
How to Set Up a Data Export to Run Automatically
Your team needs data exports from your CRM for a variety of reasons—for sharing across teams, delivering to vendors, importing into other software, or for reporting and analysis. But getting the information you need correctly and consistently has become a time-consuming chore.
With the Grid Edit module, you can set rules for consistent exports that will run automatically.
Process Summary
- Select and filter records.
- Export records to a CSV report.
- Save the export configuration as a template.
- Schedule automation to run the template and email the CSV on a regular basis.
Step-by-Step Instructions
To export only the data you need in your CSV, use the filter to define a segment or smaller pool of records.
For this example, let's say that you want to export deals that are currently open with a value greater than $20,000 on a weekly basis.
Navigate to the Grid Edit module, select the database, and the record type in the top menu. For this example, select Deals.
Add a filter so only records where the Deal Stage is NOT "Closed Lost (Sales Pipeline)," or "Closed Won (Sales Pipeline)," AND the Amount value is greater than "20000."
Click the Search button and deals that match your filter will appear in the Record Viewer.
To modify the fields that will be part of your export, click the Layout tab.
In the right column, you can search for fields to add to the layout and drag them into the Visible Fields column. Remove fields by dragging from the Visible Fields column into the right column.
To select individual records for export, use the checkboxes next to each record.
With your filters and layout set, Insycle can now export the slice of data that you have selected.
On the Filter tab, click the Export button.
In the Export popup, select New File and click Next.
On the Email tab, enter additional email addresses (hit Enter after each), a Subject, and Description.
On the When tab, click Run Now and select which records to apply the change to (in most cases this will be All), then click the Run Now button.
Open the CSV file from your email in a spreadsheet application and review the results.
If you are satisfied with everything in your CSV, return to Insycle and save all of the configurations as a template. This will save you time and provide consistent results in the future.
Return to the Template menu at the top of the page and click the + to give the new template an informative name and then click the Save button.
To set up automated exports click the Export button.
On the Email tab, add recipients who should receive the CSV each time the template runs.
Then, on the When tab under Automate, set up the frequency your CSV should automatically be exported--hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly.
Once scheduled, data that matches your filter will be exported and emailed to you or your team automatically, improving data collaboration and giving you the opportunity to keep an eye on the most important customer data.
You can view all scheduled automations on the Automations page on your dashboard.
Tips for Exporting Data
- Filtering data before exporting ensures that Insycle will only include records that you want to focus on. Otherwise, Insycle will pull all records of the selected record type from your CRM. If you have thousands of records, this will make your CSV difficult to read, and you'll need to do some ad hoc filtering in the CSV.
- You may need to do some experimentation with your filters to get the desired result. Review the data in your CSV export before saving a template. If you don’t see what you need or were expecting, adjust your filters then export and review again.
Advanced How-Tos
You can use automated data exports as an alert system for critical details you want to track. For example, you may want to know when a deal above a certain size enters your system, or if a record is added without a critical piece of information.
To get timely notifications, create a template to find the relevant data, then set it up to export automatically on an hourly or daily basis. On the Email tab of the Export popup, enter an alert message in the subject line (i.e., [ALERT] New $20,000+ Deal). Add recipients who should follow up, and add additional instructions or context to the message. The CSV export will be attached to this email whenever it is generated and delivered to the emails you provide.
Additional Resources
Related Help Articles
- Module Overview: Grid Edit
- Bulk Update Values of Any Field
- Bulk Clear Values From Field
- Format Names, Phone Numbers, Addresses
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