Record Matching - Custom fields

Custom Field Matching Behavior


Custom Fields can be appended by the following methods. These allow you to import contacts with custom field values without creating duplicate custom fields.

Creating Custom Fields

You cannot append unless the custom fields have already been created in Kindful.

You can create a custom field in a preceding call by importing a Contact with Custom Field data set with values. On the first time using this post, Kindful will create those Custom Fields on the organization's Kindful account.

Parameter Notes Type
external_id external_id is the default if not specified String
id String
name String
custom_fields You must specify the custom fields you will be matching your data by. See example. Array

Match By Name

If you want to append to a contact and match by the custom field name, you will need to specify the custom field group and the custom field within that group by naming the custom field value as:

"custom_fields": ["Custom_field_group|custom_field"]

You can query for Custom Fields and Custom Field Groups.

Example of Append to Existing Custom Fields using name:

COPY
{
  "data_format": "contact",
  "data_type": "json",
  "match_by": {
    "custom_field": "name"
  },
  "action_type": "update",
  "custom_fields": ["Interests|Favorite Color", "Interests|Favorite Movie"], 
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "123", 
      "first_name": "Harry", 
      "last_name": "Potter", 
      "email": "harry@email.com", 
      "Interests|Favorite Color": "Blue", 
      "Interests|Favorite Movie": "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" 
    }
  ] 
}

Match By ID

You can also append to a contact and match by the custom field 'id', in order to find custom field 'ids' you will need to query for custom fields.

Example of Append to Existing Custom Fields using ID:

COPY
{
  "data_format": "contact",
  "data_type": "json",
  "match_by": {
    "custom_field": "id"
  },
  "action_type": "update",
  "custom_fields": ["456", "789"], 
  "data": [
    { 
      "id": "123", 
      "first_name": "Harry", 
      "last_name": "Potter", 
      "email": "harry@email.com", 
      "456": "Blue", 
      "789": "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
    }
  ] 
}

For more information about Record Matching, please see Record Matching Overview