What are some of the other features that might endear the Data Loader to you? Let me count the ways: If you want to use an External ID for updates, rather than the Salesforce ID, you need to use upsert even if you don’t want to create any new records. If you want to make use of the insert aspect of the upsert, you’ll also need to include all of a data object’s required fields (for example, the last name of a Contact), or it will generate an error for any new data. You’ll of course need to make sure you load that system’s IDs with the data when you first create the records. Upserts are great if you need to regularly update records with information that comes from an external system. If it doesn’t, it will create a new record. If it finds the ID, it will update the existing record. What’s an upsert? It’s a linguistic mashup of “update” and “insert.” In plain English, it means, if you include the Salesforce ID or an external ID with your records, Data Loader will try to find a match for it. The import comes in three flavors: insert, update, and, perhaps most importantly, upsert. It’s a solid, no-frills workhorse that’s really good at the “E” and the “L” (exporting and importing). The Apex Data Loader is one of my stand-by’s. To that end, I’ll look at the apps I use most, and the chores I like to use them for.įirst up, it’s the Apex Data Loader, a desktop app that you can download via the “Data Loader” link found under Setup>Administration Setup>Data Management. This isn’t a marriage or a religion, it’s okay to play the field a little, and remain tool-agnostic.
There will be those special occasions, however, when you face a particularly tricky situation, and need to seek the comfort of another’s embrace. Each has its strengths, and most can, on their own, do almost all of what you’ll need. Personally, I like to pick and choose, and use different tools for different jobs. Some of us show a fierce loyalty to our particular favorite. They give you access to all Salesforce data objects, and don’t limit you to 50,000 records, so they’re much more powerful than the Salesforce Import Wizards.Īsk different consultants what ETL tools they use, and you’re likely to get a few different answers.
As the name implies, ETL apps allow you to export data, make modifications to it, and then bring it back into Salesforce. In this post, I’ll show you how to get data into Salesforce by using one of the available ETL (Extract Transform Load) tools. Let’s take your relationship with data to a higher level. Powerful data migration tools may not seem like tech-crush material, but when those tools save you countless hours of tedium, you may find yourself suddenly enamored. Thanks to Trish and Thomas, you’ve recently mastered some cool Excel tricks, like concatenating and separating data columns, and that’s a great start.
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