Transforming Multi-Column Contacts into Separate Rows Efficiently

In a single row, I have multiple contacts split out in multiple columns. Imagine my column headers are first_name1, surname_name1, first_name2 and surname_name2. What I want, to have first_name2 and surname_name2 on their own row. I though about write to new table for first_name2 and surname_name2 and then reverse look-up to the original table. Not sure if this is the most efficient, or even work as I couldn't determine what would be the unique identifier in the original table. Any thoughts?

5 comments

Channeled
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To efficiently restructure your table and move multiple contacts into their own rows, you can use our "write to table" feature. Here's how: 1. Create a new table in your workbook for the restructured data. 2. In your original table, use the "write to table" feature: • Select your Clay account • Choose the new table as your destination • Select the columns containing your contact data (first_name2, surname_name2, etc.) • Map these columns to the appropriate fields in your new table 3. Run the "write to table" operation. This will create new rows in the destination table for each set of contact details. To maintain a unique identifier, consider including a column from your original table that can serve as a reference (e.g., a company ID or the first contact's details). This approach will efficiently restructure your data while preserving the relationship between the original and new rows.
Sources: Claybooks: Find overlapping accounts with Crossbeam and automate personalized outreach | Clay.com Write to Other Table | Documentation | Clay University Write to Other Table | Documentation | Clay University
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Charles T.
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So, I write first_name2 and surname_name2 to another table. I cannot write that data back to the original table, this time in the right columns as I create a circular reference.
Channeled
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To avoid creating a circular reference, you can use our "write to table" feature in a two-step process: 1. Write first_name2 and surname_name2 to a new intermediate table. 2. Use "Lookup Single Row in Other Table" or "Lookup Multiple Rows in Other Table" to bring the data back to your original table. This approach prevents circular references because it uses different actions for each direction. Here's how: 1. Use "write to table" to send first_name2 and surname_name2 to the intermediate table. 2. In your original table, use a lookup action to fetch the data from the intermediate table. This method maintains data flow in one direction (A → B → A) without creating a loop.
Sources: Write to Other Table | Documentation | Clay University Write to Other Table | Documentation | Clay University
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