Import Data+ is the tool for importing spreadsheets into Crelate. It has two import options. Insert Only adds new records, and Insert And Update adds new records and updates existing ones. Import Data+ is the name of the feature, and it does not appear in the menu. This article covers Insert And Update in depth. For the step-by-step walkthrough of the whole import, see Importing a Spreadsheet.
Which import option should I use?
Option | Use it to | Record types | Undo |
Insert Only | Add new records | Contacts, Companies, Opportunities, Leads, and notes | Yes, for 7 days after it completes. |
Insert And Update | Add new records and update existing ones | Contacts and Companies only | No |
Opportunities are Insert Only. They have no Insert And Update option.
How do I start Import Data+?
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. Upload a .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. You can also start from Your Profile & Preferences > My Imports by selecting New Import.
Select Next.
Then choose Contact or Company, map your columns, and select Insert And Update under Import Options.
💡 Pro Tip: Do not choose Import Contacts (upload resume). That option is for uploading resumes, not spreadsheets.
How do I choose an Update Identifier?
After you select Insert And Update, choose an Update Identifier. This field is required. Crelate uses it to find the existing record for each row. It is not available with Insert Only.
Contacts:
Companies:
Record type | Update Identifier options |
Contacts | External Primary Key, Email Addresses, Number, Id |
Companies | External Primary Key, Phone Numbers, Id |
To update records you exported from Crelate, use Id. It matches each row directly to the correct record, which prevents duplicate errors. For other files, use Email Addresses or Number, unless you are migrating data from another system.
💡 Pro Tip: Fill in the identifier column for every row. If your Update Identifier is Email Addresses and a Contact’s row has no email address, Crelate cannot match it with the existing Contact. The row shows on the Invalid tab as “Import will result in a duplicate record,” and Crelate skips it. Add the missing value in your spreadsheet and import again, or use Id, which every record has.
How do I update existing records using Id?
In Contacts or Companies, select the cogwheel icon, and add the columns you want in the export.
Select the export icon, and check Include Id with each record.
Make your changes in the spreadsheet, and keep the Id column.
Start Import Data+, and choose Contact or Company.
Map the Id column to Crelate Id in Import Into.
Select Insert And Update, and choose Id as the Update Identifier.
💡 Pro Tip: Updating records that have no email address or phone number? Id does not need either one. Export them with Include Id with each record checked, and use the steps above.
What happens to blank cells in my spreadsheet?
With Insert And Update, once a row matches an existing record, a blank cell leaves the existing value on that record unchanged. Crelate replaces a field only when your spreadsheet has a value for it. Fields you do not map are not changed.
For a new record, a blank cell in a mapped column shows as blank in the Preview, and nothing is imported into that field for that record. A column you do not map is left out for every record and does not appear in the Preview. See Importing a Spreadsheet for how each case looks in the Preview.
💡 Pro Tip: Check the Preview tab before you import. Rows that update an existing record show Update in the Import Type column, with the existing value filled in for any blank cell. New records show Insert, and blank cells show as empty. The Preview shows only up to 20 rows.
How do I clear a field using an import?
You cannot. A blank cell leaves the existing value unchanged, so an import cannot remove a value from a record.
To clear a field, use a bulk action on the records to remove the data in that field, or edit each record directly.
💡 Pro Tip: Need to clear the same field on many records? Select them in a list or search, and use a bulk action to clear the field in one step.
What should I know before I run an Insert And Update import?
You cannot undo it. After you select Ready to Import, you must type I Understand exactly as shown, which is case sensitive, before you can continue.
Fields with a value replace the existing value. The Import Confirmation screen shows a red warning that matching records may be overwritten.
Errors and duplicates are skipped. Crelate shows both on the Invalid tab before the import. The import still runs as long as there are fewer than 100 errors, and duplicates do not count toward that limit.
Every row needs a value in your identifier column. A row with no value cannot be matched to its existing Contact, and Crelate skips it.
Check the counts first. On the Import Preview screen, Record updates identified shows how many existing records will change.
Can I undo an import?
You can undo an Insert Only import for 7 days after it completes. Undoing deletes every record the import created, including records edited or used after the import, and you cannot reverse the deletion. You cannot undo an Insert And Update import.
If you ran Insert And Update on records that an Insert Only import created, you can still undo the original Insert Only import within 7 days. Crelate deletes all of those records, even though the later import changed their fields, and it warns you before it does.
Can I fix records I updated by mistake?
You cannot undo an Insert And Update import, but you can correct the records by importing the right values.
Get a file that has the correct values, such as an export you made before the import or your original source data.
Keep the Id column, or the column you used as your Update Identifier.
Import the file with Insert And Update, and choose the same Update Identifier.
Crelate replaces a field only when your spreadsheet has a value for it. You can restore values you overwrote, but an import cannot clear a field.
💡 Pro Tip: Before a large Insert And Update, export the records you plan to update with Include Id with each record checked. If something goes wrong, you can import that file to restore the values.
Key takeaway
Import Data+ has two options. Insert Only adds new records for any record type and can be undone for 7 days. Insert And Update adds new records and updates existing Contacts and Companies, requires an Update Identifier, and cannot be undone. Contacts can match on External Primary Key, Email Addresses, Number, or Id, and Companies on External Primary Key, Phone Numbers, or Id. To update records you exported from Crelate, use Id. A blank cell in your spreadsheet leaves the existing value on a matched record unchanged, so an import cannot clear a field. Use a bulk action or edit the record instead.
What's Next?
Want to view or manage records you've recently imported? Having issues getting your spreadsheet to import? Take a look at our content below!