Salesforce, the leading cloud-based CRM solution, is a robust management tool for various business tasks. You have likely decided to use Salesforce at a business already in existence, with ongoing sales opportunities and in-progress tasks. Manually entering data is a non-starter! Have no fear; there are many different ways data can be imported into Salesforce to ensure you get up and running in the least amount of time possible. However, if you need further help, you can still hire a Salesforce consultant to implement your CRM.
Take a look at the suggestions below, and read through the Salesforce documentation on Preparing Your Data for Import.
How to Import Data in Salesforce?
- Salesforce Import Wizard: The Salesforce Import Wizard was developed by Salesforce.com and is touted as a simple tool for accounts, contacts, leads, solutions, and custom objects. This is available free of cost and helps prevent duplicate data from being loaded. Its simple interface is also excellent for new users.
- Apex Data Loader: Another free and easy-to-use tool that helps you to import your data into the Salesforce objects is the Apex Data Loader. Salesforce.com also developed this, and it is indeed a simple application. With this, you can import, export, and delete unlimited data and information in Salesforce. Currently only available for Enterprise Edition and above, and the app you download only works on Windows machines.
- Force.com Excel Connector: This free option is great for those who love excel. This open-source tool works on Professional Editions and above. It’s great for loading small batches or moving data bi-directionally.
- Jitterbit Data Loader for Salesforce: This free tool runs on both Mac and PC and allows Salesforce administrators to manage the import and export of data. It is compatible with all Salesforce group editions and above and supports multiple logins.
- Dataloader io: The Databloader io has a clean and straightforward interface that makes it easy to import, export, and delete data in Salesforce, no matter what edition you use. This third-party tool allows you to schedule task and opportunity imports daily, weekly, or monthly.
- Informatica Cloud Data Loader for Salesforce: This is another free data loading application that automates the import and export of Salesforce and Force.com data between databases. It works on Salesforce professional editions and above. Yes, this crucial tool can secure sensitive data with data masking.
How do I import Excel data into Salesforce?
Import Excel data into Salesforce by exporting the Excel sheet to a CSV format file (comma-separated values).
How do I import a CSV file into Salesforce?
Importing data from a CSV file into Salesforce is simple when following these steps:
- Prepare your CSV file for an import or update:
- The delimiter for field values in a row must be a comma.
- You must include all required fields when you create a record.
- If you are updating a record, any fields not defined in the CSV file are ignored during the update.
- Go over your object tab in your Salesforce instance and click on ‘Import’ to start the import.
- Choose which object type you wish to import or update.
- Choose whether you want to import new records, edit existing ones, or do both simultaneously.
- Choose the CSV file you want to use for the import or update.
- Map the fields in your CSV file with the fields in your Salesforce instance related to the object type. This step is usually done automatically if your field headers are similar to your field names in your Salesforce instance.
- You are redirected to a detailed page where you can see the import status of the import, how many records have successfully been imported, and how many did not.
What are the benefits of using the data import wizard to import data into Salesforce?
Generally, the import wizard is a bit more intuitive and user-friendly. The Data Import Wizard makes it easy to import data for many standard Salesforce objects, including accounts, contacts, leads, solutions, campaign members, personal accounts, and custom objects. You can also mass upload data as leads in Salesforce. It can import up a large number of records, to 50,000 records at a time. It provides a simple interface to specify the configuration parameters, data sources, and field mappings that map the field names in your import file with the field names in Salesforce. You can also set your data into dashboards.
You can choose whether or not to trigger workflows with the import.
Match records based on name, email, or Salesforce ID to avoid importing duplicate records.
What permissions do I need to import records?
You need different permissions to import records with Data Loader and Data Import Wizard. Here, you can find a detailed list of the required permissions to import records.
How large can my import file be?
Your import file can be up to 100 MB, but other size limits apply.
How do I update fields with blank values?
To replace fields with null values, you must use Data Loader.
Now that you know the various ways to import opportunities into Salesforce, you can choose the one that best suits your needs. If you need more guidance or want help, our Salesforce Consulting Services is here to help!
