Skip to main content

How to Guide - Salesforce Data Import: Step 4- Error Messages & FAQ

Why do these not connect?


Importing Data to Salesforce using a Spreadsheet or .CSV Files


How do you "patch record ID's"?
  • Use data loader to export the "name" and "RecordID" of the object.
  • Open the extract file.
  • Copy/Paste the appropriate RecordID from the extract file into the spreadsheet where the ID is needed.  
  • You need the "name" in order to match the RecordID from the export to the spreadsheet!  A RecordID is simply a 15 or 18 character set that acts as a unique identifier for the record in Salesforce. 
In the example, Opportunity RecordID's have been inserted into the spreadsheet along with Contact RecordID's.  


Help! Data loader gave me an error message! What do I do?

  • My most common error is having an incorrect field type in the upload spreadsheet- primarily when a RecordID is necessary, and I included a Name instead.  For additional error messages & solutions, reference:  Common Data Loader Error Messages  

How do I map my column headers?
  • Did you fully complete step 1: Merge and Clean Up the data? If so, the column headers in the spreadsheets should match your field names in Salesforce.  Mapping column headers with data loader is simple - the names match!
  • If you did not complete step 1, you may end up with something like this:
Import Spreadsheet
(Explorer = Contact)






Data Loader Mapping Page















Issue #1: Account ID is needed, but we have the Account Name listed.  This will cause an error during our upload.






Issue #2: Contact first name and last name are necessary.  Our import file only lists the full name.  We should have separated the name in the spreadsheet before attempting upload!  If I associate the LastName field with "Explorer/Contact," I will end up with the first and last name in the LastName field. Oops!



Issue #3: This will not cause an error within data loader, but makes our upload process much more confusing: 
Column headers do not match Salesforce field names. 
Example: "Cell" in the spreadsheet matches with the field "mobile."  If I have a more generic name such as "contact number" in my spreadsheet, how do I know if this is a mobile or an office or a home phone?

0 inserts! 


The error: The Account Name column should have contained an AccoundID!


No matter how hard you try - legs do not equal a torso!
An AccountName is not an AccountID!

Any tips for painless data imports?  I'd love to hear them!  Leave a comment.
Want to hear from the Trailhead Baby about a specific topic?
Name your pain...
Leave a comment!



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Service Cloud Specialist Superbadge - 4,5,6,7

Part of doing the Service Cloud Specialist superbadge is trying new things, so I am putting up picture of new things that I've tried recently.  One of my favorite new things this week was taking a shower with my whole block collection.  Mom put me in the shower, and I sneaked out to grab the block bin and dumped it in.  I'm concerned to share photos because of the slight nudity, however, I can assure you that it was a glorious adventure.  Instead, I'll share my favorite Saturday new thing- walking to the coffee shop for a sprinkle donut!  Back to the superbadge... Challenge 4 Case Routing If you haven't taken the Onmi Channel module yet, now is a good time! I kept that particular module open one on screen while I walked through this step.  It is hard to give many hints about this step without giving away too many details - so - the best advice is to read through the challenge and label each step with the corresponding Salesforce term.  (IE - "The...

Business Administration Specialist Superbadge- 3 & 4

This afternoon, I added a genius wig in an attempt to look a little older and more experienced.  The free lemonade offer worked!  I made two dollars today!  A huge thank you to Jocelyn Fennewald , Salesforce MVP, for pointing out the "remove all columns" option within the report creator.  When you start a create a new report, simply click to start with a clean screen.  If you are familiar with report and dashboards, this challenge should only take 30 or so minutes to complete.  Below are tips and gotchas for each report / dashboard.  If you need more help, leave a comment! Reports Accounts by Market To create the "Market" row grouping, use a bucket field. Make sure that the correct date range is selected. High Value Residential  This report includes: 1 filter, 1 grouping, and 1 summarized field.  Rated Accounts by State The record count for state and account rating are automatically added. Note the filter.  ...

Service Cloud Specialist Superbadge - 1,2,3

A confession - I know next to nothing about service cloud.  While I was excited that a new superbadge was available, it made me a little nervous that I had to do all of the prerequisites and tackle new things like macros.  New things - new year - let's get started! (Right after I finish guitar practice) If you are also a service cloud novice, the Omni-Channel Basics is a crucial prerequisite even though it is not officially required. Challenge 1 App Appearance  This, like all superbadges, requires a careful read through the instructions prior to any clicking.  I found it helpful to take a separate notebook and write down the steps that I would need for each challenge step - for example -  My rough notes for challenge 1: Create 2 profiles  Tweak service Console 3 new items on utility bar Allow access for new profiles Create User  Beware - After editing the service console, you might have to edit the new profiles.  I found i...