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How to Guide - Salesforce Data Import: Step 2- Determine Insert Order

Determine Import Order
Importing Data to Salesforce using a Spreadsheet or .CSV Files

                                         
On the last post, we cleaned up data import files:
  1.  Removed duplicate records
  2. Merged multiple spreadsheets for the same object into one master spreadsheet per object.

    The data is nicely sorted, but we need to determine which order to use when uploading to Salesforce.  This is the most tricky step in a data upload operation. Why?
                           Order Matters!                
Data Import Steps:
2) Determine the Insert Order

The order for this data import:
  • 1st Group - Lead (Blue dot on diagram.)
Why? Leads are not connected to any of the other objects selected for import.  Plus, we can use the data upload wizard, which is simple and quick!
  • 2nd Group - (Purple dots)
    1) Account
    2) Contact
    3) Opportunity
    4) Opportunity Contact Role
    5) Quote
Why? Accounts must be uploaded before we can associate contacts with accounts.  The contacts and accounts are needed for opportunities.  Opportunity contact roles require the opportunity and contact. Finally, quotes are connected to opportunities and contacts.
  • 3rd Group - (Green dots)
    1) Asset
    2) Case
Why? Assets are related to accounts.  Cases are related to assets, contacts, and accounts.
Wow Trailhead Baby, that's great, but how do I determine the order?
Analytical?  Salesforce lists the entry relationship diagrams for standard objects, like the one shown above.  Objects are linked with the lines with related object ID's listed within each box.  If you are importing custom objects, understanding the relationships between the objects is key and can be very complicated.  Unless you are a wiz at graph theory, I recommend a third party tool like CopyStorm/Restore.

Salesforce Administrator?  You probably love to click, so a simple alternative is to open Salesforce and start clicking.  In a Trailhead Playground, I selected one of the pre-loaded accounts and made notes:

Contacts, Opportunities, and Cases all tie to Accounts.  Since you need an account to have a contact, it's logical to assume that accounts need to be entered first, then contacts.  This approach is great for simple data imports with relatively few dependencies - like today's example! 

Start with the feet.  Once you have feet, you can attach a torso, then a hand.  The order is important!
Think of the data import as building relationships between the objects, starting at the bottom with the "base" object and working your way up the body.  Accounts = feet.  Contacts = torso.  Opportunities = hands. 

Time for a final analogy?  Think of a tree.  The leaves depend on the branches which depend on the trunk which depends on the roots.  Complicated? No.  Difficult to determine the precise dependencies?  Sometimes yes.











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