EveryAction & NGPVAN Integration FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about the VAN x Mobilize integration

Updated over a week ago

In this documentation and in Mobilize we will refer to the integration as “VAN,” but the integration can be used with any application built on the VAN platform, including EveryAction 8, VoteBuilder, LAN, and NGP 8. This integration will not work with NGP 7 or EveryAction 7.

🔌 Connecting VAN to Mobilize

How do I connect Mobilize to VAN/LAN/VoteBuilder/EveryAction?

  1. Generate a VAN key for Mobilize in your organization's VAN committee -- make sure you specify the key to not expire, if possible.

  2. If the VAN settings tab does not appear in your dashboard, request for it to be enabled by Mobilize Support or your Success Manager.

  3. Paste the VAN API key into the textbox, and click Connect VAN account.

  4. Configure the settings for event types to sync to VAN.

I’ve already got events & signups in Mobilize - how do I sync past events to VAN?

Events and signups that predate your VAN x Mobilize installation can be backfill synced. Contact Mobilize Support or your organization's Customer Success Manager.

Is the VAN sync automatic? Do I have to click something for data to move to VAN? Do I have to create the event in VAN manually?

Once a Mobilize dashboard has been connected to a VAN committee, the sync is automatic. However, if there are missing events or signups in VAN, Mobilize Support can troubleshoot and manually sync for you.

📒 Events and Contacts in VAN

What will my Mobilize events look like in VAN?

All events and signups that sync to VAN will be marked with the Event Types, Roles, and Statuses that you configure in the VAN settings tab of your dashboard. This will include any Activist codes and survey responses you have set up.

Events and signups that sync from Mobilize to VAN will be marked as such in VAN, like so:

Why isn’t my event syncing to VAN?

  • Check that the integration is enabled. If it is enabled but your API key is invalid or expired, please contact Mobilize Support.

  • Check that your event types are mapped

  • Check the event's customized VAN settings, if any

  • Check the event type’s location requirements

    1. Location requirements must be enabled or disabled for each event type. To check this, you must be logged into your VAN committee.

    2. Click into MyCampaign

    3. Click into Event Types (the search bar on the left console should bring it up for you)

    4. Select the Event Type you'd like to edit

    5. Click into the Locations tab

    6. Check or uncheck Require events to have at least one location

    7. Click Finish

  • Finally, did you delete the event, or move the timeslot? Email Support.

Can I sync my existing VAN events to Mobilize?

No, the integration is generally one-way from Mobilize to VAN. You will need to create the Mobilize event first and it will be automatically created in VAN. If you're missing any events or signups, please contact Mobilize Support.

Why isn’t my petition/pledge/interest form syncing to VAN?

New petitions, pledges, and interest forms will no longer sync to VAN as events with signups. Instead, you can configure an Activist Code to be applied for any supporter who signs up for one of these actions in the action's Custom VAN Settings. More about the VAN Integration

If your petition, pledge, or interest form was created prior to June 2021, please create a new one.

Why am I seeing duplicate contacts in VAN?

Check with your VAN administrator about your committee's contact matching criteria.

⚙️ Activist Codes & Event Types

Why is my Activist Code not showing up in Mobilize?

Activist Codes need to be configured in MyCampaign in the VAN committee connected to your Mobilize dashboard. They should be configured in the following way:

Scope: Public

☑️ Can Be Assigned or Removed

Status: Active

Still not showing up? Check with your VAN administrator.

How do I get more event type options when creating events?

Only event types that are mapped will appear in event creation. You can always add an additional event type to the VAN Settings page.

Why are my event type roles not showing up on Mobilize?

Event Roles must be created in the organization's VAN committee. Still not showing up? Check with your VAN administrator.

Why am I getting invalid type and invalid status errors when configuring my VAN settings tab?

Invalid Status messages may appear when the mapping fields are empty. If they persist after all fields have been mapped, please contact Mobilize Support.

🏷️ Tags, SMS & Additional Fields

Do event tags sync to VAN?

Yes! Event tags map directly to the Tags field in VAN.

Do SMS opt-ins get synced into VAN?

No. SMS opt-ins can be found in Volunteer or Shift and volunteer feedback exports located in each dashboard's Exports tab.

For dashboards with Mobilize API access, SMS opt-ins are returned with Person objects as "sms_opt_in_status". See API doc.

Do additional fields sync to VAN?

Checkbox fields can be configured to apply activist codes in VAN. This feature also works for EveryAction and NGP committees.

Other additional field types do not sync to VAN at this time.

Did this FAQ inspire you to ask your own question? Ask Mobilize Support!

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