How to Update Addressee and Salutation to custom value via API.

Bob Rowe

Via the API, I am trying to update these fields for thousands of constituents. I have a “clean” data set (in Excel) that I want to push into RE NXT. I want the values of Addressee and Salutation to be all “custom" and overwrite the current values. For these constituents, I don't want to follow a naming format.

I don't see any support in the API Documentation.

Any Suggestions?

Alex Wong

@Bob Rowe
This is the SKY API endpoint to do what you want to do:

https://developer.sky.blackbaud.com/api#api=56b76470069a0509c8f1c5b3&operation=EditConstituentNameFormat

However, I do not suggest you do this “one-time” change with SKY API. Just create a constituent import file and use database view's Admin > import to make this change.

Bob Rowe

@Alex Wong

I saw that end point:

https://api.sky.blackbaud.com/constituent/v1/nameformats/{name_format_id}

what I am confused about is that there is no parameter for the constituent_id anywhere in the documentation?

Alex Wong

@Bob Rowe
First use:

https://developer.sky.blackbaud.com/api?_ga=2.80007955.583735709.1700060589-1152571739.1532976680#api=56b76470069a0509c8f1c5b3&operation=GetConstituentNameFormatSummary

to get the name format you want to change, which you get back something like this:

{
"additional_name_formats": [],
"primary_addressee": {
"id": "778BD6D0-AA44-4C45-B9DC-E872E934A103_458424",
"configuration_id": "52",
"constituent_id": "458424",
"custom_format": false,
"formatted_name": "some naming format",
"primary_type": "Addressee"
},
"primary_salutation": {
"id": "D17C0B9C-BADE-4A9E-8CE6-85ADA93C21EE_458424",
"configuration_id": "53",
"constituent_id": "458424",
"custom_format": false,
"formatted_name": "other naming format",
"primary_type": "Salutation"
}
}

From this list, depending on what you trying to change (i.e. primary_addressee or primary_salutation), get the “id” property and use it in the PATCH method mentioned before, and supply that id to the name_format_id parameter, then specify your request body

{
"custom_format": true,
"formatted_name": "the name for the constituent"
}

Again, as I mentioned earlier, if you are doing this 1x deal to fix up addressee/salutation, use RE database view's Admin > Import instead.

Bob Rowe

@Alex Wong

Yep - thanks! I'll go with the database view / import process.

hashir shabbir

@Bob Rowe
You can use the SKY API endpoint to update the Addressee and Salutation fields for thousands of constituents. To do this, you will need to create a CSV file with the constituent IDs, the custom Addressee values, and the custom Salutation values. Then, you can use the SKY API to import the CSV file and update the constituent records.

Alex Wong

@hashir shabbir
I am not aware that there is an “import” SKY API endpoint where you can use a CSV (much like database view's import function) to update a massive number of records at a time (using ONE API calls). Do you mind posting the link to the SKY API endpoint that does this?