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Improve efficiency by importing related records with Record ID Merge: Managed Import for Salesforce

What’s a “Record ID Tag” in Managed Import for Salesforce?

If you’re already familiar with Mail Merge functionality in mass emailing services, then you may already grasp what a Record ID Tag is, and if not, then don’t worry, we’ll cover it all here!

The Record ID Tag lets you create a file for import that contains a dynamic reference to a Salesforce Record ID. This is automatically fed to the import job by our Managed Import component at the point of use.

For example, the component can be placed onto an Account’s record page and can pass through the current Account’s ID. This allows you to import related Contacts without the need to copy the Account’s record ID into the file

Why is the Record ID Tag so good?

Managed Import’s main focus is to save you time on repetitive tasks. A very common repeat task is inserting related records. This can be importing Contacts to existing Accounts, or importing Opportunity Line Items into existing Opportunities.

In a time before the Record ID Tag functionality, users would have to specify an ID for the related record in the file. An example can be seen below.

Each time you configure a file to do this, you have to ask yourself:

  • Do my users know how to get a correct ID?
  • Am I sure they’ve entered the right ID?
  • How much time are they spending fetching the IDs?

But now with Record ID Tags, all these questions are answered. The ID column’s cells simply need to contain {!Record.Id} and Managed Import does all the hard work!

Where can I use the Record ID Tag?

The Record ID Tag has two options available and is configured when adding the component to your desired destination:

  1. Pass custom record ID into this import – specify an 18 character record ID into the text field provided. The job will then use this value in the {!Record.Id} cells. This can be useful if using the component in a Salesforce Screen Flow but is available wherever the component is placed.
  2. Pass current record ID into this import – this requires the Managed Import component to be placed onto a Lightning Record Page. When viewing the record in Salesforce, the ID will then be passed to the job automatically!

Can I convert my existing mapping to use the Record ID Tag?

Yes! Firstly – ensure your SimpleImport package is up-to-date with the latest version from the AppExchange – this will guarantee you have these settings available for use.

Update your existing file that is being distributed to your users by replacing the ID column with {!Record.Id}. If the column is empty for your users to fill in, populate this column for them. Do not change the column header as this will invalidate your mapping!

Edit your existing Managed Import component to use either of the settings described in “Where can I use the Record ID Tag?” and save!

Can I only add related records with the Record ID Tag?

No – you also have the ability to update the record you are currently viewing or a record specified in the custom record ID field.

How do I try the Record ID Tag for myself?

The Record ID Tag is part of our Managed Import component which is a feature of SimpleImport on the Salesforce AppExchange. Try it today for free!

For Community and Experience use cases, check out our dedicated Managed Import for Communities listing!

Provide an Address Status to the Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) Address Object and display it on related Household Accounts and Contacts

This article covers how to add an “Address Status” field to the NPSP Address object and display it on Household Accounts and Contacts.

By treating the Address object as the “true source” of address information, this is where the custom field belongs. Creating formula fields provides your Org with the functionality it needs to view the custom field data when looking at the Contact or Account record.

This specific use case covers displaying the Address Status field provided with the AddressTools Premium managed package but the following steps can be followed to implement other custom fields added to the Address object.

Adding a Custom Fields to the Addresses Object

As this guide covers the Address Status field provided with AddressTools, we need to add a new field to the Address object.

Create a new field on the Addresses object:

  • Type: Picklist
  • Name: Address Status
  • API Name: AddressStatus (this can be customized to your requirement)
  • Values: Not checked, Not matched, Parsed but not found, Ambiguous, Corrected, Verified.
  • Restrict picklist to the values defined in the value set: False.

If you are following this guide for configuration with AddressTools, see this article to complete an AddressTools implementation on the Address object.

In AddressTools context, any Address Status other than Corrected or Verified are considered “bad addresses” and need reviewing before sending mail.

Creating a Formula on the Contact to Display the Address Status for the Current Address

For Contacts, the Nonprofit Success Pack provides a “Current Address” lookup field which refers to a matching Address record. We will use this lookup to display the Address Status.

Create a new lookup on the Contact object:

  • Type: Formula
  • Name: Address Status Formula
  • Formula Return Type: Text
  • Select Next to enter the formula.

