Export- Customer Data 2025

Exported File:

Add Only:

4. ➕ Add Only

What It Does:

• This option adds new records ➕ to your Data Extension.

• It will not update existing records 🔒.

How It Works:

• SFMC will check if the record (based on the unique identifier) already exists in the Data Extension.

• If it doesn’t exist, it will add the new record.

• If the record exists, it will do nothing — no updates, no deletions.

Example: You have a Data Extension for Newsletter Subscribers 📰:

Email Address	Subscription Status
user1@email.com	Active
user2@email.com	Inactive

You import a new file with the following data:

Email Address	Subscription Status

Email Address	Subscription Status
user3@email.com	Active
user4@email.com	Inactive

After using Add Only:

• user3@email.com and user4@email.com will be added ➕ to the Data Extension.

• user1@email.com and user2@email.com will not be changed or deleted.

When to Use It:

• Use Add Only when you want to add new records to your Data Extension without affecting the existing ones. This is useful for growing lists of subscribers or customers.

Update only:

3. 🔄 Update Only

What It Does:

• This option will only update existing records 🔄 based on the unique identifier, like Email Address.

• It does not add new records ➕.

How It Works:

• SFMC looks for records in the Data Extension that already exist, and only updates them with the new data.

• If the unique identifier doesn’t match, nothing happens to that record.

Example: You have a Data Extension for Customer Profile 🧑‍💼:

Email Address	Phone Number	Address
john.doe@email.com	123-456-7890	123 Main St.
jane.smith@email.com	234-567-8901	456 Elm St.

You import a new file with the following data:

Email Address	Phone Number	Address

Email Address	Phone Number	Address
john.doe@email.com	987-654-3210	789 Oak St.

After using Update Only:

• john.doe@email.com will have its Phone Number and Address updated.

• jane.smith@email.com will not be changed because it's not in the import file.

When to Use It:

• Use Update Only when you want to update existing records but don’t want to add any new ones. This is great for cases where you’re only updating information for customers who already exist in the system.

Add & Update:

1. ➕ Add and Update (Default Operation)

What It Does:

• This option helps you add new records ➕ to your Data Extension.

• It also updates existing records 🔄 if there’s a match based on a unique identifier, like Email Address 📧 or Subscriber Key.

How It Works:

• If the unique identifier (like Email) exists in the Data Extension, the record is updated 🔄 with the new information.

• If the identifier doesn’t exist, a new record is added ➕.

Example: Imagine you have a Data Extension for Customer Info 🧑‍💻:

• Email Address (Primary Key)

• First Name

• Last Name

• Subscription Status

Now, you are importing a new file with customer data:

Email Address	First Name	Last Name	Subscription Status
john.doe@email.com	John	Doe	Active
jane.smith@email.com	Jane	Smith	Inactive

• If john.doe@email.com already exists, it will update any fields that have changed (like if the Subscription Status was different).

• If jane.smith@email.com doesn’t exist, it will be added as a new record.

When to Use It:

• Use this option when you want to keep records updated but also add new ones as needed. It's good for data that changes over time, like contact details or customer preferences 🔄.