General Importing Questions
Find answers to frequently asked questions about importing data and the Data Import Wizard.
Required Editions
| Available in: both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience |
| Available in: All Editions. |
- Who can use the Data Import Wizard?
You can use the Data Import Wizard to import accounts, contacts, leads, solutions, person accounts, campaign members, and custom objects for multiple users at the same time. - What permissions do I need to import records?
You need different permissions to import records with Data Loader and Data Import Wizard. - Why can’t I log into Data Loader?
If you’re having trouble logging in to Data Loader, there are a few solutions to try. - Who can import campaign members?
Only users with the required permissions can import campaign members with the Data Import Wizard. - Can I mass upload data into Salesforce?
Group, Professional, Performance, Unlimited, Enterprise, and Developer editions allow you to mass upload data using the Data Import Wizard. From Setup, enter Data Import Wizard in the Quick Find box, then select Data Import Wizard. In addition, Performance, Unlimited, Enterprise, and Developer editions have API access to use database mass upload tools like Data Loader. - Should I sync Outlook or use import wizards to upload my data into Salesforce?
Use this information to determine how to upload data into Salesforce. - Which data can I import?
You can use the Data Import Wizard to import campaign member status, contacts and business accounts, person accounts, leads, solutions, and custom objects, depending on your Salesforce edition. - How large can my import file be?
Your import file can be up to 100 MB, but other size limits apply. - How do I perform mass updates to records?
To update more than 50,000 records but less than 5 million records, use Data Loader. - What file formats can the import wizards handle?
You can import contacts and business accounts directly from an ACT! or Outlook file, or from any CSV (comma-separated values) file, such as a GoldMine or Excel file. You can import leads, solutions, custom objects, or person accounts from any CSV file. - Why is there a delay in importing my file?
To manage the volume of imports and ensure that all users receive the highest level of performance, org import files are accepted in asynchronous mode. Your file passes through a controlled queue and is imported when the system can best manage the data, however your org import doesn’t take longer than 24 hours to complete. You receive an email notification when the import is complete. - Can I do simultaneous imports?
The Data Import Wizard doesn’t support simultaneous—or concurrent—data import jobs, even from separate browser windows. Finish one data import before beginning the next. - How long does it take to complete an import?
The time it takes to complete an import using the Data Import Wizard varies, depending on the amount of data you’re importing. Imports can take up to several minutes. - How many records can I import?
You can import up to 50,000 records at a time with the Data Import Wizard. - What kind of objects can I import?
You can use the Data Import Wizard to import accounts, contacts, leads, solutions, campaign members, person accounts, and custom objects. - Can I import into custom fields?
Yes. Your administrator must create the custom fields before import. For checkbox fields, records with a value of 1 in the field are imported as checked, while a value of 0 is not checked. - Can I import into fields that are not on my page layout?
No, except for contacts. You can import values into a field only if you have read and edit access. User permissions, page layout assignments, and field-level security settings determine field access. The page layout used is based on the running user's selected record type. - Can I import data into a picklist field if the values don’t match?
We recommend that you import your data into an existing picklist when that picklist accurately represents your data, even if the exact values don’t match. The import wizards warn you before importing any new picklist values. However, the wizards accept any value for a picklist field, even if the value isn’t predefined. Your administrator can later edit the picklist to include the needed values. Note that import wizards don’t allow you to import more than 100 new picklist or multi-select picklist values for any field during a single import. - Can I delete my imported data if I make a mistake?
From Setup, your administrator can enter Mass Delete Records in the Quick Find box, then select Mass Delete Records to perform a mass delete of accounts, contacts, leads, or solutions that you mistakenly imported. - How do I use the Data Import Wizard to update records that match specified Salesforce IDs?
You can use the Data Import Wizard to update leads, contacts, or accounts using the record’s ID as the unique identifier. These steps don’t apply to custom objects. - Where Does Data Import Wizard Obtain the Country for the Country Field?
The Country column is a mandatory field and if it is not provided in your comma-separated values (CSV) file, Data Import Wizard tries to derive it from other sources. This action avoids any insert issues when, for example, the CSV file has a State column but no Country column. For the value, Data Import Wizard checks to see if the Default Country/Territory is specified in the State and Country/Territory Picklists. If a country is selected from the picklist, then Data Import Wizard uses that value for the Country. If a country is not selected, then the country selected in Signup Country Code during the org sign-up is used. - How do I update fields with blank values?
To replace fields with null values, you must use Data Loader. - Can I bulk-assign records to a record type?
Yes, you can bulk-assign records to a record type using the Data Import Wizard. You choose to which record type to assign the records during the import process. This process applies to standard and custom objects. - How many campaign members can I import?
With the Data Import Wizard, your import file can have up to 50,000 record rows. Your imports are also subject to the overall storage limits for your org. - What status is assigned to campaign members?
With the Data Import Wizard, you can map a column in your import file to the Status field. Blank or invalid status values are set to the default status. - Can I import using external IDs?
When importing custom objects, solutions, or person accounts, you can use external IDs to prevent the import from creating duplicate records. - Can I match lookups and master-detail records using external IDs?
Yes, using the Data Import Wizard, you can choose from multiple external IDs to match to lookups and master-detail records. - Why doesn’t Data Loader import special characters?
If Data Loader fails to import special characters such as ö, ñ, or é, your source data file isn’t properly encoded. - Why do date fields import incorrectly when I use the Data Loader?
Sometimes dates import incorrectly because the Data Loader converts the date specified in the imported .csv file to GMT. If your machine’s time zone isn’t GMT or if your machine’s clock adjusts for daylight savings time (DST), your dates can be off by a day. - Can I import amounts in different currencies?
If your Group, Professional, Enterprise, Unlimited, Performance, or Developer Edition org has set up the ability to use multiple currencies, you can import amounts in different currencies using the Currency ISO Code column in your import file. - Can I import data in more than one language?
The import wizard imports one language at a time, the language of the user doing the import. If you have the same data in different languages, run an import for each additional language. - Can Customer Support help me import my data?
Customer Support is available to assist Group, Contact Manager, Professional, Enterprise, Unlimited, and Performance Edition orgs throughout the import process.
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