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Import Is Coming to Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT®: What You Need to Know

Danielle VanHorn

Hi, I’m Danielle VanHorn and I’m a Product Manager on the Raiser’s Edge NXT team. I’m here to bring you another in the series of Product Update Briefings follow-up Q&A posts. This post attempts to synthesize and respond to your questions about new Import capabilities in web view.

Import is a cornerstone of effective data management, making it faster, easier, and more accurate to bring information into your system. Instead of manually entering records one by one, Import lets you upload, map, and validate data in bulk, saving time, reducing errors, and ensuring data integrity. Whether you’re adding new records or updating existing ones, Import provides flexibility to work at scale so you can manage data efficiently and keep your database clean and reliable.

How will Import in Web View be different from Database View Import?

Simplified workflow
Database view import requires selecting specific import types and multiple steps to perform an import.
Web view consolidates this into a single, intuitive workflow and features a new, modernized user interface. This means fewer steps and less complexity with no need to specify import types. One file can handle adds and updates for multiple record types.
Performance improvements and scalability
Faster processing and improved reliability when performing large imports.
Imports run asynchronously so you can keep working without interruption.
API Access
Enables integrations with partner applications through dedicated endpoints.
Improved error handling
Import in Web View will generate an exception file for failed rows with clear error messaging.
Exception files can be edited and re-imported, allowing for targeted retries without reprocessing all data.

When can I start using Import in web view?

Import in Web View is currently in development, beginning with bulk APIs for constituent import and import into gift batch. We’re planning early adopter program (EAP) opportunities in the first half of 2026. General availability is expected toward the end of 2026; we’ll have more information about timing in the next Product Update Briefing in May.

How do I sign up for the Import in web view Early Adopter Program (EAP)?

Thanks to very active interest in the Import EAP following the last Product Update Briefing in November, the program is full. While we’re not enrolling new EAP participants, we’ll continue to share updates and resources in the Raiser’s Edge NXT Community as the new functionality becomes available.

Communications to those who have expressed interest in the Import EAP will go out in the next few weeks.

Will I still be able to use database view Import?

Yes, you can continue using database view Import for now. As we roll out Import in web view, we’ll provide guidance to help you transition smoothly and take advantage of the new functionality.

Will Import in web view replace the need for Partner solutions?

No, our goal is to build out a native import solution in Raiser’s Edge NXT so you can easily perform essential imports directly within the user interface or via API. If you need more robust, customized functionality, partner solutions will still be the way to go. We are working closely with our partners as they build modern solutions to replace their existing plug-ins with capabilities that work with Import in web view.

How will I be able to import data into web view?

You’ll have two options:

Upload a CSV file through the Raiser’s Edge NXT user interface for a simplified, user-friendly process.
Via bulk API endpoints for enabling integrations from custom solutions you develop, partner applications, and other external systems.

What types of data will I be able to import in web view?

Import will be introduced in phases to give you the best experience. Early access starts with core functionality for importing Constituents and importing gifts into Gift Batch. Then, we’ll expand to include additional record types along with advanced functionality like bulk add, edit, and delete (global change).

Where will we find the Import functionality in web view?

Import will be located under Data Management, a new option that will be added to the left navigation.

Are you migrating over import history from database view?

While data gets updated in both views regardless of where you initiate the import, the import history is specific to each view. So in web view you will only see import history for imports originating in web view; in database view you will only see import history for imports originating in database view.

Data will update as expected across both views, wherever you initiated the import but you will only see the import history where the import was initiated.

Will Import in web view detect duplicates?

Yes. Import in web view includes duplicate detection and resolution options to maintain clean, accurate data.

Next Steps

Check out the November Product Update Briefings and the Future of Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® blog.
Watch the OnDemand recoding of the Raiser’s Edge NXT Product Update Briefing here:
Raiser's Edge NXT® (North America)
Raiser's Edge NXT® (Pacific Region)
Raiser's Edge NXT® (UK & Europe)
Attend the InsideTrack to the Unified View webinar series.
Share feedback, questions, and comments! We love to hear from you, and we’re building this feature with your input in mind. Comments are welcome below or you can submit ideas in our Idea Bank.

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Comments

Taylor Grady-Daly

It will still be CSV files only? Why not excel files?

Rachel Cavalier

Will Import in web view replace the need for Partner solutions?
No, our goal is to build out a native import solution in Raiser’s Edge NXT so you can easily perform essential imports directly within the user interface or via API. If you need more robust, customized functionality, partner solutions will still be the way to go. We are working closely with our partners as they build modern solutions to replace their existing plug-ins with capabilities that work with Import in web view.

All existing native import capabilities will come across to web view though, right? We don't currently use Partner solutions to do with import because it was more cost effective to learn to do the import via RE ourselves and would like to continue to do so.

Danielle VanHorn

https://community.blackbaud.com/discussion/comment/310192#Comment_310192

Hi Taylor, yes, we are currently planning to only support CSV files in web view import because CSV files ensure a more secure and consistent structure, which allows us to provide faster processing and more accurate validation. Other Excel file types can contain formatting, formulas, embedded content, and multiple sheets, which can potentially introduce errors. If there is an additional file type necessary for your processes that we should consider including, please let me know.

Danielle VanHorn

https://community.blackbaud.com/discussion/comment/310217#Comment_310217

Hi Rachel, we’ll be bringing over the native import capabilities such as ability to create new or update existing records as well as global add, edit, and delete. Validation and deduplication capabilities will also be included.

Once we’ve completed this initial import work, we’ll move on to the ability to create import files and other import functionality, such as scheduling and advanced mapping capabilities. If you have a question about when a specific import capability is coming to web view, let me know and I can clarify where it falls on the roadmap.

Rachel Cavalier

Other than gifts and constituents, we do a lot of importing event participants with participant attributes - so that would be what I would be interested to know when it would be coming please @Danielle VanHorn

Suzie Capps

Echoing @Rachel Cavalier it would be great to have a timeline of when to expect further import functionality in web view - we rely heavily on Volunteer and Time Sheet global adds and timesheets.

Lucy Ann Gossett

For us, we use import to mark the records of those that have received a direct mail segmentation. The appeal of the DM segment and then if they make a donation using that DM appeal the amount appears on their record. At this time a 3rd party is doing the import for us.

Paul Hittler

When is the Plug-Ins menu in RE database view to disappear ? We heavily use ImportOMatic to import all our check and manual entry credit card receipts into RE DB batches. ImportOmatic is one of the tools contained in Plug-Ins. We have moved to Omatic Cloud, but will need more time to work out how to use this for gift batching, especially since Batch Import is not yet built out in RE NXT. Thanks.

Evan Webb

I'm watching the demo on the "Inside Track to the Unified View-Import for Impact" and I am feeling that key features are missing:

*Query of imported records is missing

*Exception file is a mess. It should be much like the current import control report when exported to a CSV, where each exception is one row with the exception reason being on the same row as the data that could not be imported. I use the exception control report to de-duplicate my imports and a file that has multiple rows with error messages for each row that could not be imported is going to be very difficult to work with. My import workflow saves me dozens of hours a month, so it's very important I can continue my workflows with the unified view.

*Mapping needs to be controllable by the user.

*Import to update records? Will we be able to do this. I'm not talking about Global Change, but Import to Update. This is also a key part of my workflow.

Emily Savino

https://community.blackbaud.com/discussion/comment/310287#Comment_310287

Why not add your appeal via Global Add instead? Then when the gift arrives, the appeal of the gift links to the appeal on their record automatically.

Debbie Burr

I also need to know when is the Plug-Ins menu in RE database view going to disappear? We rely on ImportOMatic through Plug-Ins to import all of our online donations made by echeck and credit card into RE Gift Batches for both of our organizations/RE databases. We also use it to import alll of our employee giving so we have multiple importomatic profiles. We really need to know when the importing into gift batches will be built out enough to see if we will need to use Importomatic for assistance and how much time will we have to get transitioned from importomatic/Plugins to the new import tools in Unified view before you all just cut off the database view functionality. Thank you.

Joseph S

Couple of questions

Will you be able to import new constituents with an accompanying gift into a batch along with pre-existing donors?

If so, how customizable will the duplicate checking be?

Rita Galante

Would this eliminate the need for middleware like Omatic, which we are currently using to import from Siriusware to RE database view?

Bill Connors

@Rita Galante Not likely. Import in the web view is replacing Import in the database, not any of the partner products. If you need Omatic now, you're likely to still need it. The question is, why did you feel you need Omatic instead of the included Import in db view? If those needs still exist, you're almost certainly going to still need Omatic. The only new features in web view Import right now that I can think of that might help you out is (1) the ability to import constituents and gifts in one import, not two, and (2) importing directly into Batch. Were those your only two reasons for going with Omatic or were there more?