Upload recipients

Distribute an activity to ad hoc participants.

Prerequisites:

Prepare a CSV file that meets the CSV file requirements. If you plan to pipe first and last names into the invitation, and these values are not already in the system, include these values with the column headers FirstName and LastName, respectively. When you edit the invitation, you can type the pipes [%FirstName%] or [%LastName%] where you want the values to appear.

For example, you may want to run a survey as a side project and email survey invitations to nonmembers.

Note: Nonmembers may consider invitations to be unsolicited emails, which may negatively affect your IP address reputation and future email deliverability. Ensure the people who will receive these emails have consented to being contacted. For more information, see Alida External Sample Waiver.
Note: Admins can perform this task. To perform this task as a Power User or Author, you must have the Can access sensitive data permission.
  1. Open an invitation.
  2. On the Recipients tab, click the Recipients menu and select Upload recipients.
    Result: The Upload Recipients dialog appears.
  3. Click Choose File, select a CSV file to import, and click Open.
    Result: The CSV file name appears.
  4. Select or clear Include members found in the csv file.

    This option controls whether the application imports active members in the CSV file and updates their profile variables at the same time.

    Option Description
    Selected
    • Imports active members found in the CSV file.
    • Updates active members' profile variables to match the CSV file.
    Cleared
    • Excludes active members found in the CSV file.
    • Does not update active members' profile variables.

    Regardless of whether this option is selected or cleared, non-active members are imported and included in the group of invitation recipients. Their profile variables are also updated to match the CSV file.

    Note:
    • Active members from another community are always excluded.
    • If the Total Eligible count is 0 or lower than expected, ensure that:
      • There are no duplicate emails in the CSV file.
      • Select Include members found in the csv file to include members.
  5. Click Upload.
    Result: A message informs you that the CSV file is being processed. You can continue working while processing occurs. After it is complete, you are notified in the notification center about the status of your import.
  6. Click Done to return to the invitation.
  7. In the Recipients area, click Edit to upload a new CSV file, or Reset to remove all recipient settings.
    Note: Recipients and profile variables from your previous CSV file still remain in the application. However, the invitation only uses the recipients and profile variables from your new CSV file.
The application uploads the recipients and assigns the nonmembers a status of nonmember. For power surveys, the application assigns the nonmembers a status of Anonymous. The nonmembers belong to the community you selected when you created the invitation.
Tip: If this is a side project for which you are sending the first invitation, you can exclude the activity's data from your community statistics.