How should I prepare my file for import?

Step 1: Check the file format

Save your file as .csv, .txt, .xls or .xlsx.
Put your data in the first sheet of the workbook. Additional sheets will not import.
Every column needs its own heading, and no two columns can have the same heading. Files with duplicate headings can't be read.
Keep the file name reasonably short. Names longer than 75 characters are shortened.

Step 2: Check the required columns

Your file needs a column, with data in it, for each of these:

What you need	Notes
Name	Either Full Name, or First Name and Last Name. A Company Name can also be used for organizations.
Street address	Put the street address in Address Line 1. Use Address Line 2 only for extra detail such as an apartment number.
City, State and Postal Code	All three are required. Alternatively, one column containing city, state and postal code together is accepted. Don't use a combined column and separate columns in the same file.
Patron ID	Required only if the file comes from a ticketing or CRM system. Every row must have one. Rows without a Patron ID are not imported.
Segment columns	Required only if you want the file to create several segments at once. See Step 4.

Phone numbers and email addresses are optional but map everything you have so your records are complete.

Step 3: Use clear column headings

Keep the headings your ticketing or CRM system produces, as long as they describe the content. Headings such as customer_no, Contact First Name or street1 are fine. You don't need to rename them to match ours.
Don't use generic headings such as "Column 1" or "TxtColumn1". We can't tell what these contain, and files with generic headings may be cancelled.
Keep headings the same from one import to the next. Data Center remembers how you mapped a previous file with the same headings, so you only need to confirm your choices.
Avoid symbols such as ¶, € or § in headings.

Step 4: Plan your segments

A segment is a group of patrons with something in common. Its name is made up of a year, a type and a description, for example 2024 STB: The Nutcracker. You'll use segments to build lists, so a consistent naming style pays off.

	All one segment	Segment columns in the file
Use it when	Your file is one group of patrons, for example one show's buyers	Your file contains patrons from several groups and you want separate segments
What the file needs	Names and addresses only. You'll type the segment year, type and description during the import	Three extra columns: Segment Year, Segment Type Code and Segment Description
Example result	One segment: 2024 STB: The Nutcracker	Several segments, for example 2024 STB: The Nutcracker, 2024 SUB: Three-Play Series
Watch out	Don't mix patrons from different segment types in the same file	Every row must have all three values, or those rows can't be assigned

Segment rules:

Year: four digits between 1950 and 2050. In the segment-columns approach, include it on every row.
Type: use one of the three-letter codes in What are Segment Type Codes?, for example STB, SUB or DON.
Description: up to 100 characters. Be consistent from season to season.
Two segments can't have the same year, type and description.

The most common mistake is telling the wizard your file contains segment columns when it doesn't. If you reach the mapping step and the file has no segment columns, go back and choose "All one segment", or add the columns to your file first.

Step 5: Clean up the file

	DO	DONT
Data	Use a current, complete export of every record in the segment(s) you are updating.	Import a partial export if you plan to replace a segment, because the segment will contain only what is in the file.
Required columns	Include every required column, and check that each has data in it.	Leave a required column empty. Rows with missing required values are skipped.
Headings	Use the headings from your ticketing or CRM system. Keep them the same each time.	Use generic headings ("Column 1") or duplicate headings.
Blank rows	Remove all blank rows, including hidden ones.	Leave blank or hidden rows in the data. Data Center may treat the first blank row as the end of the file and stop reading.
Extra text	Keep the file to the heading row and your data.	Leave notes, signatures or report titles above or below the data.
Formulas	Paste cells as values before saving, so each cell holds the actual text or number.	Leave formulas in cells. Formula cells may be read as 0, which can drop important data without warning.
Text	Use plain text in every cell.	Include HTML or other markup in cells (for example a link in a name field). It would be imported exactly as typed and could end up on a mailing.
Symbols	Use normal letters, numbers and punctuation in headings.	Use special symbols in headings. [confirm]
Patron IDs	Make sure every row has a unique Patron ID if the file comes from a ticketing or CRM system.	Leave Patron IDs blank. Those rows won't load.
Addresses	Put the street address in Address Line 1 and only extra detail in Address Line 2.	Mix other information into the address field.
Mapping	Map every column you want to keep.	Expect unmapped columns to import. They are ignored.

Step 6: Check before you upload

Open the file and scroll to the very bottom. Is there anything there other than patron rows?
Filter each required column for blanks.
Check the first ten rows. After you upload, the wizard shows a preview of the first 10 rows so you can confirm the file looks right.
Confirm you know which segmentation approach you'll use (Step 4).
Save the file in one of the accepted formats.

Then go to Imports, click Upload File, and follow How do I import a basic biographic file?.

If something goes wrong

A file that can't be read gives a message about duplicate headings, an unsupported file type or a damaged workbook. Fix the file and upload it again.
After an import, open the file's menu and choose View Report to see how many rows were skipped and why. You can download the error files, correct the rows and re-import them.
Still stuck? Email helpdesk@trgarts.com and attach your file.