Temporary files are completely separated from the global database.
They are useful when sending sporadic campaigns to an external target, such as contacts gathered from a specific event, without having to import them permanently to your database.
While a temporary file can be included in campaigns in the same way you would a filter or list, they cannot be used as an exclusion, nor can they be used in TARGET, and their contacts cannot be part of filters.
Uploading to database or as a temporary file?
It is always recommended to upload your contacts into the database (existing or new). However, if you are uploading data from a partner, client or any unknown source and don’t want to erase / edit your own clients’ information, use the temporary file option to avoid overwriting your database.
Requirements
Important: please note that you must specify the unique key of your universe in your file for the import to work correctly.
Your temporary files' columns can be used as variables to personalize your designs, as you would for your database contacts.
If you wish to use variables in a design that is sent to both your database and a temporary file, make sure your file's columns have the same name as your database fields.
Importing the file
Once your CSV file is ready, go to DATA > Uploads, and choose the option to upload a temporary file, with the contact type (email, SMS).
Temporary files and exclusion handling
The temporary file feature has been created for one need, which is to be able to send a campaign to an external database and for a single-use.
When a temporary file is imported, the contacts are treated as unique and won't be present in the Splio database. This point can change the behavior of the platform when a temporary file is used as an inclusion in a campaign target.
When a temporary file is used in a scenario and without another element (such as a list, a filter or a group), the platform treats the temporary file contacts as unique ones.
If we use the following objects as exclusion while a temporary file is used as an inclusion, here’s what will happen:
- another temporary file: common contacts between inclusion/exclusion will be excluded during the send out.
- a filter: the platform will apply the exclusion only if all the fields used in the filter are present within the temporary file
- a list or a group: common contacts between inclusion/exclusion will not be excluded during the send out.