Data Management18% of the exam

Import files, import wizards and import activities

How data gets into Marketing Cloud Engagement: the import file rules, the list and data extension import wizards, update types and primary keys, Automation Studio starting sources and activities, and SFTP setup per business unit.

Official exam objective
Given a scenario, summarize the various data import mechanisms and requirements.

~6 min read · 11 practice questions ·

What the exam expects

  • Choose between a manual import, a Contact Builder import definition and an Automation Studio import activity for a one-off or recurring load.
  • Prepare an import file that follows Salesforce's format, header, column, date and preference-value rules.
  • Pick an update type and predict what happens to rows with bad data or a table without a primary key.
  • Choose the starting source and activity for an automated load, and recall SFTP setup per business unit.
  • Key terms: import activity (a saved definition that loads a file into a list or data extension each run); update type (how an import treats new and existing rows); starting source (what starts an automation: a schedule or a file drop); safehouse (secure short-term storage for decrypted or unzipped files); MID (the Member ID of an account or business unit).

Key facts

Data extension wizard size
Detail
Under 20 MB; larger files use an import activity
No primary key
Detail
Only Overwrite is supported
Bad rows
Detail
Skipped by default; the rest imports
Salesforce report source
Detail
Data extension created from its schema
Data Copy or Import source
Detail
A data extension or a file location
Sources for this section (3)
  • Why would an import fail when the file is picked from a network path such as a UNC share?
  • When is the data extension import wizard the wrong tool for a file?
  • Which folders does Marketing Cloud Engagement create in a new SFTP folder?
  • What should you try when a file keeps failing to import and you can't see why?

The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.

Keep reading with the Marketing Cloud Engagement Foundations pack

  • Core concepts
  • Exam traps
  • Worked scenario

The pack includes:

  • All 20 lessons of the Marketing Cloud Engagement Foundations guide, with reading progress
  • Interactive decision walks and step-by-step sequence steppers
  • Practice exams purchase adds inline bank questions and topic practice (11 questions for this lesson)
  • An official source cited for every claim
  • An AI tutor that answers from the guide
  • Choose guide-only, practice-only, or save $4 with both

Practice for the Marketing Cloud Engagement Foundations exam