By carefully configuring contact field settings and understanding when to use each one, you can streamline your contact management process and prevent common problems such as outdated or conflicting information.
To set up CiraSync Contact Field Settings, follow these steps:
1: Begin by launching your web browser and navigating to the CiraSync portal. Log in with your credentials to access the dashboard, the central hub for managing your synchronization settings.
2: On the CiraSync dashboard, find and click on your profile icon and select « Settings. » This section allows you to adjust your account settings and configure various integration aspects of CiraSync.
3: Navigate to the « Contact Fields » section within the CiraSync settings menu.
- Check the boxes next to the fields you want CiraSync to update, such as First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone Number, etc.
- For each selected field, choose how the values will be updated by selecting one of the following options:
- WRITE: Data will be written to the contact field only if it is currently blank. Use this option when you want to add new information without overwriting existing data.
- OVERWRITE: Non-blank data will replace any existing value in the contact field. Choose this option when you want to ensure the most up-to-date information is always used, even if it means replacing existing data.
- CLEAR: The target contact field will be cleared only if the respective source field has no value. This option is useful for removing outdated information when the source no longer contains data for that field.
- Notes Persistence: This option helps users keep their own Contact Notes values. Any value found in the sync source will be added to existing Notes with a specified delimiter. Users can modify Notes values before or after the delimiter, and CiraSync will preserve these changes during the sync process, replacing only the piece on the other side of the specified delimiter.
- File As Flag and Email Display Name: These options allow you to specify the format of File As & Email Display Name fields for sources that don’t have such attributes by nature. Note that this option will be applied to all Contact Lists created from Global Address List or contacts that don’t have such fields for some reason (e.g., Salesforce). If a contact comes with a specified File As Flag (from any Exchange Online source), this option will NOT override the File As format for that contact. The same is true for Email DisplayName fields.
- Map GAL Initials to Middle Name attribute: This option allows you to have the initials value stored in the contact’s middle name on your smartphones.
- Auto-Complete List Item: This option allows you to specify the format of Outlook auto-complete list items. It applies only to Contact Lists with the « Populate Outlook Auto-Complete List » option enabled.
Note: It’s important to select the appropriate option for each field to ensure accurate data synchronization. A common issue users face is field data not being updated due to incorrect settings. For example, if you want to update all phone numbers but have the WRITE option selected, existing phone numbers won’t be changed even if the source data has been updated. In this case, using the OVERWRITE option would be more appropriate.
6. Review your settings to ensure they align with your data synchronization goals. Double-check that you’ve selected the correct options for each field based on your specific needs.
7. Initiate a sync process to apply the new contact field settings. Monitor the sync process to ensure it completes successfully and verify that the fields are being updated as intended. If you notice any discrepancies, review and adjust your field settings as necessary.
