How To Import Contact Data From an Existing ACT! Database Into Another ACT! Database

Check Duplicate Checking Criteria

1. Launch ACT!
2. Click Tools and select Preferences. The following Preferences dialog box will appear. Click the Duplicate Checking button.
   
   NOTE: Browse users will not have access to this feature.
   
   
   
3. The following Duplicate Checking dialog will appear. You must verify the fields and field order that will best distinguish duplicate contacts in the databases you will be merging.
   
   
   
   
4. To change the duplicate checking criteria, click the drop-down arrow for the field that you would like to change and select the duplicate checking criteria that you want to distinguish. After you are finished setting up your duplicate checking, click OK to close the duplicate checking dialog box.

Importing an ACT! Database

1. Open ACT! to the Database that you will be using as the destination or combined database.
2. Click File and select Import. The following Import Wizard - Specify Source dialog box will appear:
   
   
   
   
3. Verify that ACT! Database (10.x) appears in the What type of file do you want to import? drop-down box.
4. Click Browse to locate the database that you want to import and click Open.
5. Type the User Name and Password and click Next. The following Import Wizard - Specify Record Type(s) dialog box appears:
   
   
   
   
6. Ensure that Contact Records, Group Records, and Company Records are enabled. Click Next, the following Import Wizard - Contact Map dialog box appears:
   
   
   
   
7. The Map from this field represents the fields in the ACT! source database that are being imported. The To this field column represents the fields in the ACT! destination database. Complete the Contact Map by ensuring that all the To this field column fields have entries. If a field is not mapped in this column, any data in the source field will not be imported into the destination database. To change the mapping of a particular field, click in the To this field column, and then click the proper field from the drop-down. Click Next and the following Group Map dialog appears:
   
   NOTE: You can only map one field in the Map from this field to one field in the Map to this field.
   
   
   
   
8. Map the Group field information using the same method performed in step 7. When you have completed the group mapping, click Next. The following Import Wizard - Company Map dialog box appears:
   
   
   
   
9. Map the Company field information using the same method performed in step 7. When you have completed the company mapping, click Next. The following Import Wizard - Specify Merge Options dialog box appears:
   
   
   
   NOTE: Checking the Confirm each match check box will give a warning for any contact that matches on two or more duplicate checking criteria fields. If you possibly have many contacts in either database that will match some of the criteria, you will be prompted to manually confirm every match. This can cause delays with a large number of matching contacts.
   
   
10. Click the Contact button. The Contact Merge Options dialog box appears:
    
    
    
    
11. The Contact Merge Options give you the options of how records will merge for Contacts Records, Notes, History, Activities, Opportunities, and Secondary Contacts. Adjust the merge options, if appropriate, and then click OK to save the changes and return to the Specify Merge Options dialog box.
12. Click the Group button. The Group Merge Options dialog box appears:
    
    
    
    
13. the Group Merge Options, gives you the option of how records will merge for Group records, Notes, and History. Adjust the merge options if appropriate and then click OK to return to the Specify Merge Options dialog.
14. Click the Company button. The Company Merge Options dialog box appears:
    
    
    
    
15. the Company Merge Options, gives you the option of how records will merge for Company records, Notes, and History. Adjust the merge options if appropriate and then click OK to return to the Specify Merge Options dialog.
16. After all the merge options have been set, click Next. The following Import Wizard - Completing Import Wizard dialog box appears:
    
    
    
    
17. Click Finish to complete the import.