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How to Update or Overwrite Specific Subscriber Tags Using Manual Upload

Learn how to update specific subscriber tags — like Career Communities or email frequency — without changing other profile data using uConnect's Manual Subscriber Upload tool.

Overview

Did you know you can update just one piece of subscriber information — like Career Communities — without touching anything else in a student's profile? The Manual Subscriber Upload tool gives you precise control over which fields get updated, so you can run targeted data initiatives without risking unintended changes to the rest of your subscribers' information.

This article walks you through the full process of performing a targeted subscriber tag update from start to finish.

When to Use This Feature

This workflow is ideal when you:

  • Have collected new data on students (e.g., updated career interest surveys) and need to apply it to their profiles
  • Are running an initiative to ensure all students are opted into specific Career Communities
  • Want to update email frequency or user type for a specific group of subscribers
  • Need to make a focused change without overwriting other subscriber preferences

Step-by-Step Instructions

 

Step 1: Navigate to Manual Subscriber Upload

From your platform admin area, navigate to the Manual Subscriber Upload section and select the Update Subscribers option.

Step 2: Configure Your Update Settings

Before uploading your file, review the available update settings:

  • User Type – Optionally update the user type for everyone in your file (e.g., changing students to alumni).
  • Email Frequency – Optionally update email preferences for everyone in your file (e.g., enrolling all subscribers into monthly automated emails).

💡 Tip: These settings apply to all subscribers in your upload file, so only enable them if you intend to update every subscriber in the batch.

Step 3: Upload Your File

Upload your subscriber data file, then click Upload and Map Fields in the bottom left corner.

Step 4: Map Only the Fields You Want to Update

This is where the real power of targeted uploading comes in. On the field mapping screen:

  1. Map the Email Address field — this is always required to match records correctly.
  2. Map only the additional fields you want to update — for example, if you're only updating Career Communities, map that field and skip everything else.
  3. Skip all other columns — unmapped fields will not be changed for existing subscribers.

💡 Example: If your goal is to update Career Community/Career Pathway tags only, map your email column and your career community column — then leave everything else unmapped.

Field Name Mismatch? Don't worry if your data file uses slightly different terminology than what's in uConnect (e.g., "Hospitality, Events, and Tourism" vs. "Hospitality and Tourism"). The mapping screen allows you to match your column values to the closest equivalent in the platform.

Step 5: Validate Your Data

Click Validate Data to review your upload before finalizing. The platform will flag any inconsistencies, blank values, or fields that didn't match exactly — giving you a chance to correct or re-map as needed.

Step 6: Choose How to Handle Existing Preferences

After validating, you'll be presented with two options for how to handle subscribers who may have already made their own selections:

Option What It Does When to Use It
Honor existing preferences Keeps selections made by the subscriber. Only updates subscribers who have no existing selection. When you want to respect students' self-reported choices and only fill in gaps.
Replace all preferences Overwrites existing selections with your updated data for all subscribers in the file. When you're running a fresh initiative and want to ensure consistent, updated data across the board.

Step 7: Import

Once you've reviewed everything and selected your preference handling option, click Import to finalize the update. Only the fields you mapped will be updated — everything else remains exactly as it was.

Key Takeaways

  • You are always in control of which fields get updated — unmapped columns are never changed.
  • Email address is the only required field; all others are optional.
  • You can choose to honor or override individual subscriber preferences at the point of import.
  • Field name mismatches between your file and the platform can be resolved through manual mapping.

Have questions? Submit a support request through the Help Center.