Audience File Upload Best Practices & FAQs

To ensure files are uploaded effectively in Connect, we recommend the following best practices.

1. 1. Files should be comma-delimited, .CSV, UTF-8 encoded
      
      
2. File Requirements - Headers:
   1. Files must contain headers
   2. Header names must not contain “Connect_”
   3. Header names must not contain any special characters or spaces - only letters, numbers, and underscores are allowed
      1. Ex: If your column contains First Name, it should be labeled as “FIRSTNAME” or “FIRST_NAME” in your header row
   4. Header names must not exceed 24 characters
   5. Header names must not be duplicated in the same file
   6. All URLs contained in your file must be valid URLs beginning with 'http://' or 'https://'. For example: 'https://www.domain.com'
      
      
3. Keep files concise. Please only upload the required fields to help with processing times. 
   1. For match and activate audiences, you have five different options:
      1. ID Based: Upload a file with one column of data, “Connect ID”
      2. Person Based: Upload a file with the following columns, “First Name,” “Last Name,” “Address,” and “Zip”
      3. Email Based: Upload a file with one column of data, “Email”
      4. MAID Based: Upload a file with one column of data, “Mobile Advertising ID”
      5. Hash Based: Upload a file with the following columns, “LowerMD5,” “Upper MD5,” “LowerSHA256,” “UpperSHA256,” “LowerSHA1,” and “UpperSHA1”
4. Mapping
   1. For example: If you have a column header called “Zip” in your file, that can only be mapped once to either the “Zip 5” or “Zip 9” field.Once you upload a file to the platform, you will be asked to map your column headers to a specific field. You can NOT double-map headers.
      
      

Frequently Asked Questions: 

How do I view and download my match file? 

You can view and download your match file with just the click of a button. Here’s how:

Step 1:

In the audience overview page, click View Match File in the top right corner. 

Step 2:

You will receive an email from support@withrealcustomers.com with an 

active link to download your file. 

• Click Download File to save the .CSV file to your device.

Below is an example of a downloaded match file: 

What should I do if I see an error after I upload my audience file? 

Connect makes it easy to address any file errors directly in the platform. Follow the instructions below:

Step 1:

Click View My Errors

Step 2:

On the right side of your screen, you will see the errors you need to address clearly listed out. In this example, the headers include the word “Connect.”

• Please correct the error and re-upload your file before proceeding.