TABLE OF CONTENTS

NGP VAN / EveryAction

The NGP VAN / EveryAction integration enables you to upload VAN lists directly into text campaigns and sync your data back based on a contact’s VAN ID. Learn more about syncing data back using Tags here.


Note: Integrations must be set up on a per-subaccount basis. However, within a single subaccount, you can integrate multiple instances of the same integration type.


How to Set Up Your NGP VAN / EveryAction Integration

Getting Your Credentials

  1. Request an API Key - On the Main Menu page in your NGP VAN account, under the section titled “Administrative Menu,” click on Integrations, and then click on API Integrations. On the following page, click the blue Request an API Key button in the upper right corner.

  2. In the popup window, select Scale to Win from the Integration dropdown menu. Then select your appropriate contact from the contacts listed in the “Request will be sent to” dropdown menu.

  3. Request approval timelines may vary by administrator. When the administrator approves your request, you’ll receive a notification to generate your API key in NGP VAN.

  4. Once the credentials have been generated, they can only be viewed once. So you need to make sure you’re able to save this information before you generate it. The two pieces of information you’ll get when you generate the API key are Application Name and API Key.

Adding Credentials

  1. Navigate to the Integrations page in Scale to Win Text.

  2. Click on Add New Integration and choose "NGP VAN / EveryAction”.


  1. Assign a name for quick reference, especially when connecting multiple NGP VAN instances.

  2. Enter the Application Name and API Key obtained from NGP VAN into the form then click Validate. Once the credentials are submitted, you'll know if it’s been successfully configured because an error message will be returned if it was not.


 

To upload lists directly from NGP VAN, lists must be in a folder that is shared with Scale to Win.

  1. To set up the ability to sync lists from NGP VAN, go to My Folders in NGP VAN.

  2. Add a new folder or edit an existing one. Then, check the box "Allow other users to save into this folder". Click the Save button. You will now have the option to add users to save into the folder in a section called "User Access". Find the user titled “API User, Scale to Win” and add that user to the folder, then click Save.

  3. Next, save your lists in the folder you've made accessible to the Scale to Win API. You'll only be able to sync lists if they are in a folder the API User can access. You can share multiple folders with the API User.

FAQS
Why won’t my list import from NGP VAN?
A few things to check in order to make sure the list gets imported:

  • Make sure to select the correct NGP VAN API key in the Integrations section of the campaign, i.e. if you would like to pull a list from My Voters, make sure the API key is for My Voters

  • Make sure your list is saved as a list. A saved search cannot be imported.

  • Make sure the "API User" has shared access to the folder in NGP VAN where you saved the list

  • Make sure the list does not contain more than 250k contacts, otherwise it will be too large to be imported

  • Make sure to search for the list in the search bar - you'll need to enter words for names to populate



Can I add NGP VAN sync mid-campaign?
If you didn't select a key in the Integrations section of a campaign prior to launch, then it won't be possible to set up automatic sync back to NGP VAN. You can still upload your data to NGP VAN by exporting the campaign’s data and using NGP VAN’s bulk upload feature. 

How can I confirm my data has synced?
Right now, we only currently support syncing saved lists. Saved searches will not load data via the Scale To Win API key. If you don't see your list, wait 30-60 seconds, and ensure that you enabled the NGP VAN Integration in the Basics section of your campaign.




Can I use the same API Key for the Dialer and Scale to Win Text?
Yes! You are able to use the same key for both so long as you have the full key name and application/assignment name to enter into the Scale to Win Dialer and Text platforms. In fact, we strongly recommend users use the same API key for both.  If you generate a second API Key for the Dialer, it often forces the original API Key to expire. So, users should generate one and use it for both platforms.

Does the NGP VAN sync create duplicates / new contacts?
The NGP VAN sync will not create duplicate records / contacts. It just updates the current contacts with the survey responses, activist codes, or canvass responses you apply. If you uploaded a contact without a VAN ID, there would be no sync at all. The sync only works if you:
 a) pull data directly from NGP VAN (and therefore it contains a VAN ID and existed in NGP VAN) 
or b) upload a file that contains a row for VAN ID. If there is no VAN ID, the sync back to NGP VAN won't be enabled.