How do I use the VAN/Every Action Integration?

Connect your Hustle account to VAN to share data and activity between the two. This includes:

• Importing contacts from VAN into Hustle.
• Updating information in VAN based on activity in Hustle. This includes activist codes, survey questions, canvass results, and opt outs.

Skip to:

• How do I set up VAN with Hustle?
• How do I update an integration in Hustle?
• How do I import contacts into Hustle with VAN?
  • VIA VML (VAN My List)
  • VIA CSV
• How do I update VAN with Hustle?
  • What data syncs from Hustle to VAN? 
  • How do I integrate my goals with VAN?
  • How do I use the VAN Survey Goal Type?
  • How do I set up tags to integrate with VAN?
  • How do I set up opt outs to integrate with VAN?
• Frequently asked questions

How do I set up VAN with Hustle?

Before setting up the integration, admins need to submit a support request to NGP VAN support requesting the following:

• Application Name
• API Key

For complete instructions on how to get the API Key, see How do I get a production (client) API key? within the following help article from VAN: Key Generation and Usage.

Once you have the API Key and application name, to set up an integration:

1. From the Admin Panel, click Integrations.
2. Click Add Integration under NGP VAN.
3. Click Add Integration on the following page:
   1. Choose Integration Type
      • VAN: The integration for VAN My Campaign.
      • VAN (My Voters): The integration for VAN My Voters.
   2. Enter the preferred name of the integration in Name this Integration.
   3. Enter the Application Name provided by NGP VAN.
   4. Enter the API Key provided by NGP VAN and click Save.

• If you'd like to sync Hustle opt outs back to VAN for this integration, check the box to Sync Hustle opt-outs to VAN 🔛

• If your VAN account uses both VAN My Voters and VAN My Campaign you can add the other integration type without entering your credentials under (...): 
• If you're integrating with more than one VAN committee, repeat the steps above.

 

How do I update an integration in Hustle?

When an integration with VAN isn’t working as expected you may need to update the integration’s credentials.

Before updating the integration, admins need to request the following from NGP VAN support:

• Application Name
• API Key

To update an integration:

1. From the Admin Panel, click Integrations.
2. Click integration options (...) next to the integration name.
3. Click Update Credentials.
4. Edit the integration fields:
   1. Enter the Application Name provided by NGP VAN.
   2. Enter the API Key provided by NGP VAN and click Save.

 

How do I import contacts into Hustle with VAN?

Admins can use integrations to import contacts directly from VAN to Hustle.

Admins can also add contacts using a CSV file and use integrations to sync data back to VAN based on activity in Hustle.

• VIA VML (VAN My List)
• VIA CSV

VIA VML (VAN My List)

1. Click the Messages button in the VAN Dashboard > Send > Choose the organization where you'd like to import your list > Click Import.
   
   • Note: If a contact has more than one number, Hustle will import multiple contact records. You can now choose which phone number types from VAN you'd like to import to Hustle. Please note each phone number will push a separate contact record to the Hustle group. Learn more about group contact limits here. 🎉

1. You’ll be directed to Hustle’s VAN List Import Wizard; click Get Started. 
2. Choose which phone number type(s) you'd like to import to Hustle. 🛑 Important Note: Hustle will import one contact for each phone number type you select, so if you select multiple you will see more contacts in Hustle than were in the VAN list.
3. Choose which Hustle fields should match with which VAN fields > Continue. 
4. Create or apply tags to contacts > Continue. 
   • If you’re a group admin and can’t create or apply tags, reach out to your organization admin.
5. Create a new group or add contacts to an existing group > Submit.
   • Note: Group admins can only add contacts to existing groups.
6. Contacts will be pushed into the group and left unassigned.

VIA CSV

1. Go to Contacts > Add contacts > Choose a CSV file.
2. Choose the CSV file that was exported from VAN.
3. Map the required fields to each column in the CSV file:
   
   • Phone Number
   • First Name
   • Last Name
   • Your integration with VAN (Formatted as: Integration Name [integration type]: vanId)
   • Custom fields (If available)
     • Note: When importing contacts via a CSV file, any Hustle custom field can be mapped to any field in VAN. 
4. Choose how your contacts will be assigned.
   • Optional: Apply tags to every contact in the import.
5. Click Import Contacts.

 

How do I update VAN with Hustle?

For integrated contacts, Hustle can update the event participation, contact history, survey questions, activist codes, and canvass results in a VAN committee.

 

What data syncs from Hustle to VAN?

After a VAN integration is fully set up and contacts have been imported from VAN to Hustle, the following is a summary of all the data that can sync from Hustle to VAN. 

• Hustle Messages and Calls > VAN Contact History: By default, for integrated contacts, all messages sent (SMS or MMS) in Hustle P2P goals, Broadcast goals, and Dialer goals will push an update to Contact History on contact profiles in VAN. Dialer calls and call results will also sync to Contact History. 
   
• Hustle Survey Question Goals > VAN Survey Questions: If you set up a VAN Survey Question goal all survey responses collected in that goal will sync back to VAN for integrated contacts. More info in: How do I use the VAN Survey Goal Type?
   
• Hustle Goals > VAN Events: For other goal types, you can use the Configure Integrations option at the bottom of the goal form to sync a VAN event with your goal's yes/no lead actions. 
  
  

  The Configure Integrations tool also allows you to integrate with a survey question from VAN, but it can only integrate to Hustle's yes/no responses. If your survey question has more than one response, we recommend instead using a Hustle Survey Question Goal Type to integrate all survey responses with Hustle.
  
  For more info skip to: How do I integrate my goals with VAN?

 

• Hustle Tags > VAN Activist Codes, Survey Responses, Canvass Results: You can set up Hustle tags to integrate to objects in VAN (survey responses, activist codes, and canvass results). When an integrated tag is applied to an integrated contact, that data will sync back to VAN 🎉 For more detail skip to: How do I set up tags to integrate with VAN?

 

• Hustle Opt Outs > VAN Opt Outs: For any VAN integration, you can enable opt out sync from Hustle to VAN. Phone numbers opted out in Hustle will be marked "SMS Opt-In Status: Opt-Out" in VAN. For more info jump to: How do I set up opt outs to integrate with VAN?

 

How do I integrate my goals with VAN?

Admins can integrate goals with VAN events and and survey questions so committees in VAN get updated based on activity in Hustle.

•  If you use the VAN Survey goal type, the Configure Integration section won’t be available.  •  Conversation activity and actions that take place before the before the goal is integrated won’t sync back to VAN.

1. Fill out the goal creation form as you normally would. Towards the bottom of the page is the Configure Integrations section, which is where you’ll set up how your goal pushes data to VAN.
2. Click Add an integration. Note: If a MyVoters integration is being used, the goal can’t integrate with a VAN event.
3. Choose the Integration you want to use and under Destination choose if the goal should update a VAN Event or a VAN Survey Question.
   
   • If the destination is a VAN Event:
     1. Enter the VAN Event ID.
     2. Click Load.
     3. Select Shift, Role, and Location values from the drop down
     4. Map what gets sent to VAN based on how contacts respond to the initial message. (e.g. Canvassed, Yes, No, No response)
     5. Click Done. 
   • If the destination is a VAN Survey Question, you’ll then be prompted to map what gets sent to VAN based on lead actions and conversation activity (i.e. initial message, No response, Yes, No, reminders).

Note: Any changes made in VAN can break an integration, so changes also need to be made in Hustle.

Your goal is now set up to push event participation status and survey responses into VAN.

How do I use the VAN Survey Goal Type?

When integrated with VAN, the VAN Survey goal type is available when creating a goal. For more information, see Goal type: VAN Survey.

1. Set the goal type to VAN Survey.
2. Fill out the goal form.
3. In the Survey section, set the integration that the goal will use to push results (MyCampaign or MyVoters).
4. Choose the VAN survey question that will be used.
   • Responses will automatically populate for the VAN survey question.
5. Optional: Draft scripts to survey responses.
6. Once launched, survey question responses captured by agents will sync to VAN.

How do I set up tags to integrate with VAN?

After integrating your organization with VAN, you can set up tags to apply/update activist codes, survey questions and canvass results in VAN.

1. From the admin panel, click Tags.
2. Next to the tag, click Edit.
3. Choose the activist code, survey question or canvass result you want the tag to apply/update. 
4. Click Save. Now when a tag is applied to a contact, the related activist code, survey question, or canvass result will be applied/updated to the contact's profile in VAN.

Note: Only one response per survey question will show in VAN. If there are multiple responses, only the most recent response will be recorded in VAN.

 

How do I set up opt outs to integrate with VAN?

For new and existing VAN integrations, you can enable Hustle to sync opt outs back to VAN to improve your data 🥳 Phone numbers opted out in Hustle will be marked "SMS Opt-In Status: Opt-Out" in VAN. 

 

To enable this during setup, when you are entering your integration name and API key, check the box to Sync Hustle opt-outs to VAN:

To enable for an existing VAN integration, in your Hustle organization select Integrations from the left navigation panel, and select the NGP VAN tile. 

Next to your desired integration, select the "..." More Options > Edit integration 

Check the box to Sync Hustle opt-outs to VAN.

Please note: If you want Hustle opt outs to sync back to VAN MyVoters and VAN MyCampaign, you'll need to toggle this on for both integrations. Opt out sync for existing integrations is not retroactive, so only opt outs applied in Hustle after the sync is enabled will sync to VAN. 

 

Frequently asked questions

Skip to:

• Why aren’t my contacts importing over?
• What does the “Add API Key” message mean?
• Why was I told to contact my admin?
• Why haven’t my contacts been imported into the group?
• What does the "Validating external identifiers failed" error message mean?

 

Why aren’t my contacts importing over? 

Click Integrations > Add Integration under NGP VAN.

• If your VAN committee is from My Campaign, verify the type is VAN.
• If your VAN committee is from My Voters, verify the type is VAN_MYVOTERS.

 

What does the “Add API Key” message mean?

If you see the Add API Key error message, that means:

• the list is coming from a different VAN committee than the one set up in the integration.
• the list is coming from the wrong integration type.
• The wrong API key is being used.

To help make sure the right key is being used, the last 4 digits of each integration's API key is available for review on the Integrations section of the Admin Panel:

 

Why was I told to contact my admin?

The settings of the organization can affect what features are available. Contact your admin for more information.

 

Why haven’t my contacts been imported into the group?

There are several reasons why your contacts didn’t get imported. The following can block an import:

• The import took too long to transfer.
• The list is too large and exceeds the groups contact limit.
• The contacts are using a landline or a textable number couldn’t be verified.
• There are no contacts in the file.

 

What does the "Validating external identifiers failed" error message mean?

There are several reasons why users can encounter the Validating external identifiers failed error message when uploading contacts via CSV:

• The list is coming from a committee that isn’t set up with the integration.
• The list is coming from the wrong integration type.
• The VAN integration field is mapped incorrectly by the admin during import.