Email updates in Constant Contact?

Anne Kirschmann

If CC uses primary email address as the connection point, what happens in CC if a constituents email address is updated in RENXT or vice versa? Does it create a duplicate record in CC?

Matthew Montoya

Hello there @Anne Kirschmann !

Because the integration uses the Primary Email Address as the anchor for the connection, how you update it matters. Here is the breakdown of what to expect:

1. Updating in Raiser’s Edge NXT

If you change a constituent’s primary email address in RE NXT:

• A New Record is Created: The next time the sync runs (the 24-hour cycle), Constant Contact will look for that "new" email address. Since it doesn’t see it, it will create a new contact record in Constant Contact.
• The Old Record Remains: The "old" email address will still exist in Constant Contact as a separate record. It won’t be automatically deleted, but since it is no longer being "pushed" by your RE NXT list, it will simply sit idle.

2. Updating in Constant Contact

If a donor updates their email address themselves via a link in your email or if you change it manually in Constant Contact:

• The Records Disconnect: Constant Contact will update its internal record, but it will no longer "match" the old email address sitting in RE NXT.
• No Auto-Overwrite: To protect your "source of truth," Constant Contact will not automatically reach into Raiser’s Edge to overwrite a constituent's contact information. You will need to manually update the email in RE NXT to re-establish the link.

3. How to Avoid Duplicates

To keep your data clean, the best practice is to always make the change in Raiser’s Edge NXT first. * Once you update the email in RE NXT, a new record is created in Constant Contact.

• You can then use Constant Contact’s Merge Contacts tool to combine the "Old Email" record (which has all the historical open/click data) with the "New Email" record. This ensures you keep their engagement history attached to their new identity.