Category: SimpleImport

This article will cover:

• What is the difference between insert, update and upsert.
• Choosing an import type.
• Using matching conditions with updates and upserts.

What is the difference between insert, update and upsert?

When importing data into Salesforce it is important to understand the difference between the three import types.

• Insert – Only create new records in your Salesforce Org. 
• Update – Only update existing records in your Salesforce Org. This is only possible where a single match to an existing Salesforce record is achieved.
• Upsert – Where a match can be found (see Update above) perform an update, if no match then create a new record.

For update and upsert, SimpleImport introduces matching conditions to define logic for matching existing records. This will become available for use when using update or upsert and is covered in more detail later in this article.

Choosing an import type (master-detail)

You’ve chosen your two related objects, it’s now time to choose the import types for each object.

Note: using update or upsert on a detail object import is considered an advanced import and should only be used if you’re confident in understanding the outcome.

When working with two objects, Step 1 and Step 2 will be presented in the UI.

• Under Step 1, select insert, update or upsert under Import Type.
• Select Step 2.
• Select insert, update or upsert under Import Type.
• If you have selected insert for both objects, press Next to continue.
• If you have chosen update or upsert for either object, continue reading Using matching conditions.

Using matching conditions

Updating and upserting into Salesforce couldn’t be easier with the quick-to-adopt matching conditions functionality in SimpleImport. For each object that has the import type set to update or upsert, use the matching conditions tool to define criteria to find existing records in your org. This can range from simply matching existing records by their Salesforce Record ID, or a combination of fields such as Last Name, Phone Number and Email Address.

When update or upsert is chosen, the matching conditions section will automatically create one row ready to complete. Let’s get started.

• Under File Column, choose a column header from the file that contains the data you want to use for matching.
• Under Salesforce Field, choose the field label that contains the data you want to match with.
• To add more matching conditions, select Add Row and repeat the two steps above for each added row.
• Repeat these steps for both objects until all objects configured for an update or upsert have valid matching conditions.

Note: the matching conditions query builder will create an AND query to find existing records. It must result in finding a single record.

Summary

With the import type chosen and matching conditions set, it’s time to move on to the field mapping. Continue to the next article.

Back to the SimpleImport User Guide

Welcome to the SimpleImport User Guide. SimpleImport is a quick-to-adopt importing solution for Salesforce CRM aimed at streamlining repeat import tasks, designed to scale with your business, and offering unique functionality designed with the end user in mind.

Deploy SimpleImport and Managed Import to users in your organization

• How to: deploy SimpleImport and Managed Import to users in your organization – ProvenWorks

Accessing the solution

• How to access SimpleImport

Home and upload

• Uploading files
• File states and actions

Single object import workflow

• Object selection and import settings
• Setting the import type
• Mapping data to Salesforce fields
• Review import, save mapping, and import

Master-detail import workflow (two related objects)

• Object selection and import settings
• Setting the import types
• Mapping data to Salesforce fields
• Review import, save mapping, and import

This article will cover:

• Reviewing the import summary page.
• Saving a current mapping.
• Submit the import.

Reviewing the import summary page

Getting this far means that we’re ready to start importing, but before we submit the job for processing, let’s take a look at the summary page.

The summary page contains:

• Your selections – the file name you’re working with and the objects you’re importing into.
• Matching – if the import is an update or upsert, a description of the matching conditions.
• Mapping – a summary of the amount of fields mapped.
• Job estimation – an estimate for how many records will be inserted or updated.
• Save mapping – manage storing the mapping for reuse.

This is the last chance to review your configuration before hitting Submit. If you need to make any changes, use the Back button in the footer of the app to navigate to your desired page.

Save the current mapping

SimpleImport is designed to streamline repeat imports, whether it be through the SimpleImport application, or by using ManagedImport. Either approach relies on a saved mapping.

You have the option to save a mapping once you reach the summary page.

If you loaded an existing mapping and made some changes that you want to keep, use the Save button to update the existing mapping.

