2011 User's Guide Copyright

Decide how to import drop-down list values in the file.

• 
  Use a data map to map each value in your source file to a valid value in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
  
• 
  Do a find-and-replace in your source file and then replace each value that isn't valid in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, with one that is. This avoids the need to do list-value mapping in the data map.
  
• 
  Customize the drop-down list attribute in Microsoft Dynamics CRM by adding each unique value in your source file. This task requires privileges usually reserved for the System Administrator or System Customizer security role.
  

Example showing sample leads to import

Company,Last Name,First 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

Example showing sample products to import

Product,Unit Group,Default Unit,Decimals Supported

Front Brakes,Single pair,Unit pair,0

Vest,Clothing,Single article,2

Import records from a file

This task requires permissions that are found in all default security roles. More information about specific permissions and performing this task while offline: Common Task Permissions

To make sure that the import is successful, be sure to follow the steps in Prepare a file for import (see " " on page 75).

1. 
   On the File tab, click Tools, and then click Import Data.
   

2. 
   Click Browse to upload a file.
   

1. 
   To locate a file that you want to import, click Browse.
   

• 
  XML Spreadsheet 2003 (.xml)–Microsoft Excel format stored as an XML file. You can open the XML spreadsheets with Microsoft Excel.
  
• 
  Comma-separated values (.csv)–Comma-delimited format.
  
• 
  Text (.txt)–Delimited text format with columns separated by commas.
  
• 
  Compressed files (.zip)–Compressed file that contains one or more files of the same supported file type (.xml, .csv, or .txt).
  

2. 
   Click Next.
   

By default, the maximum size of the files that you can import is 8 megabytes (MB). This means:

• 
  Any .csv, .txt, or .xml file must not exceed 8 MB in size.
  
• 
  The total size of the .zip file with the attachment folder cannot exceed 32 MB.
  
• 
  The total size of the extracted files must not exceed 200 MB.
  

When the Import Data Wizard extracts .zip files, extracted files are placed on the computer for a while. During this time, the local administrator of the computer may access the extracted files and may view the data in these files.

3. 
   Review the file that you have uploaded. If you imported a .zip file, the review also includes a list of all of the files contained in the .zip file.
   
4. 
   To change delimiters, click Delimiter Settings on the Review File Upload Summary page. This displays the delimiters settings. In the Field Delimiter list, click the field delimiter used in the uploaded data file. In the Data Delimiter list, click the data delimiter used in the uploaded data file.
   

The default data delimiter is a quotation mark ("). Other data delimiters in the list include the single quotation mark (') and None.

When importing a .zip file, all files contained in the .zip file must use the same field and data delimiters.

5. 
   If the first row in your file contains column headings, select the First row contains column headings check box.
   
6. 
   Click Next.
   
7. 
   Select a data map in order to map your source data to Microsoft Dynamics CRM record types and fields.
   

• 
  Select Map Automatically to allow the Import Data Wizard to automatically map the source data with Microsoft Dynamics CRM record types and fields. The Import Data Wizard tries to identify the matching Microsoft Dynamics CRM record type and fields by comparing their display names with the files you have uploaded for import and their column names. If the Import Data Wizard is not able to map any entity or field, it will show the mapping pages so that you can manually map the unmapped record types or fields.
  
• 
  Select Use an Existing Data Map: and select a data map to use for the mappings.
  

• 
  Select For Full Data Export if you obtained your data from Salesforce.com using the Full-Data Export.
  
• 
  This is selected by default if you have uploaded a .zip file.
  
• 
  Select For Report Export if you have obtained your data from Salesforce.com using the Report Export.
  
• 
  For more information about exporting data from Salesforce.com, see Work with Salesforce.com Data.
  
• 
  Select any other maps under Custom Maps if you already have the mappings defined for the type of data you are importing.
  

If a map for your source system isn't listed in the Import Data Wizard, check the Resource Center to see if one is available. If not, you can export a data map to edit it manually and import it back. Or, you can also save your mappings during an import session as a new data map.

8. 
   Click Next.
   

9. 
   Map the unmapped source files to Microsoft Dynamics CRM record types.
   

1. 
   For each unmapped source data file, click the name under Microsoft Dynamics CRM Record Types, and then click the record type to which it maps in the list.
   

If no Microsoft Dynamics CRM record type in the list is appropriate for the data in your source file, create a custom record type clicking Create New in the list.

Create a custom record type

1. 
   Click Create New.
   
2. 
   Enter the following information:
   

• 
  Record Type Name. Specify the name for the record type in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. By default, the file name displays here.
  

If the name that you specified already exists, Microsoft Dynamics CRM prompts you to specify a new name.

• 
  Plural Name of the Record Type. Specify the plural name for Microsoft Dynamics CRM to use for this record type.
  
