Marketing Cloud API
jStart an Import Definition
Why Start an Import Definition
Starting an import definition via the SOAP API allows you to import information while maintaining a tight integration with your system or development environment.
How to Start an Import Definition
Use the sample code below to create your own call to start the import definition. The PerformResult Task.ID property provides the unique identifier needed to track the import using the ImportSummaryResults retrieve.
Sample .NET Code
using System;
using System.Configuration;
using System.Data;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Security;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.HtmlControls;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts;
using System.Xml.Linq;
using etAPI;
public partial class PerformImportDefinition : System.Web.UI.Page
{
//Global Variables
private SoapClient client = new SoapClient();
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//Authenticate
client.ClientCredentials.UserName.UserName = System.Configuration.ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["wsUserName"];
client.ClientCredentials.UserName.Password = System.Configuration.ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["wsPassword"];
if (!IsPostBack)
{
}
}
protected void btnSubmit_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
try
{
//Create Subscriber object [Interactions > Activities > Import]
ImportDefinition id = new ImportDefinition();
id.CustomerKey = "3f42394b-7f89-44c6-a653-f80aaa00935c";
try
{
//Call the Perform method on the ImportDefinition object
string pStatus = String.Empty;
string pMessage = String.Empty;
string pRequestID = String.Empty;
PerformResult[] pResults = client.Perform(new PerformOptions(), "Start", new InteractionBaseObject[] { id }, out pStatus, out pMessage, out pRequestID);
//Display Results
lblMessage.Text += "Overall Perform Status: " + pStatus;
lblMessage.Text += "<br/>";
lblMessage.Text += "Number of Results: " + pResults.Length;
lblMessage.Text += "<br/>";
//Loop through each object returned and display the StatusMessage
foreach (PerformResult pr in pResults)
{
lblMessage.Text += "Status Message: " + pr.StatusMessage;
lblMessage.Text += "<br/>";
}
}
catch (Exception exCreate)
{
//Set Message
lblMessage.Text += "<br/><br/>PERFORM ERROR:<br/>" + exCreate.Message;
}
}
catch (Exception exc)
{
//Set Message
lblMessage.Text += "<br/><br/>###ERROR<br/>" + exc.Message;
}
}
}// Intialize variables string requestID; string status; string message; // Create the ImportDefinition ImportDefinition id = new ImportDefinition();
id.CustomerKey = "cn2importa";
// Start the import
PerformResult[] results = integrationFramework.Perform(null, "start", new InteractionBaseObject[] { id },out status, out message, out requestID);
// Print out overall results
System.Text.StringBuilder sb = new System.Text.StringBuilder();
sb.Append("Perform Import Definition");
sb.AppendFormat("\nOverall result: {0}. RequestID: {1}, {2}\n{3}\n{4}\nTask.ID{5}", status, requestID, message, results[0].ErrorCode, results[0].StatusCode, results[0].Task.ID.toString());
Console.WriteLine(sb.ToString());Output
Perform Import Definition Overall result: OK. RequestID: 21d7d5a5-871a-4584-b61a-18c523189c2b, OK 0 OK Task.ID:3458Sample Java Code (Axis 1.4)
public void testStartImportDefinition() throws RemoteException {
try {
Soap stub = init();
// Create the ImportDefinition
ImportDefinition impDef = new ImportDefinition();
impDef.setCustomerKey("CODES");
PerformRequestMsg performRequestMsg = new PerformRequestMsg();
performRequestMsg.setAction("start");
performRequestMsg.setOptions(new PerformOptions());
performRequestMsg.setDefinitions(new InteractionBaseObject[]{impDef});
PerformResponseMsg performResponseMsg = stub.perform(performRequestMsg);
System.out.println(performResponseMsg.getOverallStatus());
} catch (RemoteException e) {
e.printStackTrace(); //To change body of catch statement use File | Settings | File Templates.
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace(); //To change body of catch statement use File | Settings | File Templates.
}
}Sample Java Code (Axis 2.0)
private static void PerformImport(PartnerAPIStub stub) {
try {
PerformRequestMsgDocument prmd = PerformRequestMsgDocument.Factory.newInstance();
PerformRequestMsg pr = PerformRequestMsg.Factory.newInstance();
com.exacttarget.wsdl.partnerapi.PerformRequestMsgDocument.PerformRequestMsg.Definitions defs = com.exacttarget.wsdl.partnerapi.PerformRequestMsgDocument.PerformRequestMsg.Definitions.Factory.newInstance();
ImportDefinition id = ImportDefinition.Factory.newInstance();
id.setCustomerKey("Import_GenderDE");
defs.setDefinitionArray(new ImportDefinition[] {id});
pr.setAction("start");
pr.setDefinitions(defs);
prmd.setPerformRequestMsg(pr);
PerformResponseMsgDocument performResponseMsgDoc = stub.Perform(prmd);
PerformResponseMsgDocument.PerformResponseMsg performResponseMsg = performResponseMsgDoc.getPerformResponseMsg();
System.out.println(performResponseMsg.getOverallStatus() + " " +performResponseMsg.getOverallStatusMessage());
System.out.println(performResponseMsgDoc.toString());
} catch (RemoteException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}Sample Ruby on Rails Code
require 'rubygems'
gem 'soap4r'
require 'soap/wsdlDriver'
require 'soap/header/simplehandler'
require 'defaultDriver.rb'
require 'authStub.rb'
#Async create options
#options = CreateOptions.new(nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,'Asynchronous')
options = nil
customerKey = 'API-Test-1'
importDef = ImportDefinition.new(nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,customerKey,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil,nil)
apiObj = importDef
resp = $driver.perform(PerformRequestMsg.new(options,'start',[apiObj]))Sample SOAP Envelope
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:wsa="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing" xmlns:wsse="http://docs.oasis-open.org/wss/2004/01/oasis-200401-wss-wssecurity-secext-1.0.xsd" xmlns:wsu="http://docs.oasis-open.org/wss/2004/01/oasis-200401-wss-wssecurity-utility-1.0.xsd">
<soap:Header>
<wsa:Action>Perform</wsa:Action>
<wsa:MessageID>urn:uuid:30ffce73-2bdc-422a-b3da-1e71e3f15270</wsa:MessageID>
<wsa:ReplyTo>
<wsa:Address>http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing/role/anonymous</wsa:Address>
</wsa:ReplyTo>
<wsa:To>https://YOUR_SUBDOMAIN.soap.marketingcloudapis.com/Service.asmx</wsa:To>
<wsse:Security soap:mustUnderstand="1">
<wsse:UsernameToken wsu:Id="SecurityToken-4c1eed3b-75ee-4d19-8712-731028aaad77">
<wsse:Username>USERNAME</wsse:Username>
<wsse:Password Type="http://docs.oasis-open.org/wss/2004/01/oasis-200401-wss-username-token-profile-1.0#PasswordText">PASSWORD</wsse:Password>
<wsse:Nonce>R2f0uhYWm7whOu2Bjg7lvQ==</wsse:Nonce>
<wsu:Created>2008-09-17T20:58:36Z</wsu:Created>
</wsse:UsernameToken>
</wsse:Security>
</soap:Header>
<soap:Body>
<PerformRequestMsg xmlns="http://exacttarget.com/wsdl/partnerAPI">
<Action>start</Action>
<Definitions>
<Definition xsi:type="ImportDefinition">
<ObjectID xsi:nil="true"/>
<CustomerKey>2043</CustomerKey>
</Definition>
</Definitions>
</PerformRequestMsg>
</soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>