
Website | Valid website address | e.g. www.google.com | |
Blog | Valid website address | e.g. http://blog.learningsource.co.nz | |
Address details | |||
PostalAddressLine1 | *If any other address fields are entered, this column is required. | Single line of text | |
PostalAddressLine2 | Multiple lines of text |
If an address contains more than 2 lines, use PostalAddressLine1 for the first line and concatenate the other lines into PostalAddressLine2. Hint: Read Concatenate (merge) two columns of data into a single column. |
|
PostalAddressSuburb | Single line of text | ||
PostalAddressPostCode | Single line of text | ||
PostalAddressCity | Single line of text | ||
PostalAddressState | Single line of text | ||
PostalAddressCountry | Single line of text | ||
PhysicalAddressLine1 | Single line of text | ||
PhysicalAddressLine2 | Multiple lines of text |
If an address contains more than 2 lines, use PhysicalAddressLine1. for the first line and concatenate the other lines into PhysicalAddressLine2. Hint: Read Concatenate (merge) two columns of data into a single column. |
|
PhysicalAddressSuburb | Single line of text | ||
PhysicalAddressPostCode | Single line of text | ||
PhysicalAddressCity | Single line of text | ||
PhysicalAddressState | Single line of text | ||
PhysicalAddressCountry | Single line of text | ||
Area | Single line of text | ||
Key contact's details | |||
KeyContactFirstName | Single line of text | ||
KeyContactLastName | Single line of text | ||
KeyContactEmailAddress | Valid email address | ||
Code details | |||
OrganisationCode | Single line of text Must be unique |
The database field for this column may be labelled differently on your platform. For example, you may have changed the name to Account Number, Membership ID, or another name. | |
OrganisationCode2 | Single line of text | As with the OrganisationCode column, the label of this field may be different on your platform. | |
Boolean1 | TRUE or FALSE | The label for this column will be labelled differently on your platform. For example is may be called Is Member where the value is either TRUE or FALSE. | |
MembershipExpiry | Date format: d-mmm-yyyy | e.g. 1-Mar-2012. Learn how to format dates for import. |
|
Company details | |||
NumberofStaff | Number | ||
OrganisationSize | Lookup List | e.g. 1-4, 5-9, 10-16, 20-49, .. | |
CompanyStructure | Limited Liability, Sole Trader, Partnership, Not for Profit | ||
CompanyStartDate | Date format: d-mmm-yyyy | Learn how to format dates for import. | |
AnnualTurnover | Lookup List |
<$99k
$100-$199k
$200-499k
$500-699k
$700-999k
$1m+
|
|
Industry | Single line of text | ||
IndustryCategory | Lookup List | ||
IndustryCode | Single line of text | ||
Marketing details | |||
ReferredBy | Lookup List | ||
LastCampaignDate | Date format: d-mmm-yyyy | Learn how to format dates for import. |
|
Account manager's details | |||
AccountManagerFirstName | Single line of text | ||
AccountManagerLastName | Single line of text | ||
AccountManagerEmailAddress | Valid email address | ||
Other details | |||
Regions | Short region name separated by commas or AllRegions | This column is only relevant to platforms that have multiple regions setup. Either set the value to;
|
|
Status | Active or Inactive | If this column is not included in the import file then all imported organisation will be set as Active by default. |
Custom organisation fields can be imported with your organisations if they have been created in Arlo. If your custom fields do not exist, read more information about adding fields.
- Open the Settings menu item.

- From the Platform setup section, select Fields.

- Select Organisations.
- Find the custom field you would like to import and press Edit.
- Copy the System Name and paste it into your import template as a new column.

- Fill in the information you would like to import into the fields, in the new column.
- Repeat for other fields, as required.