Setting up your CSV file for Import

The key to successfully importing data into the CRM is to set up your input file correctly. The below guidelines will help make this process easy.

You should also refer to our dedicated guides on:

• How to import data into CRM – where and how to access and use the importer.
• Import troubleshooting – solutions for common issues.
• Bulk importing image files.

If you need any assistance with this process, please send us an email at [email protected].

1. Download an import template from CRM

If you haven’t already, go to the area of CRM you want to import data into and download a copy of our import template.

2. Set up your import file

Understanding the import template

The downloadable template file will outline the database fields that you are able to populate in the CRM – handy for easy data mapping. Each column in the template is a field in CRM.

Our import system will automatically map header row values that it recognises – e.g. First Name, Last Name, Company Name, Part Number, Mobile, Email, Phone etc.

 

 

• All columns must have a header (no blank cells in the header row).
• There are NO duplicate header names (e.g. use ‘Physical Address’ and ‘Postal Address’ rather than two columns with the header ‘Address’).

Data types

• You will need to ensure that the type of data in your file is consistent with the field you are importing into.

For example, if I have text in my file and try to import this into a number field, the import will fail because it’s the wrong type of data and can’t be accepted – a number field can only accept numbers.

• Where a field in CRM is a checkbox/Boolean, your import data should be coded with only 1 or 0 values where 1 = YES and 0 = NO or 1 = TRUE and 0 = FALSE or 1 = ACTIVE and 0 = INACTIVE.
• Ensure that any prices do not have a ‘$’ symbol in the cell – the values need to be numeric only.
• Avoid using special characters (in particular commas and apostrophes).
• Date fields should be converted into a format that is NOT country specific e.g. 31-March-2020.

Names & Addresses

• Be sure to split any address fields into their respective fields, rather than one singular column.

 

• Ensure any Contact name fields are separated into First Name and Last Name rather than a single column simply called ‘Name’.

Required fields

If you manually created a record in CRM and didn’t fill in all the required fields, you’d get and error and the record couldn’t be created.

It’s the same when you import, so you need to make sure that you have all the required fields for the module you are importing into.

For example: if you do not have a First Name you will not be able to create a new Contact, if you do not have a Company Name you will not be able to create a new Company, if you do not have a Subject you will not be able to create a new Opportunity etc.

Importing values that don’t already exist in CRM

This applies to dropdown, lookup and multi-select fields, basically anywhere you select from a list of existing values in CRM. The value must already exist in CRM.

For example: I’m importing Companies and want to set the Industry Type for them. I haven’t set up any options on the Industry Type dropdown list yet, so any values I have in that column in my import file will be rejected as they don’t exist in CRM – my import will fail.

The same situation would exist if I was trying to assign records to a person that wasn’t already either a User or Employee in CRM.

If list values are not already present, you can add them to certain fields from Admin > Settings – please see this guide for more information on how to customise dropdown field values.

To avoid this stopping your import, you can specify the action that is taken by the importer if a value is not found.

 

3. Save it as the right file type – CSV

• Your file MUST be saved as a .CSV before you can import it to CRM.

 

If you try to upload an xls or xlsx file instead of a csv, you may see some unusual behaviour from the importer and the file will not be accepted.

 

To learn how to import your file, click here.