Import Data+ brings records into Crelate from a spreadsheet. Choose Insert Only to add new records, or Insert And Update to add new records and update existing Contacts or Companies. This article walks through every step for both options.
Which import option should I use?
Insert Only: adds new records. It works for Contacts, Companies, Opportunities, Leads, and Notes, and you can undo it for 7 days after it completes.
Insert And Update: adds new records and updates existing ones. It is available only for Contacts and Companies; it requires an Update Identifier, and you cannot undo it. See Import Data+ for the identifier options.
Opportunities are Insert Only. They have no Insert and Update option. To import Companies and Contacts in the same spreadsheet, see Importing Complex Spreadsheets. To import leads, see Importing Leads - FAQ.
How do I prepare my file?
Save your spreadsheet as an .xls, .xlsx, or .csv file.
Crelate imports up to 50,000 records per import, the first 10 sheets, files up to 10MB, and the first 100 columns of each sheet.
Make each column heading the name of the field, with your data in the rows below. For example, the top row should be field names such as Name, Phone, and Email.
Remove empty rows. Use a single header row on row 1, with your data starting on row 2.
If you run into problems, see Spreadsheet Import Troubleshooting.
How do I start the import?
Select Menu, select Import, and then select Import data from Excel.
In the Import window, select the upload area, or drag a single file into it.
Select Next.
You can also start a new import from Your Profile & Preferences > My Imports by selecting New Import.
💡 Pro Tip: Do not choose Import Contacts (upload resume). That option is for uploading resumes, not spreadsheets.
How do I map my columns?
The Import Mapping screen opens with Your Data Sets on the left. Each sheet in your file is listed there, and you map each one separately.
Select a sheet.
Next to Import [sheet name] Into, choose the record type: Company, Contact, Leads, Notes, or Opportunity. Choose Skip This to leave the sheet out.
Crelate maps some fields automatically, depending on how your columns are titled. Check the Source Column, Import Into, and Details columns. If Import Into is blank, hover over the blank space and select Select Field. To leave a column out of the import, select its entry in Import Into, and change it to None.
Under Import Options, choose Insert Only or Insert And Update. Insert Only is selected by default. For Insert And Update, also choose an Update Identifier. See Import Data+ for the options.
Repeat for each sheet, and then select Next.
💡 Pro Tip: Check that every column you need has an Import Into field before you continue. Columns left blank are not imported, which is the most common reason only some fields import.
💡 Pro Tip: Importing Tags? After you select Tags in Import Into, hover over the Details column and select Configure. You can create a new tag if it does not exist, split values by comma, semicolon, colon, space, or a custom character, and choose the tag category.
💡 Pro Tip: Importing a list for an email campaign? Add a Tags column with the same value in every row, such as the campaign name. After the import, search by that tag to select everyone at once, and start your campaign from the results.
How do I reuse a field mapping?
If you import several spreadsheets with the exact same format, including the same column names in the same order, save the mapping as a template. Then you do not have to set it up again each time. This works well for exports from the same source, where the columns never change.
Under Field Mapping Options:
Save field mapping as template: enter a name, and select OK.
Load field mapping from template: search for a template, select it, and select OK.
Manage field mapping templates: rename or delete a template.
Clear all mapped fields: start the mapping over.
How do I review my import?
After you select Next on the mapping screen, the Import Preview screen shows what Crelate found before anything is imported.
Your Data Sets: lists each sheet. A red exclamation mark means the Invalid tab has at least one row, whether it is a duplicate or an error.
Preview: shows up to 20 rows exactly as they will appear in Crelate after the import. The Import Type column shows Insert for a new record and Update for an existing record that will change.
Invalid: lists every row Crelate will skip, both errors and duplicates. You see the import type, row number, sheet, and the reason. For a duplicate, the Duplicate Record column links to the existing Contact it matched. The first 100 rows are shown.
Error Summary: shows the errors grouped together.
Validation Checklist: the boxes on the right that you check to confirm your import.
Review the counts under Total Processed: New records identified, Record updates identified, Duplicates identified, and Errors identified. An Insert Only import should show new records, and an Insert And Update import should show record updates.
Check the Preview tab to confirm your data looks right.
If Duplicates identified or Errors identified is more than 0, open the Invalid tab to see which rows Crelate will skip.
If something is wrong with your mapping, select Go back to mapping.
Check every box in the checklist, and then select Ready to Import.
Crelate skips rows with errors and duplicates, and neither stops the import. It runs as long as there are fewer than 100 errors. Duplicates are not counted as errors, so they do not count toward that limit.
