Enhanced data import/update feature – Welcome! How can we help?

Access the data import setting

This article will demonstrate the import of companies and contacts data.

From the administration dashboard click the header of a business module to access it's settings
Click "Import Data" to access the Import Data function

Edit the import configuration

Before starting a data import, we need to configure the mapping between our data file and our business module columns.

Click here to edit the mapping configuration

Add a mapping

We can now start creating the mapping, that will result in a successful data import.

Click here to add a mapping

Mapping CSV Fields with SharePoint fields

From this interface you add mappings between fields in the .csv file and fields in the business module you are importing your data to.

Here you enter the name of the column containing the relevant field data in the .csv file
Here you select the relevant field from the business module, that you want to map to the .csv data

CSV data source field names and values

Please make sure the .csv file meets the following requirements before attempting an import. We also recommend to import a single line of data, to verify the import, before initializing a complete data import.

The first row in the data source must contain the field names, separated with a semicolon (;)

Example:Company;Address;City;Zip;Phone;Email

Each row of field values must be separated with a semicolon (;) and each field value must be surrounded by quotation marks

Example:"WorkPoint A/S";"Adgangsvejen 3";"6700";"Esbjerg";"+4576110110";"info@workpoint.dk"

If a field value doesn't contain any data, the field value must not contain any quotation marks. Notice in the example below that the email address field value doesn't contain any data. The quotation marks normally surrounding the email field value are removed.

Example:"WorkPoint A/S";"Adgangsvejen 3";"6700";"Esbjerg";"+4576110110";;

If a field value should contain quotation marks as data, add a quotation mark before the quotation mark.

Example:"WorkPoint A/S";"Adgangsvejen 3";"6700";"Esbjerg";"+4576110110";""Qoute Marks Example""

Supported SharePoint Field Types

The table below shows what SharePoint Field Types are supported and how the field values must be formated in the csv import file.

CSV Data Source example

Company;Address;City;Zip;Phone;Email
"Arcu Iaculis Enim PC";"P.O. Box 184, 3773 In Rd.";"Bremerhaven";"0257NR";"01 19 64 44 54";"sagittis.Nullam.vitae@nuncullamcorpereu.co.uk"
"Phasellus Dapibus Inc.";"Ap 257-7776 Phasellus St. Calle";"Blancos";"55119";"09 67 65 89 15";"in.faucibus@lacuspedesagittis.net"
"Ante Blandit Foundation";"P.O. Box 258, 1017 In St.";"Bonn";"04284";"06 64 51 30 09";"Curae.Phasellus@acrisus.edu"
"Felis Eget Institute";"P.O. Box 215, 3457 Quam, Street";"Mahbubnagar";"3602JQ";"08 24 73 31 12";"imperdiet.ullamcorper.Duis@anuncIn.ca"
"Nulla Ante Iaculis Inc.";"620-3729 Dis Rd.";"Brussel";"8710";"03 06 12 18 43";"imperdiet.erat.nonummy@etcommodoat.ca"

CSV data source mapping example

Here I have mapped the fields from my .csv file, with fields in my business module
This check mark indicates that this column in the .csv file, holds the value that uniquely identifies the element. A primary key must always be chosen. The primary key is used when updating existing data.
Click her to save the mapping configuration for the business module

Start importing data

After a succesful configuration of the data mapping, we can start the data import. We strongly recommend only to import a subset of the data from the .csv file, and verify that the data is valid and that the imported elements look as expected, before committing to a complete import. There is no undo button, and if misconfigured data is imported, it must be removed manually.

Click here to select the .csv file from your computer's file system
Choose if you want to have a site created for the imported elements
Click here to start the import

Monitoring the import

After clicking start data import the following status window is displayed

Verify the data import

When the import has completed, you can click here to see details about the import and eventually correct errors in the data source file.

The data import result

When we access our business module, the data from the .csv file we have imported can be viewed. Because we use a primary key when importing data, we can make changes to the data we already have imported, by running the import command again.

Update data

In this example I want to update the address of the company "Arcu laculis Enim PC" from my previous import.

CSV file example:

Company;Address;City;Zip;Phone;Email
"Arcu Iaculis Enim PC";"Rundweg 4";"Bremen";"0257NR";"01 19 64 44 54";"sagittis.Nullam.vitae@nuncullamcorpereu.co.uk"

I browse the file system for the .csv file and start the import/update operation

Update log

This time the status window indicates that this is an update task and not an import of new data, since there allready is a company in the business module, with a primary key that matches an element in our source csv file.

Updated data

When the update is completed our item is updated with the data from the csv file