Import data and control how indistinguishable records are identified

  • Article
  • 10 minutes to read

Bring your customer and sales data quickly into your app by importing it. You can import data into well-nigh record types.

Dynamics 365 processes imports in the background. After an import is completed, you can review which records were successfully imported, failed to be imported, or were partially imported. To ready the records that failed to exist imported, export them into a carve up file, gear up them, and and so attempt to import them again (if necessary, you can start over by deleting all records associated with the previous import).

Supported file types

You tin can import information from the post-obit file types:

  • Comma-separated value (.csv) file
  • Excel templates provided by Dynamics 365
    More information: Export information to Word or Excel files

Gear up your file for import

Here are some guidelines to help make sure that your file will be imported successfully:

  1. Put records for each record type in a separate file.

  2. Make sure that the file is in one of the following formats:

    • .csv file: A data file with a .csv file extension. Typically a .csv file consists of fields and records, stored as text, in which the fields are separated from one other by commas.
    • Excel template

  3. If your import file is a .csv file, make certain that it is correctly delimited. You can use double quotation marks (") or single quotation marks (') every bit data delimiters.

  4. Make sure the commencement line of the file is a row of column headings. Add column headings (text used in the kickoff row of a workbook or file that labels the data in each column) if they are not already present.

    Note

    Brand sure that the .csv file does not contain:

    • Multiple lines in the kickoff line (header row).
    • Quotation marks in the first line. Dynamics 365 uses quotation marks every bit information delimiters.
    • Data separated with a semicolon (;) or comma (,). Dynamics 365 uses semicolons and commas equally field delimiters.

    Important

    Data can exist imported more quickly if information technology can be automatically mapped during the import process. It helps to take your column headings lucifer the display name of fields in Dynamics 365. The display name is the characterization that is used by default when an attribute is displayed on a class, in a list, or in a report. The Brandish Proper name for each attribute tin can exist changed in the Customization area by a user who has an appropriate security office.

  5. Brand certain data exists for all required fields.

    A record will only exist imported if all required fields are mapped, and if data exists in each of the source columns that are mapped to the required fields. A required field is an attribute that is required before a record can be saved. You can either determine the required fields in advance, or identify missing required mappings during the import. In either case, make certain you have required data in each record. To make up one's mind which fields are required, open the grade for the record type every bit if you were creating a new record, and identify fields that are marked with a crimson asterisk (*).

    The post-obit list shows default required fields for commonly imported record types.

    • Account: Account Name
    • Contact: Last Name
    • Pb: Topic, Concluding Proper name, Company Name
    • Product: Default Unit, Unit Grouping, Decimals Supported

For example, the following lines show what the data might await similar for a .csv format file containing leads. The first line contains the field names, and the remaining lines are imported as information.

              Company,Concluding Name,Offset Proper name,Topic,Email,Mobile Phone "Designer Bikes""Groth""Brian""Mountain bikes""someone@example.com""555-555-0112" "Major Sporting Goods""Bedecs""Anna""Components""555-555-0171"

Note

By default, the maximum size of the files that you tin can import is viii megabytes (MB).

Import records from an Excel template

  1. Start your import past doing either of the post-obit:

    • Go to the list view for the entity y'all desire to import to (such every bit the list of leads), and select Import from Excel on the control bar.
    • If you are an administrator, go to Settings > Advanced Settings > Business Management > Import Data. On the Import Data page, select the record type you desire to import the information for, and and so in the drop-down list, select Excel.

  2. Select Scan to upload a file.

  3. Select Next. All the fields in your source file are automatically mapped.

  4. Select Finish Import.

Import records from a .csv file

  1. Prepare your import file as described in Prepare your file for import.

  2. Outset your import by doing either of the post-obit:

    • Go to the listing view for the entity yous desire to import to (such as the listing of leads), and select Import from CSV on the command bar.
    • If you are an administrator, go to Settings > Advanced Settings > Business Management > Import Data. On the Import Information page, select the record type y'all want to import the data for, then in the driblet-downwards listing, select CSV.

  3. Choose a file to upload.

  4. Select Next.

  5. If you have an alternate primal defined, select it from the Alternating Key drop-down list.

    The alternate key is used to uniquely identify and update records during import instead of using the main cardinal. Some external data systems practice not store principal keys. In such cases, an alternate cardinal can be used to uniquely identify records. More information: How alternating key and indistinguishable detection work during import

  6. In the Data Delimiter drop-downwards list, select the data delimiter that you've used in your .csv file.

  7. Select Review Mapping.

  8. On the Review Mapping folio, review how your column headings are mapped to the fields in Dynamics 365.

    The Review Mapping page.

    • On the left side, by default the Primary Fields section of the Review Mapping page shows all the required fields for the entity that must be mapped for the data to be imported successfully.
    • If you've selected an alternating key, all the fields of the alternate central also become required fields and must exist mapped.
    • If the cavalcade headings of your source file match the field brandish names, these fields volition exist automatically mapped. All the mapped fields volition exist shown with a green check mark.
    • If the column headings don't match, the unmapped fields will exist shown with a red exclamation point. Select a Dynamics 365 field to map to the unmapped column heading of your file.
    • To speedily filter on only the unmapped fields, select Unmapped from the Map Attributes drop-downwardly list.

  9. In the Optional Fields department of the Review Mapping page, the left side shows the column headings in your source file. If the column headings lucifer the field display names, the fields will be automatically selected in the corresponding driblet-downward lists.