💡 Pro Tip: Want a record of the duplicates? Review the Invalid tab before you select Ready to Import. After the import, Crelate does not list the duplicates that were skipped.
What happens to blank cells and unmapped columns?
A blank cell and an unmapped column look different in the Preview and behave differently in the import.
Situation | What you see in the Preview | What happens |
A mapped column has a blank cell, and the row is a new record (Insert) | The cell shows blank | Nothing is imported into that field for that record. The rest of the record imports as normal. |
A mapped column has a blank cell, and the row matches an existing record (Update) | The existing value shows in the cell | The existing value on the record stays unchanged. |
A column is not mapped because Import Into is blank or set to None | The column does not appear | The column is left out for every record. On an update, those fields are not changed. |
💡 Pro Tip: If a field will be empty on some of your new Contacts, look for blank cells in that column in the Preview tab before you select Ready to Import. If the whole column is missing from the Preview, it is not mapped. Go back to the mapping screen and choose an Import Into field.
What happens after I select Ready to Import?
With Insert Only, the Import Confirmation screen opens.
With Insert And Update, a confirmation box opens first. It warns that you are about to edit your records in bulk and that the import cannot be undone once it finishes. Type I Understand exactly as shown, with a capital I and U, and then select Continue. This field is case sensitive.
The Import Confirmation screen, titled “Ready to begin import,” then summarizes your import:
With Insert Only, it says any duplicate Contacts found will be ignored, and shows the fields used to find them, such as Email Addresses and Name. Those fields come from your Duplicate Detection settings.
With Insert And Update, it says existing records matched by your Update Identifier will be updated. A red warning reminds you that this may overwrite existing records that are already in Crelate.
Under Other options:
Send me an email when this import is finished is checked by default. Clear it if you do not want the email.
Give this import a name lets you rename the import. The default is the file name and the date.
Select Import to start.
How do I check on my import while it runs?
You have two choices:
Stay in the window. When the import finishes, the results screen opens automatically.
Close the window. The import keeps running in the background. A blue Importing box appears at the bottom right of your screen. When it finishes, the box changes to Import is done! Select it to see the import details.
You can also open Your Profile & Preferences, select My Imports, and double-click the import. The status column shows whether it is still running. Large imports can take a while, so closing the window and coming back later is fine.
💡 Pro Tip: Importing a large file? Close the import window and let it finish in the background. Leave Send me an email when this import is finished checked, and Crelate will email you when it is done.
What do the import results mean?
The results screen shows a table with Status, New, Updated, Detected Duplicates, Errors, and Total for each sheet.
No errors: the screen says the import completed successfully.
Errors: the screen says the import completed, but some records could not be imported. Select the option to Click here to view the list of records that did not import to see the rows that were skipped because of errors.
Duplicates: Crelate skips them, and they are not counted as errors. The Detected Duplicates column shows how many were skipped. A list of the skipped duplicates is not available after the import.
Select View all imported Contacts to see the records the import created or updated. This works for both options.
After an Insert Only import, the results screen also shows Undo this import for 7 days after the import completes.
How do I find my recent imports later?
From My Imports: open Your Profile & Preferences, select My Imports, and double-click an import to see its details.
From Contacts: select the drop-down at the top of the Contacts view, which usually says All Recent Contacts. Scroll to Recent Imports, and select the import by name.
You can view any import at any time, including imports older than 7 days. Only undo is limited to 7 days.
How do I undo an import?
You can undo an import that used Insert Only for 7 days after it completes. The Undo this import link is on the results screen, which looks the same whether you stayed in the window or opened the import from My Imports.
If you closed the window, open Your Profile & Preferences, select My Imports, and double-click the import.
Select Undo this import.
In the Delete Confirmation window, select Yes, and then select OK.
Undoing deletes every record the import created, including records that were edited or used after the import. You cannot undo an import that used Insert And Update, or any import more than 7 days after it completed.
Key takeaway
Use Menu > Import > Import data from Excel to open Import Data+. Upload a .xls, .xlsx, or .csv file, choose the record type for each sheet, and check that every column you need has an Import Into field. Under Import Options, choose Insert Only to add new records, or Insert And Update to also update existing Contacts or Companies using an Update Identifier. Review the Import Preview, check every box in the Validation Checklist, and select Ready to Import. For a new record, a blank cell in a mapped column imports nothing into that field, and the Preview shows the blank. A column you do not map is left out for every record. Insert And Update also asks you to type I Understand. Name your import, and select Import. You can undo an Insert Only import for 7 days after it completes, from the results screen or My Imports. You cannot undo an Insert And Update import.
What's Next?
Want to view or manage records you have recently imported? Having issues getting your spreadsheet to import? Take a look at our content below!