How do I insert the value of one contact field into another contact field?

There are two ways you can copy the value of one field into another field - with the “Format Data” automation action, or you can export contacts, then reimport them with the new field and its value.

Use the “Format Data” automation action

Available on Plus, Professional, and Enterprise plans. 

This automation action offers five options to choose from; the one we’ll explain in this article is the “Copy field values.” To learn more about this action and its other options, please see the “Use the ‘Format Data’ automation action” article.

The “Copy field values” option allows you to select any Contact, Deal, or Account field and copy its value to another field of a similar type. See the table below for compatible field types:

Contacts will skip this automation action if:

• They do not have a related Deal or Account record
• There is an incompatible input value for the field type that is being mapped to

Step-by-step instructions

1. From your automation, click on the (+) node where you want to add the action.
2. Click “Workflow” > “Format Data.” Alternatively, you can use the search field in the “Add an Action” window to locate this action.
3. Click the “Copy field values” option.
4. Click the “From which field?” dropdown and select the field you want to copy.
5. Click the “To which field?” dropdown to select the field to which you want to copy the value.
6. Click “Save” when finished.

Export then reimport your contacts

Available on Starter, Plus, Professional, and Enterprise plans.

To complete this task, we recommend exporting your list, updating your file with the new field value, then reimporting your list. When you import the file back into your account, ensure that you map the field in your file to the corresponding field in your account.

Step-by-step instructions

In this example, we will take the value of a date field and transfer it to a text input field.

1. From the Contacts overview page, click the “Export” button at the top right.

2. The "Export Options" modal will appear. You can type the name of the export into the field provided and click the fields you wish to include with the export. Clicking the "Other Fields" checkbox will either select or unselect all fields under it. When complete, click"Export."
   
   

     Do not use special characters (!, #, $, etc.) when naming your export. If you use special characters, the file will export as a text document and not a CSV.

3. The CSV file will begin to download immediately. Open the file and remove all fields except for the email address field and the field you wish to copy into a new contact field.
   
   
4. Next, click the “Import” button located on the Contacts Overview page.
5. Click the "Import from file" button.
6. A file browser will appear. Navigate to the file you wish to import and click it to select it.
7. On the import page, click the "Map Into Field" dropdown for the field you wish to import then click "[Add New Field]."
   
   
    
8. A modal window will appear and you will be asked which type of field you'd like to create. Click the field type, then click "Next."
   
   
    
9. Next, you'll need to give your field a name and provide answer options (if applicable).
10. When finished, click "Save."
11. Skip both the List Selection and Add Tags section on the Import page.
    Since you are only taking the value of one contact field and adding it to another contact field, you do not need to select a list or add any tags at this time. In addition, if you select a list in this step, you risk giving any unsubscribed contacts an "Active" status for that list.
12. Click “Update Existing Contacts” and then click “Import Now.”
    
    
    The value of your original contact field will be added to your other contact field.