Null value overwriting data value during list import

[Kathi_Gosche]

I have a lead that had complete contact information in their profile. However, when I imported a list of webinar attendees from a partner company that included this lead, their phone number and address where changed to null. How is this possible? I was under the impression that list import only changed fields that are populated with different information and that empty fields do not owerwrite populated fields. Is this not true? 

[Elliott_Lowe1]

For every field you may import, you have to specify to block field updates if there is an exiting value in the field.  Then if a lead's  field has data, the imported data will not overwrite that field.  If you don't block field updates, then a lead's field will be overwritten with the imported data, even if the imported field data is blank.

[Anonymous]

Where is this option to block field updates? I did not see this option when I uploaded a list of new and existing leads and ran into the same problem as Kathi. Fields that were already populated in our database were replaced. I was under the impression that only empty fields would be populated.

[Anonymous]

Hi Megan, to do this you would go to Admin > Field Management > Field Actions, then choose Block Field Updates.  From there you should be able to toggle which actions result in updates to certain fields, and which are blocked.

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

I'm only wanting to block field updates for those leads that I'm uploading

directly into Marketo. Is this setting change strictly for that?

Thanks,

Megan

On Mon, May 18, 2015 at 11:04 AM, 584833f96f6f99df36e27c05bbb2a0ff56de0df7 <

[Josh_Hill13]

You can set it to List Import.

[Kathi_Gosche]

Really? How unfortunate! So if I have a list of leads with varing fields populated, I'm going to have to sort them into smaller lists and import seperatly so that I can block specific fields to not overwrite? This seems very painful. Is there a way to set a global rule that says, if imported data field is null, do not overwrite stored data?

[Josh_Hill13]

Yes, you go to Admin > Field Management and field block each field you wish to prevent overwriting.

BUT, I am curious why your NULL value on the sheet overwrote an existing value in Marketo, even w/o field blocking. I was pretty sure that shouldn't happen unless you somehow set the field to "0" or "NULL"

[Anonymous]

Yeah, if it's just blank we usually don't overwrite the field.

[Kathi_Gosche]

I was pretty sure that shouldn't happen either Josh. I'll have to test to verify behavior. If it doesn't, then I will open a case. 

By blocking the field in field management, won't that keep the field from ever being populating from a list upload regardless of what the list contains in that field? I only want it to not overwrite if the field in the list is blank. So a phone number in the system doesn't get replaced by a blank on the list if I don't have that information on my list.