Data Management — Admin Beginner

Import Data

Methods to import data into salesforce:

1. Data Import Wizard:

• Import data up to 50000 at a time.
• It is available in the Setup menu.
• Provide UI Interface for configuration, Mapping and all.
• Data should be in CSV Format

2. Data Loader:

• It is a Client Application and requires Org Authentication.
• It can Import up to 5 million records at a time.
• Data can be from a File or Database.
• Access through User Interface and command line.
• Data Process done through API Calls.

With both methods, the number of records you can import depends on your permissions, the type of data you’re importing, and the overall data storage limits for your organisation. The type of objects you can import depends on your edition.

Data Loader uses the SOAP API to process records. You can configure it to use the Bulk API instead for faster processing. The Bulk API is optimised to load a large number of records simultaneously. It is faster than the SOAP API due to parallel processing and fewer network round-trips.

Prepare for Data Import

1. Export the data from the application.

2. Clean up data such as Duplicates, Unnecessary data, Naming conventions, etc.

3. Compare your data field with the salesforce data field.

4. Make any configuration changes required in Salesforce to handle the imported data. For example, you might need to create new custom fields, add new values into picklists, or temporarily deactivate workflow rules.

Few things to remember

● Every Record ID has a unique ID.

• You can find it in the URL, Report(if you add a column for it), and via API.
• URL and Report return 15 digits ID whereas API return 18 digits ID
• Best use 18 Digits ID

● Every record has an Owner, If not then whoever is importing becomes the owner of the records automatically.

● Data Import Wizard: Use Name, ID, or Custom Object External ID also works.

● Data Loader: Only Salesforce Id works.

● Child records are associated with parents and owners if it is left blank, Import will fail.

Understand from a Scenario:

1. User: User Name and Salesforce Unique ID

2. Account: Account Name and Salesforce Unique ID

3. Opportunity: User Name, Account Name, Opportunity Name, Salesforce Unique ID

Let’s have to import Opportunity into App, First, we need the User ID and Account ID as it is the parent for it.

1. Export User Object and User Field which is associated with Ownership such as username, name or last name etc. and ID

• Open into excel
• Make name to first column.
• Sort in ascending order

2. Now replace Account Owner with Owner ID using the VLookup function in excel.

3. Paste the value as value, not function.

4. Delete the Account Owner Column from the Account Datasheet.

5. Create a Test file of 5 records, Insert it if it success uploads others except for the 5 records already uploaded. Save the CSV file for the next step.

6. Now, Save the Account’s data with its ID and remove the Account Name Column to import Opportunity data.

7. In Opportunity import data, Sort Data and again use VLookUp to replace the Owner name and Account Name with their ID.(paste data as value)

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Data Cleaning in Excel

1. Sort: Data

2. Filter: Remove duplicates, Keep naming convention proper such as having variation of a single entity with sort name, full name or abbr, insert data in the blank cell

3. VlookUP: Apply function to get values based on requirements such as getting the ID of the user.

4. Format Cell: like Date, Currency etc.

5. Find & Replace:

6. Concatenate: Add First Name and Last Name and make Full Name

7. Text to Column: From Full name make First Name and Last Name

The workflow must be off during data import else it will email to all users.

Export data before inserting or upserting.

There are 2 types of backup services: weekly and monthly backup**

Always check your data visibility settings(roles, profile, sharing rules), Correctly set up ownership before import.