• 
  Primary Field. Specify the name of the column that should be used as the primary field for the record type.
  

You can create a new record type only if you have the privileges to create and publish custom record types in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

3. 
   Click OK.
   

If you want to skip importing a file, click Ignore in the list for that file.

The Import Data Wizard will not import data from a file that is ignored.

2. 
   Click Next when each file is either mapped or ignored.
   

10. 
    Map the unmapped source columns to Microsoft Dynamics CRM fields.
    

1. 
   For each record type in the left pane that has an alert symbol, click the record type name. Then, in the right pane:
   

1. 
   Map Microsoft Dynamics CRM required fields to source columns:
   

• 
  Select a column from your source file that matches the field.
  
• 
  Select Ignore to allow the Import Data Wizard to populate the field by default.
  

Microsoft Dynamics CRM populates some fields by default, shown as Ignore, and you do not need to map these fields to continue with your import.

2. 
   Map source column to optional fields:
   

• 
  If you want to map the unmapped columns, select the Microsoft Dynamics CRM field to which it maps.
  
• 
  If no existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM field is appropriate for the data in the column and you want to create a new custom Microsoft Dynamics CRM field, create a new field.
  

For each unmapped column, under Actions, click Create New Field from the corresponding list.

In the Field Name box, type a name for the new field.

If a field with the name that you specified already exists in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, you will be prompted to specify a new name.

In Type, click the type for the field you want to create in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The available items in the list are Text, Picklist, Bit, Integer, Decimal, Datetime, and Lookup.

Create a field of the lookup type

If a record is related to another record, that record has a field that points to a field in the related record. The field that points to another field is called a lookup field.

Specify the following details for the new field:

Create a field of the option set type

If you clicked Option Set from the list for Type, click a value from the CRM Option Values list for each column of the source file.

By default, Microsoft Dynamics CRM adds every value in a column from the source file to the CRM Option Values list, and maps that value automatically. Microsoft Dynamics CRM creates these values in the CRM Option Values list during the import. If you do not want to include a particular value from the source file in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, click Ignore in the CRM Option Values list next to that value from the source file.

For example, a source file contains the column "Rating" containing three values: "Hot," "Warm," "Cold." You want to create a custom field in Microsoft Dynamics CRM for the Rating column including only "Hot" and "Warm" while excluding "Cold." Click "Hot" and "Warm" in the CRM Option Values list. For "Cold," click Ignore. The completed import only includes the values "Hot" and "Warm" for the Rating field in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Click OK.

You can filter the source fields using the filter list. You can choose to show all fields, show only unmapped fields, or show only mapped fields.

You can create new fields only if the target record type for which you are creating this field is customizable and if you have the sufficient privileges. More information: Customize and publish during import in Permissions required for customization tasks.

If you create new custom fields for an existing record type or for a new record type that is created during the import, the fields are created and published, and the imported data is added into these fields. However, these fields are not added to the record type form automatically.

You will not see data imported into these fields on the record type form. If you want to see the data on the record type form, after the import is complete, you must navigate to Customizations and add the fields created during the import to their respective record type forms.

If you want to skip importing data from this column, click Ignore.

You will see a yellow warning message icon for all the columns that are not mapped.

Important

If a field used in a data map for mapping data is no longer available in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, an error is displayed. You will not be allowed to continue until you either map the source column to a different field or ignore the column.

2. 
   Click Next when you have mapped each column from the source file to a Microsoft Dynamics CRM field or have have clicked Ignore in its list under CRM Fields.
   

Click Edit if you want to edit the mappings.

11. 
    Click Next.
    
12. 
    Review the import settings.
    

1. 
   Select whether you want the Import Data Wizard to allow importing duplicate records in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
   
2. 
   In Select Owner for the Imported Records, click the Lookup button to select an owner who will own the records if the owner mappings are not defined in the data map or the users.csv.
   

Usually, owners are mapped or created using the owner information in the users.csv file. If the source data does not contain a users.csv file, the records are still imported with the owner as the user you specify in Select Owner for the Imported Records. For more information, see How User Records Are Imported.

3. 
   In Data Map Name, specify a name for the data map.
   

13. 
    Click Submit.
    

To view the status of your import, click the Imports link. Microsoft Dynamics CRM always displays the success and error counts for an import file used to import user records as "0" for the Imports list. Other files types may display other values for the Imports list.

14. 
    Click Finish.
    

Because more than one user can submit import jobs at once, the import requests for files that are larger than 1 MB are queued and processed one at a time. For example, if three users each submit a .zip file that is larger than 1 MB, then the first file import starts immediately and queues the other two. When finishing the first import task, Microsoft Dynamics CRM imports the second and third in the order that they were submitted. Meanwhile, any small file (.zip, .csv, .txt, or .xml) submitted for import might be imported immediately, depending on the asynchronous service.

Related Topics Importing Data 74