Data Lists are lists that are made from information that the platform receives from your SIS (Student Information System) or that are uploaded manually from a spreadsheet.
Data lists allow you to filter or combine multiple lists of information in order to create specific Call Lists used to send calls, texts, or emails to people within your community.
Data Lists update each time our platform receives new information from your SIS, allowing you to keep your lists up-to-date with current information.
Creating a Data List
To create a Data List from a Spreadsheet, click on the Data tab within Data Management.
Click on the + Create Data List button on the right side of the screen screen.
Name and Upload your File
Name and Upload your File
Give the list a descriptive name and choose the spreadsheet of data you want to use to create the list, click Next
On the next page, you will be labeling the headers of the spreadsheet, as well as setting the correct mapping for each column.
This allows Alerts to know what to do with things like Phone Numbers, Email Addresses, and Language Codes that may show up in your file.
Setting Column Names and Data Types
Setting Column Names and Data Types
The next screen will show you a preview of the first 5 rows of uploaded data, and and the column headers.
If your spreadsheet already contains headers for each column, leave the Yes checkbox selected next to List contains headers?
Verify that your column headers are correct on the left side underneath Column Value. If your spreadsheet does not contain headers, check the No option.
If no was selected, provide the header names for each column by replacing the data in the Column name are shown on the middle of the screen.
Entered headers will be placed at the top of file and your data uploaded will be placed in the second row.
Mapping Column Data Type
Mapping Column Data Type
To the right of each column header, there is a mapping option, select one of the following:
Text Value - the default mapping, things like grade year, first name, last name, and school names may fall into this section
ID - for Student or Staff IDs this will be used in the future for Select ID, this is also used to merge data lists together.
Numerical Value - allows you to filter by a certain number range, great for thing like lunch balances.
Phone Number - Alerts will use numbers found in these fields to send SMS and Phone calls
Email - Alerts will use numbers found in these fields to send emails
Do Not Import - this column will not be visually included in the Data List.
Language - Allows you to set a variable that appears in a Language column from your Student Information System to a predetermined language option that we offer in the drop down beside it. (this will be used when selecting to translate a message in Live Feed or Alerts Center.
When you are done naming headers and assigning the appropriate mapping, click the Create button.
Editing Data List Mapping
From Data Management, click on the Data tab. After selecting the tab, a page of data lists will be shown below
Find the Data List you would like to edit, click the gear icon to the right of the list name and select Edit.
The right side of the screen will slide out and show you the list name, and all of the previously set column names and the data type mapping.
When you are done making changes, click the Update button to apply your changes.
Tip: The confirmation box will say Are you sure you want to update these columns? even if you've only adjusted the List Name.
Merging a Data List
Merging Data Lists allows you to combine two sets of information that share a common ID column, such as Student ID.
An example of merging Data Lists is to combine attendance data with student data to create an Attendance Call List
To begin creating your Merge, start in the Data section of Data Management, and select the checkboxes next to the lists that you would like to merge.
The Merge lists button only becomes selectable when two or more lists have been selected using the check box.
Selecting ID Columns
Selecting ID Columns
A sidebar menu will appear on the right of the screen containing the list names that have been chosen using the check boxes on the previous screen.
Create a name for the new merged list, and using drop downs underneath each source list, select the ID column that will be used to merge the lists together.
Click Next Step to continue
Which Columns to Include
Which Columns to Include
Select the columns you want to be included in the new merged list. If you want to include them all, click the Select All option at the top right.
Click Next Step to continue
Select Merge Conditions
Select Merge Conditions
Choose when you want the merged list to update.
Depending on the type of list you are making, it is important to choose the appropriate option to ensure your alerts are sending properly.
For example, it would be important to Update when an Attendance list comes in with new data to make sure alerts are only being sent when new attendance data has been received. Click Create
The new merged list will appear at the bottom of your Data Lists.
Updating a Data List
To manually update a data list, start in the Alerts Center and select the list you would like to update in the Data section of Data Management.
You can use the following type files to update an existing data list:
CSV
TSV
XSLX
Uploading the file
Uploading the file
After you have selected the Data List that you want to update, at the top of the window select the light purple Update List button.
Selecting the button will cause a menu to pop out, you can keep the List Name the same, just select browse to find your new version of the file or drag and drop the file into the darker grey section beneath the Attach Excel/CSV file title.
Select Next
Confirming the column mapping
Confirming the column mapping
Once you've uploaded the new data file, a List Preview will appear showing you the headers for your file and the first five rows. Below this information will be a copy of the Column Mapping screen that will alert you if you have added any new columns to the file.
If you are uploading a file with the exact same headers, just with new information included below the headers, no action is needed on this screen and you can click Update to finish.
If you are uploading a file with a different amount of header columns, this will require you to adjust the mapping/column information on the bottom half of the screen and will be listed with a new column note next to any columns that you've added that aren't already mapped.
Deleting a Data List
To delete a Data List, click on the Data tab within Data Management.
To the right of each list a gear icon will be available, click the icon next to the list you would like to delete.
Select Delete, a pop up will appear asking if you are sure you want to delete this list. If the list is connected to any existing call lists, shared with another organization, or is used in any recurring alerts, it will notify you here.