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Import Templates

Written by Celeste Olson

Import templates help you structure your data correctly before bringing it into Swivel. Using a template ensures your data is organized in the right format, making imports faster, more accurate, and easier to complete.

What Are Import Templates?

Import templates are pre-formatted spreadsheets that show you exactly how your data should be set up before importing into Swivel. Each column in the template represents a specific field in Swivel, such as name, email, or account number.

Using a template helps reduce errors and makes field mapping easier during the import process.

๐Ÿ” Tip: Using a Swivel-provided template to perform an import is not required, but it is strongly recommended.

๐Ÿ“Œ Note: In addition to the default template headers, you can also add extra supported headers to import additional data fields. See Additional Optional Headers below for a full list.

Available Import Templates

Swivel provides templates for the following types of data:

Template

Purpose

Contacts / Client Accounts & Policies Template

Import basic contact details like names, emails, and phone numbers. Additionally, for users who want to import their clientsโ€™ accounts and policies (recommended), the template includes fields for capturing that data.

Event Attendance Template

Track event attendees.

Compensation Import

Add compensation data.

Where to Find & Download Templates in Swivel

Templates are located in different sections of Swivel, depending on what you are importing:

  • Contacts / Client Accounts & Policies Template

    • Click Business Management in the left-hand navigation menu

    • Click the Import on Contact Import

    • Click Template to download the .csv file

  • Event Attendance Template

    • Click Marketing in the left-hand navigation menu

    • Locate the event you want to import for

    • Click the event name to open the event record page

    • Go to the Registered section, click the three-dot action menu, and select Import

    • Click Template to download the .csv file

  • Compensation Import Template

    • Click Business Management in the left-hand navigation menu

    • Select the Import on Compensation Import

    • Click download a template to download the .csv file

๐Ÿ“Œ Note: Only users with the Owner user role can access the Compensation Import.

Template Headers

Each template comes with predefined column headers that align with fields in Swivel. Keep column headers unchanged so Swivel can automatically recognize the fields.

๐Ÿ” Tip: The first row of the template contains the correct column headers, and the second row includes example data (e.g., JJ Doe) to guide your import.

Contacts / Client Accounts & Policies Template Fields

Below is a list of fields used as column headers when completing Contacts / Client Accounts & Policies Imports.

Header

Required

Description

Full Name

Single-line free text (e.g., Jane Smith)

First Name

Yes

Single-line free text (e.g., Jane)

Middle Name

Single-line free text (e.g., Ann or A)

Last Name

Yes

Single-line free text (e.g., Smith)

Suffix

Valid options include Jr, Jr., Sr, Sr., I, II, III, IV

Gender

Valid options include Male or Female

Personal Note

Free text

Birthdate

Valid formats include MM/DD/YYYY or MM-DD-YYYY

SSN

Valid formats include XXX-XX-XXXX, XXXXXXXXX, or XXXX

Medicare #

Valid formats include XXXXXXXXXXX or XXXX-XXX-XXXX

County

Contact's residence county

Contact Category

Valid options include pre-configured contact categories or single-line free text to create a new value

Contact Status

Valid options include pre-configured contact status or single-line free text to create a new value

Client Since

Valid formats include MM/DD/YYYY or MM-DD-YYYY

Assigned To

Also referred to as Servicing Agent; valid options must be the first and last name of an existing account user with Agent role permission (e.g., John Smith)

Marital Status

Valid options include Single, Married, Divorced, Separated, Domestic Partnership, or Widowed; if left blank, the default is Single

Primary Email Address

Single-line free text (e.g., [email protected]);

limit of 1 email address per cell

Primary Phone Number

Valid formats include XXX-XXX-XXXX, (XXX) XXX-XXXX, or XXXXXXXXXX (e.g., 913-948-8700, (913) 948-8700, or 9139488700)

Primary Address Line1

Single-line free text (e.g., 10820 Shawnee Mission Pkwy)

Primary Address Line2

Single-line free text (e.g., Suite 301)

Primary Address City

Single-line free text (e.g., Shawnee)

Primary Address State

Valid formats include abbreviated or full state name (e.g., KS or Kansas)

Primary Address Zip Code

Valid formats include 5-digit or 9-digit zip codes (e.g., 66203 or 66203-3547)

