Map Custom Fields Using Help Text (Legacy)

Create a New Custom Field

For our example, let's create a custom text field to capture the Contact's preferred name.

1. Click , then click Setup.
2. Click the Object Manager tab.
3. In the list of objects, click Contact.
4. Click Fields & Relationships..
5. Click New.
6. Select Text.
7. Click Next.
8. Complete this information:
   1. Field Label: Preferred Name
   2. Length: 255
   3. Field Name: Preferred_Name
   4. Fill in Description and Help Text if needed; they're not required here.
9. Click Next.
10. Click Next again to accept default security.
11. Click Save.

The custom field now exists within Salesforce and you see it in the Contact Fields & Relationships list. Take note of the text in the API Name column. Copy the text from the API Name column to your clipboard or a separate note as you'll need it shortly. In this case, it's Preferred_Name__c.

For more detail on creating custom fields, see Salesforce Help & Training.

Find the API Name of an Existing Field

If you want to map to an existing field instead of a new custom field, you just need to find the API Name and copy it to your clipboard.

1. Click , then click Setup.
2. Click the Object Manager tab.
3. In the list of objects, click Contact.
4. Click Fields & Relationships.
5. Find the field you want to map.
6. Copy the API Name to your clipboard. For example, if you want to import the Work Email field, you would copy npe01__WorkEmail__c to your clipboard.
   

Note that fields from the Nonprofit Success Pack packages begin with namespace prefixes such as npe01__ or npsp__ while custom fields you create do not have a prefix. The complete API name includes both the namespace prefix (if one exists) and the trailing __c (double underscore 'c').

Relationship Fields

Relationship fields—lookup or master/detail—must be mapped as Salesforce IDs. This includes the standard Owner field, which is related to the User object.

For a relationship field, create the corresponding NPSP Data Import field as either a Lookup Relationship field or a Text field of 18 characters to accommodate the 15 or 18 digit Salesforce ID (not the Name) of the related record.

Checkbox Fields

Checkbox fields get a little tricky when you're trying to process them in a data import tool. In order to allow you more flexibility around checkbox fields in NPSP Data Import, the corresponding field should be a picklist.

This picklist translates what you want to see in the checkbox field (the checkbox as checked or unchecked) to their Boolean equivalents (True for checked and False for unchecked). Through NPSP Data Import, you're able to uncheck a previously checked checkbox field or even leave a checkbox field completely unchanged by leaving that cell empty.

We'll walk through this for the Private checkbox on the Opportunity object, but remember, you can do this with any custom or standard checkbox field. To map the Private checkbox field to the NPSP Data Import object:

1. Click , then click Setup.
2. Click the Object Manager tab.
3. In the list of objects, click NPSP Data Import.
4. Click Fields & Relationships.
5. Click New.
6. Select Picklist.
7. Complete this information:
   • Field Label: Donation is Private

     You can choose a different name here, but pick a label that makes the mapping clear.

   • Select Enter values, with each value separated by a new line and enter the following values:
     • True
     • False
   • Field Name: Donation_is_Private
   • Help Text: Opportunity.IsPrivate

     This must match the object and field name, using the format ObjectGroup.Fieldname. The information you enter into this field links the field in NPSP Data Import to the appropriate field on your chosen object. Read Troubleshoot Invalid NPSP Data Import Help Text Mappings (Legacy) for additional help formatting the Help Text.

8. Click Next.
9. Click Next again to accept default security.
10. Click Save.

Important Information about Unique ID Fields

Naming is important when you're creating corresponding Unique ID fields. In order to see any values in the Contact Custom Unique ID or Account Custom Unique ID fields in the Data Importer Configuration options, the field you want to map must be marked as Unique and External ID.

Additionally, for Unique ID fields, you must create two corresponding fields, one for Contact1 and one for Contact2 (or Account1 and Account2) and they must be named properly. The corresponding fields should NOT be marked as Unique and External ID.

For example, say you created a custom Unique ID field on Contacts called Reference ID with an API name of Reference_ID__c that you want to use for matching Contacts during data import. You'll need to create two corresponding NPSP Data Import fields using the exact format listed below:

Here is an image showing the custom Contact field Reference ID and the corresponding NPSP Data Import field Contact1 Reference ID with correct naming. The image also shows that the Contact field Reference ID is marked as an External ID field.

Note Creating only one corresponding field (instead of two) will result in an error.

Again, only when your custom Contact or Account field is a Unique ID field AND both the fields needed on the NPSP Data Import object have been mapped and named correctly will you see the custom Contact or Account field in the drop down menu. Additionally, keep in mind that Last Name is required when trying to match Contacts using an External ID, as the Last Name is used when the External ID field isn't found. Account Name is required when trying to match Accounts using an External ID, as the Account Name is used when the External ID field isn't found.