To save a new mapping, use the Save As button and provide a name when prompted.

If you are working with a multi-sheet workbook and planning to use the mapping with ManagedImport, tick Store the current sheet name in mapping for use with ManagedImport.

• If this setting is left unchecked, ManagedImport will always select the first sheet in the workbook.
• If the user exports a sheet as a .CSV from the workbook, ManagedImport will check the mapping automatically to see if it is a match before attempting to import. This is because sheet names are not supported in .CSVs.

Go, go, go!

Everything has been covered for configuring an import and you’re ready to go. When you’re happy, press Submit.

You will be navigated back to the Home and Upload screen where you can monitor the file’s progress and results once the job has been completed by viewing the tile’s state. You can refer back to the file states and actions article for more information.

Back to the SimpleImport User Guide

This article will cover:

• Mapping file columns to Salesforce fields.
• Using the Field finder.
• Adding constant values to the mapping.

The destination object has been selected and the import type has been defined. We’re now ready to tell SimpleImport where we want the file’s data to be imported into.

Mapping file columns to Salesforce fields

This example will cover inserting accounts from the template file shown below. It contains three accounts shown in rows 2, 3 and 4 and has column headings shown in row 1.

The mapping page contains some key features:

• File columns – populated with the row 1 data from the file.
• Sample data – displays the first 5 rows of data from the file. Use the left and right arrows next to sample data to scroll through the rows.
• Object fields – a place to select the Salesforce fields from the object you’re importing into. Clicking each row reveals the field finder.
• Add Constant – generate a new row to add a constant value to each record and map it to a Salesforce field.

Using the Field finder

The key objective on the mapping page is to associate each of the file columns that need importing with a Salesforce field. Select Map to Salesforce in the Object fields section to access the field finder for each row.

The field finder lists all fields that exist on the object you’re importing to and provides a search box to quickly locate the fields you want to map your import to.

Each field will be presented in the following format:

Field Name | External ID Field | Object Name | Required

• Field Name provides the name of the field. This may be the field name, API name, or both depending on your configured preferences.
• External Id Field will be displayed if the field type is a lookup field. This allows you to populate lookup fields with any supported external ID specified on field selection’s destination object.
• Object Name will always display and is beneficial when importing into multiple objects. An M or D will follow in brackets highlighting whether the field is part of the master or the detail.
• Required will be displayed if the field is required.

To map file columns to Salesforce fields:

• Press Map to Salesforce for the row you’d like to map.
• Use the Field finder search to filter the list of fields.
• Select the field from the list. The field list is scrollable if there is a long list of fields.
• Repeat for each file column you want to import.

To change an existing field mapping or remove an exiting field:

• Press the existing mapped field for the row you’d like to edit.
• Use the Field finder search to filter the list of fields.
• If you’d like to remove the map, select --Click to Unmap-- found at the top on the list.
• Select the desired item from the list.

Adding constant values to the mapping

Constant values allow you to import a consistent data value into a Salesforce field for each record being imported. A common use case is importing new products and making them all active, or inserting new accounts and setting the billing country to a set location.

To add a constant value:

• Select Add Constant to generate a new constant row.
• Type the value into the new text field. The new text field will be appended to the list of file columns.
• Press Map to Salesforce in the constant’s row.
• Use the Field finder search to filter the list of fields.
• Select the field from the list.

To delete a constant value:

• Select the more actions in the constant value’s row (down arrow).
• Select Delete.

Summary

You should now be confident in understanding how to map your spreadsheet file to Salesforce fields and optionally add constant values to the mapping. This covers all of the configuration required to import into Salesforce. We’ll now head to the summary page to review the import before submitting the job. Move onto the next article to continue.

Back to the SimpleImport User Guide

SimpleImport caches field and object data on its initial load per Salesforce session. If a field or object is created or edited during that time of an active session, you must log out of your Salesforce org and log in again for the changes to be acknowledged. When you reload SimpleImport in the new session, the changes to the organization’s metadata will become available.