What Is Imported for Custom Objects?
The Data Import Wizard prevents creating duplicate records by matching records according to one of the following fields: custom object name, Salesforce ID, or external ID. In your import file, include a column for the field that you are using for record matching.
Required Editions
| Available in: Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience |
| Custom object import available in: Contact Manager,Essentials, Group, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer Editions |
| User Permissions Needed | |
|---|---|
| To import custom object data via the Data Import Wizard: | Import Custom Objects AND Create on the custom object |
Matching by Name
When you select this option, the Data Import Wizard detects existing records in Salesforce that have the same name. This type of matching is case-sensitive. If necessary, scan and standardize your record names before performing the import to prevent unintended matches.
Matching by Salesforce ID
A Salesforce ID is a system-generated, case-sensitive string of 15 or 18 letters and numbers that uniquely identifies each Salesforce record. When you select this option, the Data Import Wizard detects existing records in Salesforce that have the same Salesforce ID. You can obtain Salesforce IDs by running reports that include the ID field of the record.
Matching by External ID
An external ID is a custom field that has the External ID attribute, meaning that it contains unique record identifiers from a system outside of Salesforce. When you select this option, the Data Import Wizard detects existing records in Salesforce with external IDs that match those values in the import file.
- This operation isn’t case-sensitive. For example, “ABC” is matched with “abc”. However, if the external ID field also has the case-sensitive Unique attribute, matching by external ID does not consider uppercase and lowercase letters identical.
- External IDs can be of type text, number, email, or auto-number. If the external ID type is auto-number, it isn’t available for matching, but you can use it to look up the parent record if it contains the external ID.
- Standardize External ID values before performing the import to prevent unintended matches.
- Multiple records with the same External ID within a file aren’t uploaded.
- Multiple external ID fields can find matching records in Salesforce when you use the Data Import Wizard.
- Only unique External ID fields are available to match by.
