The Kickstarter import tool onitch.io simplifies the process ofdistributing digital rewards. By importing your backer list, each backer isgranted an itch.ioDownload Key. These keys may contain files or Steam keys,depending on the amount pledged.
After importing your backers, you can utilize the email tool to send them acustomized email featuring their download URL. Alternatively, you can share thepublic claim URL, which grants keys to those who have an account with an emailthat matches one from your import.
To get started you'll need to export your backer list from your Kickstarterproject’s edit page:
Please note that Kickstarter’s UI can change over time, so these steps mightnot always be accurate. If you are having trouble, check with Kickstarter’sdocumentation or contact their support for assistance.
Once you've obtained a CSV file, navigate to theDistribute tab on yourproject’s dashboard page on itch.io. From there you can findKickstarterimport on the sidebar.
From the import page clickSelect a CSV to import to begin. You'll beprompted to upload the CSV file you downloaded from the Kickstarter website.
Our system will process your uploaded file directly in your browser, and onlysend the necessary information to our servers to create the access keys. Otherpersonally identifying information contained in the CSV is not sent to ourservers. If you're concerned about privacy you can prepare a minimal CSV in theformat described inCustom Import.
The CSV file you select contains all the emails and pledge amounts for eachbacker. You can organize the backers into groups in order to assign themdifferent files.
By default, after choosing a file, you're given a single group. All backers inthe file will be included in this group.
If you're curious about what backers will be included in a group you can clickView list link to see a list of all the included backers and their pledges.
You can configure which files are included in each group, along with enablingexternal keys. Similar to download keys, you can control which files areenabled by setting a price threshold, or by unlocking everything.
If you need more than one group, or need to create a minimum pledge threshold,you can click theSplit backers by pledge amount… to manually create agroup. The default group is replaced with one you've created. You can create asmany of these custom groups as you need. They work the same as the defaultgroup, but with the ability to set a minimum price threshold.
The upper limit of a group is the automatically set to the next highest group.With two groups created at $5.00 and $10.00, a backer who pledged $11.00 willreceive a single key for the $10.00 group.
After you've confirmed the group distribution, you can clickCreate keys forbackers to generate all the download keys. Each generated key is associated tothe backer’s email address.
All successful imports are shown on the top of the Kickstarter import screen.From there you can download a CSV file that contains the mapping of emailaddress to download key URL. If you have a system to send emails already thenyou're free to distribute the keys yourself. If not, read on.
Once you've completed an import, abacker access URL will be provided. Youcan distribute this URL to your backers for them to claim access. If a visitorwith a verified itch.io account uses the URL and their email address matchesone from your import, they will be granted access. You can freely share thisURL because only authorized accounts can retrieve their download key. Pleasenote that an itch.io account is necessary for this process to enable emailverification.
A Kickstarter import generates aDownload Key Group for each group specifiedduring the import. These groups can be viewed by navigating to theDownloadKeys page within your project’s dashboard.
Similar to any other key group, ourEmails tool can be used to send an emailto key owners with a link to their key. Visit theInteract tab to access theemail editor. While drafting your email, simply select the appropriate groupsin the recipients field.
Make sure to check theInclude download link at the bottom of the emailoption. This allows the recipients to access their download key.
Note: Since you've imported a list of emails from a third-party source,you'll need to have your account approved to send the email. This step isrequired to prevent spammers from misusing our service. Please first createyour project page and, if possible, draft the email. Then,contact oursupport team to request permission. Be aware that it might takesome time for your request to be reviewed. Therefore, consider this whenplanning your distribution schedule. Provide as much information as possibleto help us verify the authenticity of your request. Alternatively you can usethe URL method described above to instantly distribute keys.
If you need to add more backers, you can upload the updated export CSV file andgo through the import process just as before. Any email addresses that havealready been assigned keys will not have duplicate keys created.
Our import tool also supports CSV exports from Indiegogo. All the samefunctionality available for Kickstarter can be used, including splittingbackers into groups and emailing out keys.
Do you have a custom list of email addresses that you need to import andgenerate download keys for? You can also use this tool. Just create a CSV filewith the following format: (You must include the columnsEmail andAmount).
Email,Amounttest@example.com,$10.00another@example.com,$12.00hello@example.com,$50.00Note: In order to email any addresses you import, you mustcontactsupport to get your account approved. This is a necessary step toprevent spam. Keep in mind it may take some time for a person to review yourrequest, so keep that in mind when planning your distribution schedule.Include as much information as possible so we can verify the authenticity ofyour request. Alternatively you can use the URL method described above toinstantly distribute keys.
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