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.
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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
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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.
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