Data Format for Import

Data Formatting Requirements for Import

Before importing data, it must be properly formatted to meet the CRM system’s requirements.

The first requirement is that data must be presented in an ASCII format using comma-separated values (CSV) encoded in UTF-8 or ISO-8859-1, or as VCF (vCard) files.

The CSV file format is commonly used for data exchange between database applications. Your file must have a .csv file extension in lowercase.

VCF files are also plain text files, typically exported from applications like Outlook™. However, due to the complexity of their structure, VCF formatting is not covered in this guide.

Because there is no universal CSV standard, your data must follow these rules:

• All fields must be separated by commas or semicolons and enclosed in double quotation marks. The delimiter can be defined during the first step of the import process.
• All data files must include required fields (e.g., Last Name and Company for Leads).
• All data files must contain values for picklist fields (use --None-- if no value is available).
• Fields containing line breaks or leading/trailing spaces are not allowed.
• Numeric fields must contain only numbers, without thousands separators (e.g., 3800 instead of 3,800).
• Date fields must follow the format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS (e.g., 2015-01-07 00:00:00).
• Checkbox fields must be imported as: 1 for Yes, 0 for No.

Special Notes for Importing Quotes, Orders, or Invoices:

• Item names must match exactly with product or service names in your CRM. These items must be created before import.
• It’s recommended to specify whether an item is a product or a service by using a prefix such as: Product::::Product Name or Service::::Service Name.
• Quantity and Unit Price fields are mandatory.
• Tax values must be in percentage format, as they are calculated based on the total amount field.
• Tax Type is required and should be specified as either Group or Individual.
• It is not possible to import fields like Total, Pre-tax Total, Received, Balance, or Grand Total.

Important: Importing incorrect quotes, orders, or invoices may lead to unexpected results in your CRM. It is strongly recommended to test such imports in a staging environment first. Alternatively, consider using a web service for complex imports.

The second requirement is to ensure that all custom fields created in the CRM are included in the import file. If a field is empty, you can leave it blank, but it must still be present in the data. Omitting custom fields from the import will result in undefined field values in the database, and they will not be usable for filtering or reporting.