Column-to-field mapping is how each column in your spreadsheet is connected to the SwiftFox field it should fill. You check and adjust it in the Map your data to the right place in SwiftFox section of Step 2 — Match columns.
The Importer maps your columns for you
When you upload a file, SwiftFox reads your header row and maps every column whose heading it recognises. A file using the sample CSV's headings usually arrives fully mapped.
Your job in this step is to check what it did, fill in any column it left blank, and correct anything it matched to the wrong field.
The mapping table
The table lists every column detected in your uploaded file, with three columns:
- Spreadsheet column — the heading from your file.
- SwiftFox field — a dropdown holding the field this column fills. The first two values from your column are shown beside the heading so you can confirm the data is what you expect.
- Mapped — a tick that appears automatically once a SwiftFox field is set, and disappears if you clear it. It is a status indicator, not something you tick yourself.
Above the table, 3 Rows (or however many your file holds) tells you how much data was read, and a full-screen control expands the table if you have a lot of columns to work through.
Mapping or correcting a column
For each column in the table:
- Check the first two values to confirm what the column contains.
- If the SwiftFox field is blank or wrong, open the dropdown and choose the right field.
- Confirm the tick appears in the Mapped column.
Any column left without a SwiftFox field is not imported.
Fields you can map to
The SwiftFox field dropdown is grouped, so you can find fields by where they live:
- Default Fields — the built-in fields on a contact: Category Types, Date Of Birth, Email, First Name, Gender, Job Title, Known As, Landline, Last Name, Middle Name, Mobile, Occupation, Organisation, Stakeholder Leader, Suffix, SwiftFox ID, Title. This group also holds Do Not Import.
- Address Fields — Enrolled Address, Postal Address, Residential Address, Street Address, Workplace Address.
- Your account's custom field sections — one group per section configured in your account, so the group names you see will be your own.
- Record fields — record-type custom fields can be imported. They appear in their own group.
Excluding a column
You have two ways to leave a column out:
- Leave the SwiftFox field blank. Nothing in that column is imported.
- Choose Do Not Import from the Default Fields group. This does the same thing but records the decision, which is clearer when someone else reviews your mapping or reuses your mapping profile.
There is no need to delete unwanted columns from your file.
Mapping select custom fields
When you map a column to a select custom field:
- Each value in your column must match an option that already exists on that field in SwiftFox.
- If the field allows multiple values, separate them with commas in your spreadsheet, for example
Bronze, Silver, Gold. - Watch for leading or trailing spaces in either your spreadsheet or the SwiftFox option — these cause mismatches that are flagged as errors in Step 3.
Mapping number and date columns
- Number custom fields must contain a valid number.
- Dates must follow DD/MM/YYYY.
- The first-two-values preview is the quickest way to catch a column that is formatted differently from what you assumed.
If a field you need is not available
- Check the group you would expect it in — the dropdown is long, and typing in the field filters it.
- If the field genuinely is not listed, contact your Account Manager or Support to confirm whether it can be imported.
Newly created fields not appearing
If you have just created a custom field or added a new select option and it is not showing for mapping:
- Log out and back in to expedite syncing, then recheck the dropdown.
Tips
- Check your matching fields first — the columns your chosen matching strategy relies on. If one of those is unmapped, matching fails quietly and rows are treated as new.
- Do not assume the automatic mapping is right. Two columns with similar headings are the usual source of a misplaced field.
- Confirm the first-two-values preview suits the field type you are mapping to, especially for dates and numbers.