CSV Through SFTP Process

Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) is a method to securely send a file that can be automatically entered in to a data storage system on another network. The file format for this process is a comma-separated values (CSV) file. The CSV file is created through a spreadsheet application like Microsoft Excel and stores rows of data in plain text.

When you send new leads to Conversica, you are responsible for formatting and submitting a CSV file through an FTP application. The first portion of this document discusses formatting your CSV file, the second part covers various methods for submitting the file through an FTP application, and the final step is viewing your leads in the Conversica dashboard. 

Creating Your Conversation

You will be working with your CSM to create your conversations, setting your conversation variables, and naming your conversations. The name of the conversation will be used as the conversation ID which tells the Conversica system which conversation to assign your leads to. 

When naming your conversation, it is our best-practice to not include punctuation, special characters, and pay special attention when copying and pasting numbers in your spreadsheet application as there are some instances where these things can potentially cause problems.

Formatting Your CSV File

Your CSV file will contain the leads that you are adding to a Conversica conversation. The required fields Conversica needs in order to work a lead are the "Lead Email Address" and "Conversation ID." The “Conversation ID” will assign the lead to a specific conversation and must be filled in for all leads. Additional fields are available as shown in the example below.

Please note that you will need to upload your files using the same column names in each upload, however, the columns can be in any order. Work with your TAM to set up the exact name for each column.
Feel free to name your file whatever you want but it should be unique. Make sure to discuss and test your CSV file format with your TAM to ensure you are getting the most value out of your uploads.

Submitting Through SFTP

There are many SFTP applications that can be connected to our servers. This document overviews the typical SFTP upload process using a common application, WinSCP. Another common FTP application is FileZilla which has a download and usage tutorial available on their website. You can download and install the WinSCP FTP application from https://winscp.net/eng/download.php.

Once you have the FTP application installed, there are two basic steps: Login and Upload.

Login to the FTP application

Your TAM will work with you to set up your login credentials, including your SSH key, and provide you with the user name and password you need for the login fields. The information you should use is as follows:

• File Protocol - SFTP
• Host Name - ftp.conversica.com
• Port Number - 22
• Username - Provided by TAM
• SSH Key - Setting Up SFTP and Creating SSH Keys

If you get an error or the connection times out, you may need to contact your network administrator and ask them to add an exception in your firewall to allow an SFTP connection.
 

Upload your CSV file

The upload process involves copying a file from your organization’s storage into the Conversica server location you have logged into. In WinSCP, you simply drag the file from the left window (local directory) to the right
window (Conversica SFTP Upload directory). If everything was formatted correctly, our server will move the CSV file from the root directory into the backups folder after it has started processing them.

Viewing Your Leads in Conversica

Your leads will then be loaded into the Conversica dashboard on the Lead Manager tab. This process can take between 10 and 15 minutes. To view your leads in the List View grid, set the date for when the leads were
uploaded, select “Arrived in Range”, and apply the advanced filters.