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Update Accounts and Contacts in bulk with Data Import Wizard

Julkaisupäivä: Apr 3, 2026
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Modify multiple Accounts and Contacts simultaneously by creating an update file and importing it to your organization with the Data Import Wizard.

Note: If you have Accounts or Contacts with the same name, the import may update the incorrect record. Please ensure that your Account and Contact names are unique before using this process.
 

 

Summary of the above Video: 

The following video demonstrates how to bulk update Accounts and Contacts using the Data Import Wizard in Salesforce. It covers how to export a report, prepare a CSV file, and run the import to apply field changes across multiple records simultaneously.

Ratkaisu

 

  1. From the Reports tab, run a report of the Account or Contact records you would like to update (include any columns that should be updated).
  2. Export the report to Excel and include all the unique identifiers listed below for the object (see Export a Report for more details).
  • Accounts: Account Id, Account Name, and Account Site exactly as they appear in the application.
  • Contacts: Contact Id, Email, Contact Name (First & Last), Account Name, and Account Site.
  1. Open the exported report in Excel and modify any field values for each record that need to be updated (each row is a record, each column is a field) except for the Record Owner, Account Name, Account Site, or Contact Name fields. Editing these fields will result in the creation of duplicate Accounts or Contacts.
  2. Save your changes in Excel as a Comma Separate Value (.csv) file.
  3. In Salesforce: From Setup, enter Data Import Wizard in the Quick Find box, then click Data Import Wizard.
  4. Click Launch Wizard!
  5. Under "What kind of data are you importing?" click Accounts and Contacts.
  6. Under "What do you want to do?" select your desired action.
Notes: 
  • If you have more than one record type, you can only import records with one record type per import. Please see Unable to select record type in Data Import Wizard.
  • When mapping fields, there are instances that you have already selected the field to map however the option to 'map' it does not appear on the pop-up window. When this happens, zoom out your browser's page settings so that the mapping button will be visible.
  1. If you're updating existing Accounts, select Update existing records and ensure that Update existing Account information is also selected. 
  2. Choose the criteria for "Match Contact by" and "Match Account by."

Note: It is suggested to use the 'Salesforce.com ID', since this is a unique identifier. It also ensures that you are updating the correct record.
 


Deleting information from existing records


The Data Import Wizard won't replace or remove existing field data with a blank value if the value is empty in your import file. To insert null values, please review Insert null value to a field with the Data Import Wizard. You can also use List Views to remove, replace, or otherwise clear data from specific field for multiple records. 

For more detailed information, please review these articles:

 

If your organization is API enabled, you can also use Data Loader to clear existing field values. To update records with Blank values using Data Loader, please review Change record values to Blank or NULL using Data Loader.
 

Updating a Standard Picklist field

If you need to update a standard picklist field, use the "Replace Picklist" functionality to perform a mass update instead of the Import Wizard.
 

Fields that cannot be updated via Account or Contact Import

There are several fields in Salesforce that cannot be updated via an Account or Contact Import:

  • Account ID
  • Account Owner - see Mass Transfer Records.
  • Account Name
  • Account Site
  • Parent Account Name
  • Parent Site
  • Contact First Name
  • Contact Last Name
  • Contact Salutation
 

 

Knowledge-artikkelin numero

000385322

 
Ladataan
Salesforce Help | Article