Import CSV with user's entered date

ℹ️ Support
1

Hello,
I want to import a csv from an old system. The output contains the date, where the users once entered the old system.
So I have the columns

email, html, firstname, lastname, entered
john.doe@corp.com,1,John,Doe,2014-01-29 13:38:26

It is no problem to import the .csv except the fact that the column “entered” is ignored. (I use the german translated phpList where it says “Spalte überspringen”)
The rows are correctly inserted - so I know there is no problem about the CSV itself - but the column ‘entered’ in the phplist_user is set to the actual date.

I’ve tried to name the column ‘googoo’ instead of 'entered" to force the system, to give me a choice via dropdown menu - but there is no ‘entered’ or ‘date of entrance’ I could take.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! :confused:

Regards, Ernst

2

There are certain system values which can’t be overwritten with imported data - the “entered” value being one of them. You can find a list of system values and how phplist deals with them during import here: https://www.phplist.org/manual/ch013_adding-subscribers-to-lists.xhtml

While you can’t overwrite the systems entered values with the old data you should be able to create a custom attribute (calling it “originally entered”, for example) and import your data into this field.

1 Like
3

Thank you very much, Marcel!

I’ve imported as you suggested.
With the common and the segment plugin I’m now exactly where I wanted to be: I can filter the “old” members by date.

The link to the system values help’s a lot - they can’t be found when one [non native speaker] searches for system variable :wink:

Great help!
Is there any method to mark this question / problem as solved?

4

Glad I could help!

Regarding your question - I don’t think so, but I’m not sure, since I only signed up yesterday.

5

I will do it :slight_smile: thanks guys!