Pre-populate a custom field for contact records.

If you would like to make a bulk update to the value of any existing custom fields, follow the below steps. You would follow the same steps if you have just created a new custom field and would like to import default values for that field (NOTE: Custom field must already be created and active for these instructions to work).

1. Create a new spreadsheet file with a minimum of two columns. The first column would be for the individual contact’s unique contact ID. The second column would be for the field you would like to pre-populate. Each row would contain the contact ID of a specific contact (in the first column) and the value that should be set for this individual for the new field (second column).
2. Save the finished spreadsheet in CSV format.
3. Perform a custom field import by going to Setup / Import, click New Import, select the Import Type "Member Update Import", click Browse to select your modified field and click Save. 
    
4. Under field mapping maker certain that only the MEMBERSHIPID and the custom fields you want to update are mapped. All others should be changed to "Not Available". Otherwise the values for all other custom fields will be changed back to what they were at the time you performed the export, potentially losing any administrative changes in the interim.
5. Click Save and Return
6. Click Verify to the right of the Member Update Import job. The only errors, if any, that might appear would be for missing membership IDs. The system requires a membership ID for import. To eliminate errors you can delete those contacts without IDs from the CSV import file, edit the import job, upload a new import file, Save and Return, and re-attempt the Verify 
7. Click Import