Topic
This article describes how Additional Information (Custom Fields) columns are ordered in Everbridge contact exports and explains why the column order in exports from the Universe tab differs from exports from the Contacts list.
Description
Exports from the Universe tab and exports from the Contacts list handle the sequencing of Additional Information (Custom Fields) columns differently. This difference can cause the columns to appear misaligned when comparing the two export types side by side, but it is expected behavior.
When exporting from the Contacts list, the export sequences Additional Information (Custom Fields) so the columns align consistently with the headers. The sequence of Additional Information in Contacts list downloads is tied to the order of Additional Information settings in the organization. Custom fields are listed in the order they appear under Settings > Organization > Contacts/Assets > Additional Information, which is sorted by creation date with the oldest fields listed first. To ensure correct mapping for these exports, the header mapping settings need to match the order of Additional Information settings in the organization's configuration.
Exports from the Universe tab do not sequence the Additional Information (Custom Fields) columns. The Universe export does not apply the Additional Information sequence, so it may produce columns in a different order. As a result, those columns may not align in a consistent order with the column headers when compared to the Contacts list export. The Universe export’s non-sequenced output is intended.
For contact uploads, column order does not matter. Everbridge processes custom fields based on the name within the "Custom field" column, not the column title itself, and the contact upload processes data based on the column headers, not their sequence in the CSV. The order of custom fields in the contact download may differ from the uploaded file. An "SSO User ID" column can be placed anywhere in the file; the important requirement is that the header name matches exactly what the system expects so the field is recognized during the upload. For additional details on contact uploads, see the Contact Upload User Guide: EBS: Contact Upload User Guide.
For related information on Additional Information behavior in contact CSV files and updating Additional Information fields via CSV file upload, see: