Sometimes you need to import data into Beacon, but the data in your spreadsheet isn't quite in the format that's right for you. When this happens, you can choose between two options:
- Modify the spreadsheet before you upload it
- Add a "virtual column" in Beacon, translating data into the correct format for Beacon
If you only have to import your data once (like you would doing a data migration), we recommend going for option 1. However, if you're importing data regularly into Beacon, you don't want to have to edit your spreadsheet every time before upload! For this situation, you should go for option 2 - virtual columns.
link Using virtual columns
Virtual columns are just like columns in Excel. You add them in Beacon, and you can specify any Excel-valid formula in one of your export templates in Beacon:
You'll see the calculated values in a special orange column in Beacon when previewing your import template:
More usefully, you can pass the values of other columns into your virtual columns, for example:
To insert other columns into your virtual column formula, click the icon on the right of the field, and choose the column that you'd like to use:
Just like other columns, it's possible to map the values of virtual columns to fields in Beacon, and de-duplicate based on them.
Note: Any reference to text columns in a formula will need to have double quotation marks around it. 
Note: Column references are case-sensitive; so {{{First Name}}} is different from {{{first name}}}.
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Frequently asked questions
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My formula isn't working!
First things first, double check your formula in Excel / Google Sheets. If it works there but not in Beacon, please get in touch with Beacon support and we'll take a look in more detail. (We support most Excel functions, but not every function)