IMail® Bulk Upload File Formatting Instructions at WebHelps

IMAIL® BULK UPLOAD SUBSCRIBER LIST - File Formatting Instructions

Throughout these instructions, when you see words in italic that are separated by slashes (e.g. File/Export/Other Address Book), this means you are to go to the menu across the top of the page and make successive menu selections in the order given. In this example, you would (a) click on File in the top menu; then (b) select Export from the following menu; and then (c) select Other Address Book from the following menu.

Outlook Express instructions begin here:

In Outlook Express,

Open your Address Book
Select File/Export/Other Address Book
Select Text File (Comma Separated Values) and click Export
Browse to find the folder on your computer where you want to store the text [*.csv] file. Give the file a name and click Save
Click Next
Export the fields "Name" and "Email Address"
Click Finish. (If prompted for DOS or Windows, select Windows.)

The text file [.csv] that Outlook Express exports will not be in the correct format to Bulk Upload using your IMail® List Manager. You must further format with a spreadsheet program. The following step-by-step instructions will walk you through formatting the file using either Excel or 602Tab spreadsheet program and Microsoft Word. If you use any other programs, we cannot guarantee the results. If you do not have Excel or 602Tab, you can download a free version of 602PC SUITE 4.1 from http://www.sharewareconnection.com/download-602pc-suite-from-sharecon.html.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Open Excel. Select File/Open. In the Open File window, choose "Text" for the File type: and use the Look in: browse feature to find the [.csv] text file you saved from your export of the Outlook Express Address Book. Click Open.

This will bring your Names and E-mail Addresses into the Excel/602Tab Workbook.

2(a).

If you have Names, you must reverse the columns, as IMail® requires the E-Mail Address to precede the Name. Click the A at the top of Column A to select the entire column. Select Edit/Cut. Click the C at the top of Column C to select the entire Column. Select Edit/Paste. The contents of Column A will now be moved into Column C. Again, click the A at the top of Column A to select the entire Column. Select Edit/Delete to delete the empty column.

2(b).

If you do not have Names, create a new Column B. Type the word "Name" in the first Cell in Column B. Click the B at the top of Column B to select the entire Column. Select Edit/Fill/Down to put the word "Name" into every row of Column B.

Text file instructions begin here:

[These instructions for text file users only] Open your text file in Notepad. Select Edit/Select All, then select Edit/Copy. Open Excel/602Tab. Select File/New and create a new, blank Workbook. In Excel, select Edit/Paste. This will paste your E-Mail Addresses into Column A. Type the word "Name" in the first Cell in Column B. Click the B at the top of Column B to select the entire Column. Select Edit/Fill/Down to put the word "Name" into every row of Column B.

Column A will now contain E-Mail Addresses and Column B will now contain Names.

It is a good idea to alphabetize the entries. If you exported from Outlook Express, the first row on the spreadsheet will contain the column headers (Name, E-Mail Address), rather than a subscription address. First, remove that first row by selecting the row (both column A and column B) with your mouse, and then selecting Edit/Delete (shift cells up). After the first row has been removed (if necessary), use your mouse to select all of both Columns A and B. Select Data/Sort. In the first drop-down, select Column A and Ascending. Leave the other drop-downs set to [no]. Click OK.

The list will now be in alphabetical order.

Take a few minutes to scroll down through the list to make sure there are no glaring errors. IMail® will generally find and fix duplicates and formatting errors when you bulk upload, so you do not need to spend hours doing this. Just check down through the list to be sure, for example, that all of the data is in Columns A and B, and nothing is in Column C.

You may find you have several Sheets open (look for tabs at the bottom of the Excel/602Tab window). All of your information is on Sheet1, so you should delete any additional Sheets. While holding down the Ctrl button, use your mouse to select the extra Sheets. Select Edit/Delete Sheet.

All of the E-Mail Addresses and Names should now be on Sheet1, in two columns, in alphabetical order.

IMail® requires special formatting for the E-Mail Addresses and the Names that involves adding quotations around the E-Mail Addresses and the Names in each line, and separating the E-Mail Addresses and Names with a comma. The final text file you upload must have your subscribers listed in the following format: "e-mail@address","Name"

To achieve this result, you must add columns to Sheet1 that contain the quotation marks and commas:

Create a new Column A by selecting Column A and selecting Insert/Column. Column A will become Column B and you will have a new, blank Column A.
In the first Cell of the new Column A, put a quotation mark [ " ]. Select all of Column A, then select Edit/Fill/Down. This will put quotation marks in every cell of Column A. Column B should contain the E-Mail Addresses and Column C should contain the Names.
Create a new Column C by selecting Column C and selecting Insert/Column. Column C will become Column D and you will have a new, blank Column C.
In the first Cell of the new Column C, put quotation/comma/quotation [ "," ] and select Edit/fill/down.
Make sure that every Cell in Column D contains either a name or the word "Name." You cannot have any blank Cells in Column D.
Finally, put quotation marks [ " ] in the first Cell of Column E and select Edit/fill/down.

When complete, your Excel/602Tab Worsheet should look like this:

A	B	C	D	E
"	chris@webhelps.com	","	Chris Wahmhoff	"
"	support@webhelps.com	","	WebHelps Support	"
"	help@webhelps.com	","	Help	"
"	tracy@webhelps.com	","	Tracey Russett	"
"	suggestions@webhelps.com	","	Suggestions	"

Start Microsoft Word. Select File/New and create a new, blank file.

In Excel/602Tab, select all of the contents of Sheet1, Columns A-D, by clicking on the Column A bar with your left mouse, and while continuing to hold down the left mouse button, dragging your mouse across the remaining Column bars. When everything has been highlighted, select Edit/Copy.

10.

With your left mouse button, click on the new, blank file you created in Word. Select Edit/Paste Special. Select Unformatted Text and click OK.

This will paste the contents of Sheet1 from Excel/602Tab into the new Word document.

11.

Next, to remove all of the extra spaces

Highlight (select) all of the text on the page by selecting Edit/Select All
Select Edit/Replace. A Replace box will open. In the Find What: box, type [ ^w ] (without the brackets). Alternatively, click the More button, then click the Special button, then scroll down and select White Space.
Leave the Replace With: box empty
Select Search: Down
Leave all other selections empty
Click the Replace All button

All of the extra spaces on the page will be removed and your file will be in the proper bulk upload format.

12.

Finally, select File/Save As. Choose a Save In: folder on your computer. Type in a File name: and select Text Only (*.txt) from the drop-down menu for Save as type:. You now have a text file on your computer, containing your Subscriber List, in a format that is ready to Bulk Upload using your IMail® List Manager.