Enter the following formula:

  • TEXT(npsp__Current_Address__r.AddressStatus__c)

Note: ensure the field API name matches what was created in the previous section and TEXT() is only used for picklist fields.

  • Select Next to Establish field-level security.
  • Select Next to Add reference field to Page Layouts
  • Select Save.

Creating a Lookup Field on the Account to Reference the Default Address

For Household Accounts, the Billing Address refers to the Address record where the Default Address equals True. This identifies the address record to fetch the Address Status from.

The Household Account does not have a lookup field as found in the Contact object, so we need to create a custom one.

Create a new field on the Account object:

  • Type: Lookup Relationship
  • Related To: Address
  • Field Label: Default Address
  • Field Name: DefaultAddress (this can be customized to your requirement)
  • Select Next to Establish field-level security.
  • Select Next to Add reference field to Page Layouts.
  • Select Next and uncheck Add Related List.
  • Select Save.

With the lookup field created, it needs to be automatically populated with the default address.

Populate the Lookup Field on the Account to Reference the Default Address

Create a new Process Builder by going Setup | Process Automation | Process Builder | New.

  • Process Name: Update Parent Account with Default Address
  • API Name: autofill
  • The process starts when: A record changes
  • Select Save.

Choose Object:

  • Object: Address
  • Start the process: when a record is created or edited
  • Select Save.

Add Criteria:

  • Criteria Name: When Address Is Default
  • Criteria for Executing Actions: Conditions are met

Set Conditions:

  • Field: Default Address
  • Operator: Equals
  • Type: Boolean
  • Value: True
  • Select Save.

Add Action:

  • Action Type: Update Records
  • Action Name: Update Parent Account – Record Type: Select a record related to the npsp__Address__c – Type to filter list…: Account
  • Choose
  • Criteria for Updating Records: No criteria—just update the records!

Set new field values for the records you update:

  • Field: Address
  • Type: Field Reference
  • Value: npsp__Address__c > Record ID
  • Save.
  • Active the process builder.

Note: A mass update will have to be run on the Address object to update existing records. You can use a data loading solution such as SimpleImport Premium to complete this job.

Creating a Formula on the Account to Reference the Address Status for the Current Address.

Create a new lookup on the Account object:

  • Type: Formula
  • Name: Address Status Formula
  • Formula Return Type: Text
  • Select Next to enter the formula.

Enter the following formula:

  • TEXT(DefaultAddress__r.AddressStatus__c)

Note: ensure the field API name matches what was created in the previous section and TEXT() is only used for picklist fields.

  • Select Next to Establish field-level security.
  • Select Next to Add reference field to Page Layouts
  • Press Save.

Summary

Your Organization will now have a field on both the Contact and Account referencing the Address Status value stored on the Address record. By leveraging Automated Address Verification in AddressTools, this address status will update automatically removing any requirement for end-user interaction.

Like the sound of AddressTools?

AddressTools is our 5* app for Salesforce which takes the worry out of bad address data by keeping all of your addresses validated, verified, corrected, and standardized. Like the sound of it? Try it for yourself on the AppExchange!

To find out more about how AddressTools Premium can improve the Nonprofit Success Pack, please do get in touch!

AddressTools Premium: Purchase address verification credits

Address verification credit pricing

Purchasing address verification credits is nice and simple, you’ll need one credit per address you verify, so we advise making a rough calculation to how many credits you’ll need for a year (but don’t worry if you’re short, you can always top-up your account if you’re running low).

The more credits you buy will result in a lower cost per credit, you can find our credit pricing guide here.

Request a quote for address verification credits

Our team at ProvenWorks are here to help and will be able to work with you to purchase verification credits for your organization. If you’re buying credit volumes in excess of 10,000, we recommend speaking direct with our team.

Additionally, if you would like to:

  • Pay by wire transfer.
  • Add a Purchase Order Number to an invoice.
  • Add credits mid-year.

…or if you would prefer to deal with a human, send an email to sales@provenworks.com listing the amount of credits you’d like to purchase. A member of the sales team will get back to you to with a custom quote for your approval. Once signed-off, you will receive an invoice to be paid.

<– back to AddressTools Premium installation walkthrough.