    • If the column headings don't match, the unmapped fields will be shown with a red assertion bespeak.
    • Select a Dynamics 365 field to map to the unmapped column heading of your file.
    • You can also choose Ignore from the driblet-down list for i or more optional fields. Data from ignored columns won't be imported into Dynamics 365 Marketing.
      A field set to be ignored during import.

  10. If any column in your source file includes a fixed gear up of values, you must map the column to a field of type Option Set blazon. A column of this type has values such as "Yeah" or "No," or "Hot," "Warm," or "Cold." To do this, click the The Option Set button. push button next to the option set field. The Option set mapping section opens:

    The option-set value mapping menu.

    • For each Source Selection Values item, click an detail from the Dynamics 365 Option Values listing to map information technology, and then click OK.

    • The Dynamics 365 Option Values drop-down list combines the values available in the incoming file with those already in the Dynamics 365 database. For example:

      • Values in import file: Depression, High
      • Values already in Dynamics 365: Cold, Warm, Hot
      • Resulting target values: Cold, Warm, Hot, Depression, High

    • After import, the import magician volition add together all mapped values to Dynamics 365, simply will drop unmapped values from the import file that aren't yet in Dynamics 365. For example, you could map the "Low" source value to the "Common cold" target value, but map the "High" source value to the (new) "Loftier" target value. Based on these mappings, the import wizard creates "Loftier" every bit a Dynamics 365 target value. It does not create "Low" as a Dynamics 365 target value considering you didn't map whatever source to this target value.

      Note

      Y'all can also map a cavalcade in your source file to a field of type "Two Options" and "Multiselect Option Fix" (where a field can have multiple values). You must map each Source Selection Values to the items in the Dynamics 365 Option Values listing. When mapping to a field of type "Multiselect Option Fix," if your source file includes values that aren't available in Dynamics 365 Marketing, new values won't exist created in Dynamics 365 Marketing.

  11. If some data in your source file references other existing records in Dynamics 365 Marketing, you must map the column in the source file to a lookup field of Dynamics 365 Marketing.

    For instance, yous might want to import a file named Leads.csv, which contains customer records. The Customer column in Leads.csv contains the associated business relationship or contact data. To map this, select the The Lookup Reference button. button next to the lookup field. The Lookup Reference section opens and lists the entities related to the current entity.

    The Lookup Reference section.

    For each entity, select the fields to search during import to retain the relationships between the records, and then select OK.

  12. To relieve your mapping settings for next fourth dimension, enter a name in the Proper noun your data map box. This fashion, the next time you demand to import a similar set up of data, yous'll be able to use this mapping again.

    Name your data map here.

  13. When yous're ready to continue, select Finish Import to import that information by using your mappings.

How alternate central and duplicate detection work during import

Note the following on how alternate key and duplicate detection works while importing records in Dynamics 365 Marketing:

  • When duplicate detection is disabled and an alternate central is not divers in Dynamics 365 Marketing
    The import process creates new records. If a matching GUID is found, the import procedure updates the record.
  • When duplicate detection is disabled and an alternate fundamental is selected
    Records with the same alternating central data are updated, and other records are created in Dynamics 365 Marketing.
  • When duplicate detection is disabled and an alternate key is non selected
    In this scenario, the alternate key is considered every bit the chief key because it is available in Dynamics 365 Marketing. Records that have the same alternate key will neglect with an fault message during import.
  • When indistinguishable detection is enabled and an alternating fundamental is not defined
    The indistinguishable detection rule is followed. The import process creates new records. If any matching GUID is plant, the import process updates the records. If whatsoever records match the indistinguishable detection dominion, an error bulletin is shown.
  • When indistinguishable detection is enabled and an alternate key is not selected In this scenario, the alternating key is considered as the main primal because it is bachelor in Dynamics 365 Marketing. Records with same alternate key will fail with an mistake message during import. Duplicate detection rules are also applied. If whatsoever records match the duplicate detection dominion, an error message is shown. Records that do not match the duplicate detection rule volition be created in Dynamics 365 Marketing.
  • When duplicate detection is enabled and an alternate fundamental is selected
    The import procedure updates the records based on the alternate key and then applies duplicate detection. Records are updated if the alternate central matches; otherwise, they are created in the organisation.

View the results of an import and correct errors

You must wait for an import task to be completed before you lot tin repair failures.

  1. Go to Settings > Advanced Settings > System > Data Management > Imports. Import jobs for all recent imports are listed hither.
  2. Find your job in the list and bank check its progress. The Condition Reason column shows the condition of the import by using the following values:
    • Submitted
    • Parsing
    • Transforming
    • Importing
    • Completed
  3. After the import is complete, the Success, Failure, and Partial Failure columns will show the number of records that were successfully imported, failed to be imported, or were partially imported.
  4. Open the import file to view the records that were non imported or were partially imported. Double-click the import file tape.
  5. Use the tabs to come across data virtually failures, success, or partial failure of records during import.
    Results of your import.
  6. On the Failures tab, select Export Error Rows to consign rows that failed to be imported to a new .csv file. Yous tin correct the errors in this file, and then import information technology.

Delete imported records

  1. Get to Settings > Advanced Settings > Arrangement > Data Management > Imports. Import jobs for all recent imports are listed hither.
  2. Select the import file that you desire to delete, followed by 1 of the post-obit actions:
    • Delete import source file: Deletes the import log file and its details.
    • All records imported to this entity during this import: Deletes all records that were imported from the selected file.
    • All imported records from the .naught file: Deletes the import file along with the records that were imported from the import file.

See too

Business organisation management settings Consign data