Topic
This article describes how to perform the equivalent of a Replace contact upload in Everbridge by using the WITH_RECORD_TYPE upload option in the REST API. It explains how this option inserts, updates, and permanently deletes contacts, and how contact Record Types control which contacts are affected.
Description
To perform a Replace-style contact upload through the Everbridge REST API, set the upload option to WITH_RECORD_TYPE. When this option is used, the upload behaves as follows:
Insert: New contacts included in the upload file are inserted when they do not already exist in the database.
Update: Existing contacts that appear in both the upload file and the database are updated.
Permanent delete: Any contacts in the database that are not included in the upload file are permanently deleted, but only for the contact Record Type or Record Types that are part of that upload.
Replace Contact Uploads fully overwrite the existing contacts for the selected contact Record Types with the records included in the uploaded file. Contacts in the file are created or updated as applicable, and any existing contacts for those contact Record Types that are not included in the new file are removed. This makes the system’s data for those contact Record Types mirror the contents of the most recent upload file.
The main upload types are:
Update: Inserts new contact records and updates existing records without deleting any contacts from the organization.
Replace: Replaces all contact records of the matching Record Type. It deletes existing contacts in the organization that do not have a match in the uploaded file, but only for the contact Record Type or Record Types included in that upload. Contact Record Types that are not part of the upload remain untouched.
Delete: Removes contacts with External IDs listed in the file.
Restore: Can bulk restore contacts from Everbridge’s deleted contacts area.
Because Replace Contact Uploads overwrite existing contacts for the selected contact Record Types and remove contacts not included in the new file, it is important to configure Record Types carefully and consider using a separate Record Type for contacts that should not be removed by Replace-style uploads.
For additional information on contact upload behaviors and Replace uploads in the user interface, see the following resources: