Importing membership issue - First name and Last Name

[digitaljunction]

I have a CSV file which I want to import.

When I am required to map the CSV filed to a CiviCRM field I don't see "First Name, Last Name" as options. The help documentation seems to suggest these fields are available to map.

Is there somewhere where this is enabled?

[ayduns]

Just to be clear, are you wanting to import "contacts" or "members"?

First Name and Last Name are available when importing contacts (Contacts >> Import Contacts). 

When you import memberships, (Members >> Import Membership), the contacts already need to exist and your CSV includes Contact ID, External ID or email to match.

[ Memberships *can* be imported matching on First/Last name if you first set up the Unsupervised Duplicate Matching Rule using First & Last names.  If that rule is created, First & Last name will appear in the mapping fields.  However the combination of first and last name is often not unique and not to be recommended for unsupervised matching.  You're better adding internal or external id's to your CSV and using those. ]

[joanne]

For more information see the Importing memberships section of  http://book.civicrm.org/user/current/membership/manual-entry-of-memberships/

[digitaljunction]

Just to be clear, are you wanting to import "contacts" or "members"?

First Name and Last Name are available when importing contacts (Contacts >> Import Contacts). 

When you import memberships, (Members >> Import Membership), the contacts already need to exist and your CSV includes Contact ID, External ID or email to match.

I realise now that I need import the Contact first and then the membership. I thought I was doing both.

Thanks again.

[digitaljunction]

For more information see the Importing memberships section of  http://book.civicrm.org/user/current/membership/manual-entry-of-memberships/

Thanks you so much. It is much clearer now.