Tags

Can correspond to currently configured tags as well as create brand new tags using the import; multiple tags must be separated by a comma (e.g., tag1, tag2)

Product Interests

Valid options are pre-configured Product Offering Types or single-line free text to create a new value

Additional Notes

Multi-line free text (any text included in this field is imported as one complete note)

Product Number

Yes, for product import

The policy or account number of the product

Insured

The insured person(s) on the policy if different than the Product Owner

Institution

Yes, for product import

The institution that services the product (e.g., Allianz Life, North American Company, Charles Schwab)

Institution Type

Yes, for product import

The type of institution; default options include Insurance Carrier, Broker-Dealer, and Custodian

Product

Yes, for product import

The name of the policy or account (e.g., Allianz 222, AARP Medicare Advantage, Simple IRA)

Product Type

Yes, for product import

The type of product or account (e.g., Fixed Index Annuity, Medicare Advantage, or Simple IRA

Product Line

Yes, for product import

The main line of business (e.g., Annuities, Life Insurance, or Assets Under Management)

Product Status

Yes, for product import

Status of product as of a specific date

Product Status Date

Valid formats include MM/DD/YYYY or MM-DD-YYYY

Product Opened On

Valid formats include MM/DD/YYYY or MM-DD-YYYY

Product Effective Date

Valid formats include MM/DD/YYYY or MM-DD-YYYY

Product Issued Date

Valid formats include MM/DD/YYYY or MM-DD-YYYY

Product Closed Date

Valid formats include MM/DD/YYYY or MM-DD-YYYY

Status Indicator

The core state of a given product status; available options are Pending, Open, Closed, Expired and Lost

Plan Type

The tax qualification status, ownership type, or type of account

Agent of Record

Yes, for product import

The writing agent for the policy or account

State of Business

Valid formats include abbreviated or full state name (e.g., KS or Kansas)

๐Ÿ“Œ Note: Many users already have their contacts in Swivel but need to add account or policy information. This can be done using the Contacts / Client Accounts & Policies Template. When importing data for contacts that already exist in Swivel, youโ€™ll be prompted to either Create New Contact or Use Existing Contact. Products will not be imported until you tell Swivel how to handle each record. In most cases, you'll select Use Existing Contact to ensure accounts or policies are added to the correct existing contact record.

Event Attendance Template Fields

Below is a list of fields used as column headers when completing Event Attendance Imports.

Header

Required

Description

Full Name

Single-line free text (e.g., Jane Smith)

First Name

Yes

Single-line free text (e.g., Jane)

Middle Name

Single-line free text (e.g., Ann or A)

Last Name

Yes

Single-line free text (e.g., Smith)

Suffix

Valid options include Jr, Jr., Sr, Sr., I, II, III, IV

Gender

Valid options include Male or Female

Personal Note

Free text

Birthdate

Valid formats include MM/DD/YYYY or

MM-DD-YYYY

SSN

Valid formats include XXX-XX-XXXX, XXXXXXXXX, or XXXX

Medicare #

Valid formats include XXXXXXXXXXX or XXXX-XXX-XXXX

Contact Category

Valid options include pre-configured contact categories or single-line free text to create a new value

Contact Status

Valid options include pre-configured contact status or single-line free text to create a new value

Marital Status

Valid options include Single, Married, Divorced, Separated, Domestic Partnership, or Widowed; if left blank, the default is Single

Primary Email

Single-line free text (e.g., [email protected]).

Limit 1 email address per cell

Primary Phone Number

Valid formats include XXX-XXX-XXXX, (XXX) XXX-XXXX, or XXXXXXXXXX (e.g., 913-948-8700, (913) 948-8700, 9139488700)

Primary Address Line1

Single-line free text (e.g., 10820 Shawnee Mission Pkwy)

Primary Address Line2

Single-line free text (e.g., Suite 301)

Primary Address City

Single-line free text (e.g., Shawnee)

Primary Address State

Valid formats include abbreviated or full state name (e.g., KS or Kansas)

Primary Address Zip Code

Valid formats include 5-digit or 9-digit zip codes (e.g., 66203 or 66203-3547)

Tags

Can correspond to currently configured tags as well as created brand new tags using the import; multiple tags must be separated by a comma (e.g., tag1, tag2)

Confirmed

Valid options include True or False

Attendance Status

Valid options include: Pending, Attended, Canceled (not Cancelled), No Show, Rescheduled, Waitlisted; the import will fail if you attempt to import an attendance status not listed above

Additional Notes

Multi-line free text (any text included in this field is imported as one complete note)

Additional Optional Headers

In addition to the pre-populated columns included in Swivelโ€™s import templates, there are additional headers you can manually add to your file to import more detailed data.

