Method Community

I am trying to import Contacts into one of my users method account. I have set up the methodAPI excel sheet. I only added one line for now to test. As i run the "Import Data into Method", I get an error:

"Error from the MethodAPI at row 2:
The field CompanyName does not support add."

Now in your webinar, I was hoping you would explain what that meant, but the webinar just skips over this error example and just deletes the cell info. and continues. Now I understand which cell is causing the erorr, but please help me with this. I wish to bring in many contacts, but need to find out why my CompanyName field will not take the information I am adding to the spreadsheet. Please help.

bob

p.s.
In the methodAPI, I am using the "Contacts" Table as the table i'm editing. Do I need to make the spreadsheet have all the fields contained in the table in the first row?  If I am not adding anything to a certain field, is it okay for me to not refer to that column/field in the spreadsheet? Thank you for your time.

Bob -

The CompanyName is a *linked field* in the Contacts table, which makes it read-only.  It is just a fake virtual field that is pulling from its real resting place, the Customers table.

Think of ABC Company:

Customer Table:
Name: ABC Company Inc.  (this could be John Smith if it were a residential customer)
CompanyName: ABC Company Inc.
BillAddressAddr1: ABC Company Inc.
BillAddressAddr2: 123 Anywhere St.

Contacts Table, Contact #1:
Entity: ABC Company Inc. (this is a dropdown that connects the contact to ABC Company Inc.)
Name: Amy Johnson
Phone: 123-444-5555

Contacts Table, Contact #2:
Entity: ABC Company Inc.
Name: Wendy James
Phone: 123-567-6667

Contacts Table, Contact #3:
Entity: ABC Company Inc.
Name: Jack Jackson
Phone: 123-688-2343

See how there are 3 contact records for the same 1 customer?  Since the CompanyName is coming from the Customer, it is just shown in the Contacts for display purposes only.

I think you probably just want to import into Customers instead.  If you import into the Customers table, the Contact and the AltContact fields will actually do its own magic and create two contacts for you automatically (it's a special situation we help you out with).

Also - I'm not sure you want to mess around with the API unless you are a coder.  Since that webinar came out, we produced a pretty awesome Import / Export tool under Customize > Integration Tools.  Still under beta, but it is slick.  Questions about that should go on the regular Q & A forum.

Hope that helps,

Paul