Bulk importing custom object records

Importing an existing list into a custom object, and the two columns worth getting right before you start.

Importing an existing list into a custom object, and the two columns worth getting right before you start.

Import records

1. Create the object and all its fields first.
2. Prepare a CSV with one row per record. The header needs name, and external_id is worth adding even now, because it is what lets you update these records later.
3. In Admin Center, click Objects and rules and select Tools > Data importer.
4. Click Import, choose Create only, Update only or Create and update, and pick your object as the target.
5. Upload the file and check the field mapping. Column names have to match your field keys exactly.
6. Import twenty rows, check the result, then import the rest.

The two columns that matter

An external identifier

Include the identifier the source system uses. Without it, a later update cannot match rows to records and you get duplicates rather than updates.

This is the difference between an import you can repeat and one you can only do once.

The link to the customer

If records belong to organisations, include that column. Setting the relationship afterwards means opening every record.

Clean it first

The same list of problems as any migration: duplicates, inconsistent spellings of what should be one value, records for things that no longer exist, dates in three formats.

An afternoon in a spreadsheet beats a month of agents distrusting the data.

Import what is true

A migration is the easiest moment to leave things out. Records for ended contracts and retired equipment do not have to come across, and a smaller accurate set is worth more than a complete doubtful one.

See also

• Deleting custom object records in bulk
• Adding and managing records
• Bulk importing asset data