Note: Your user group must have a custom data object (CDO) set up and have uploaded data to the CDO to use this filter.

To ensure that your contacts have data that only your users can edit, we must import data into a custom data object, or CDO. Each time you upload data into the CDO, you are creating or modifying a custom data record. This record contains details, like your contact’s email address, first and last name, as well as custom fields you selected.

When you upload to a CDO, you also create contact records, so you don’t have to upload the same contacts, too.

Here is how you upload a spreadsheet into your CDO to create or modify new data records:

1. Ensure your spreadsheet is formatted correctly. Please use the correct Excel template provided with all columns included, even if you don’t add data for each column. If you cannot find your template or do not have a template, please contact the Marketing Automation Team.
   • Each row must have an email address and your contact label.
   • Your spreadsheet must contain all columns in the template, even if your rows of data do not have any values for/use those columns. 
     • Note that if you upload data to a field, it will overwrite any old data.
     • If you leave a column blank, it will leave the field alone.
   • If you do not follow step 1, your information will not upload correctly.
     
     
2. In Eloqua, navigate to Audience  > Tools > Custom Objects.
   
   
   
   
   
3. You’ll see a page that looks like this:
   
   
   
   
   
4. On the left side of the window, under All Custom Objects, navigate to your folder. Click to open your CDO.  

   
   
   (You'll see your CDO populate the right side of the screen.)
   
   

5. In the upper right corner, click the icon that says Custom Object.

6. In the dropdown that appears, select Upload Custom Object Records.
   
   
   
   A popup window will appear with an upload wizard for you to follow.

7. Click Use Saved Settings and then select your CDO settings from the dropdown. (Note these settings should have your user group name in them.)
   
   
   
   

8. Click the Next button.

9. On the next screen, 2 Upload Data Source, Click Browse ... to navigate to where you have saved your upload file and click Open.

   
   
   
   
   

10. Once you have selected the file, you’ll see the title of it next to the Browse ... button. Select Upload and Preview Data. 

    
    
    

11. Once the file has uploaded, you’ll see a preview of your data. Here’s an example of one CDO’s upload preview:
    
    

    (Note: If you see error messages like this, cancel and modify your spreadsheet.):
    
    
    
    

12. Click the Next button.

13. You’ll see a page reviewing your Upload Settings. Ensure your email address is in the Notification Email field (You may have to scroll down a bit to see it.) and click Finish.
    
    
    
    

14. You will see a Success message. Click the red X box in the upper right corner of the Wizard to close it.
    
    
    
    

15. Once the processes have run (see below), you can add dynamic filters to your segment! Please see Eloqua - Filtering by CDOs in Segments.

• Note that the data you are uploading goes through a few different processes to update that can take about 30 minutes, total, so you will need to wait for the processing to complete. If you upload more than 25,000 contacts, it will take longer. 
  
• Don’t forget! Your CDO uploads are set to overwrite any old records. If you upload new data associated with a contact (email address), it will overwrite whatever was there.