These headers are not included in the default templates but are fully supported during import when added exactly as written below.

๐Ÿ” Tip: Header names must match exactly for Swivel to recognize and map the data correctly.

Additional Contact Fields

Header

Description

Deceased

Valid options include True or False

Death Date

Valid format is MM/DD/YYYY

Lead Source

Valid options are pre-configured existing Lead Source (e.g., Referral) or single-line free text to create a new value

Office

Valid options are pre-configured existing Offices or single-line free text to create a new value

Zone

Valid option are pre-configured marketing Zones or single-line free text to create a new value

Household Key

Single-line free text code used to create spousal association and memberships via contact import; each contact to be associated should have the same code value

Additional Email Fields

Header

Description

Email Name

Single-line free text (e.g., Home, Work, Personal, Other)

Email Address

Single-line free text (e.g., [email protected])

Additional Phone Fields

Header

Description

Phone Name

Single-line free text (e.g., Home, Work, Mobile)

Phone Number

Valid formats include XXX-XXX-XXXX, (XXX) XXX-XXXX, or XXXXXXXXXX (e.g., 913-948-8700, (913) 948-8700, or 9139488700)

Additional Address Fields

Header

Description

Address Name

Single-line free text (e.g., Home, Work, Vacation, Other)

Address Line1

Single-line free text (e.g., 10820 Shawnee Mission Pkwy)

Address Line2

Single-line free text (e.g., Suite 301)

Address City

Single-line free text (e.g., Shawnee)

Address State

Valid formats include abbreviated or full state name (e.g., KS or Kansas)

Address Zip Code

Valid formats include 5-digit or 9-digit zip codes (e.g., 66203 or 66203-3547)

Additional Assignment Fields

Header

Description

Assigned To

Also referred to as Servicing Agent; must match the First and Last Name of an existing user with Agent role permissions (e.g., John Smith)

Notes on Using Additional Headers

  • These fields can be added as new columns in your import file alongside the standard template headers

  • Header names must be spelled exactly as listed above

  • You can include as many of these fields as needed

  • If a header is included but left blank, no data will be imported for that field

Importing Company Contact Types

By utilizing the Full Name column header, users can import Company Contact Types with the desired Company name in this field.

Ensure Company is selected as the Contact Type in the Default Options of the import modal when completing the Importing Your File(s) instructions.

๐Ÿ“Œ Note: We recommend importing Company Contact Types in a separate file from Individual Contact Types to ensure all data is imported correctly.

๐Ÿ” Tip: Company Contact Type imports can also include any of the Additional Optional Headers listed above, such as Assigned To, Lead Source, or Office, if you want to capture extra information for each company.

How to Use an Import Template

  1. Download the appropriate template

  2. Add your data to the rows under each column

  3. Keep the column headers unchanged so Swivel can recognize the fields

  4. Save your file as a CSV

  5. Upload the file during the import process

How Templates Help with Field Mapping

Each column in a template is already aligned with a field in Swivel. This means:

  • Field mapping is faster and often automatic

  • Thereโ€™s less risk of mapping data incorrectly

  • Your import is more likely to succeed on the first try

๐Ÿ“Œ Note: If you choose not to use a template, you will need to map fields manually during import.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Changing or renaming column headers

  • Using invalid formats for field contents

  • Leaving required fields blank

๐Ÿ” Tip: Most import issues can be traced back to formatting or column mismatches.

Summary

  1. Templates help structure your data correctly before importing

  2. They make field mapping easier and reduce errors

  3. Following the template format ensures a smoother, more successful import

  4. Keep headers intact and follow formatting guidelines to avoid issues

  5. Use the duplicate handling workflow when adding accounts or policies to existing contacts

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