Issue Adding email to constant contact - Error message: Validation failed: Email already exists for contact

Hi @LowellB 

Instead of Find/Create Contact for Constant Contact, you may have to try this:

Find Contact

Paths

Path A - Create Contact

Path B - Update Contact

You can also try adding Error Handler logic to the Zap step: https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/22495436062605-Set-up-custom-error-handling#h_01HPPKK18N9C64R762TSZGMFPK

Having trouble with this. Can you provide an example to show how to properly setup each step?

Sure. Attached below are the steps I created.

Or step 2 I received a response from a test a below - so this looks good that it will confirm and move on.

See below: 

At Step 4 - Do have I have this setup correctly - Should it be using the email address filled from step 1 (the google sheet) or from step 2 - where it pulls the email. I noticed the message says “missing sample”

See below:

Okay Thanks.

I have run the test at step 2 - all seems fine there - using the test data  it came back with “

Zap Search Was Found Status : False

Which means it should move to step - however when I run step 4 it gives an error:

 

Okay. I again may not be doing this correct.

My goal here is this:
User registers on my site for one of 2 courses. As soon as the user registers for the course they are automatically added to a google sheet with their contact info. 

This part works okay.
I  now want to be able to import the user data to a constant contact list for that specific course community.
The issues I’ve had doing this are either:

1. Contact does not exists (and have never existed in constant contact)
   In this case we can add a new contact.  Previously this was working okay.
2. If the contact exists in constant contact but not in this list - I want them added to a specific list for this course (previously I received an error that the contact existed which is why there was also the “update” step on that create/update contact.
3. If a contact was Unsubscribed to a list - This gave an error
4. If a contact was deleted - it’s kept in constant contacts system (gave an error) and has to be added back.
   
   So, going back to your previous response - for Step 4 - what I'm intending to do here is that if the email address is not found in Step 2 - where we have the action to “find” the specific email address pulled from step 1, where it’s looking for status “all”, it should then proceed to step 5 - where it will attempt to create a new contact. Am I doing this incorrectly?

@LowellB

You will want to make the conditions for each Path unique, so that only 1 of the N paths processes.

For Step 4, you will want your Filter conditions to check the output from Step 2. (e.g. Found = FALSE)

@Troy Tessalone  - thanks so much for the ongoing help. I know we are close to making this all work perfectly - thank you so much!

Okay. I got that path step (step 5) to work. The first time I tested it it went through - as in - the email was not currently on the list, the contact was added successfully.

Now, As I know this contact would be on the list, and to go through an error I had previously I did the following:

 I re ran the test - which then returned the error (see below) as the contact is already on the list.

My question is this: should this then also have a “path” after step 5 - and what should I include there so that if the contact is in the list the zap won’t stop via error and will continue.

I assume I would set it up somewhat similar to what I have in Path step 6 - however when I reran that I got the following error:

 

for reference:
 

@Troy Tessalone Thank you so much.

Things seem to be working. I tested with a contact that has not been added, a contact that exists but would be updated (added again) successfully, and tested with a contact that was “deleted” from CC and the address was added again without an error. I may not need that third step ( 8 ) in my zap as it seemed to get added when I tested with Step 6.

I do have another question which you may or may not be able to help with.

As mentioned earlier I have an Automation on Constant Contact to look for new contacts added to this specific list. When a contact is added, it will send out a series of emails.

The issue I currently have is that when I tested with an email address that I had deleted, while the email was added back to the list, the automation did not send the first email again. 
Do you know if there is a way to make it seem like this is a “new” or “fresh” contact so that automation would fire again?

This would be an issue for any contact that was deleted or removed from the list, OR for any contact that had purchased this course once, and then possibly purchased again. In those cases I can’t get the email automation on Constant contact to send again.

If you think I should connect with Constant Contact support for this, please let me know. 

Thank you again for all your help with setting this zap up. It’s been an issue for me for a while and I was so frustrated to not get things setup. Your assistance is greatly appreciated!!!!