Occasionally it is necessary to import large quantities of objects into Salesforce, which would be a tedious process to do manually. This is why Salesforce has included Import tools for Accounts/Contact, Lead, Solutions, and Custom Objects. This overview will cover how to import Custom Objects.


I. Our first step is to set up the data we want to import. This is best done using Excel or a similar program.

  1. We need to identify which fields are needed for the import. To do this we will run a report in Salesforce selecting the object we will be importing.
    -Select the Reports tab in Salesforce.
    -Select the "Create New Custom Report" button.
    -Select "Other Reports" from the drop down menu, Select the custom object, and click Next.
    -The default selection (Tabular Report) is correct, click Next.
    -These are the columns that will appear in the document. Click Select All and then Next.
    -We don't want any summaries, so leave these blank and click Next.
    -The default order of columns is fine, click Next.
    -These are the filters for what will be included in the Report. We want sufficient data to see which fields are required, but not all of them.
      a. Under the Standard Filters section, change View to All Content.
      b. Under the Limit Row Count section, change Rows to Display to 25, sort by Content ID, Descending See Screenshot
    -Click Run Report

  2. Now we need to export this for editing in Excel.
    -Click the Export Details button.
    -Leave in Excel format, and click Export.
    -You will be prompted to download the file. Save it in a place you can remember.

  3. This is where we actually edit the data.
    -Open your downloaded file with Excel.
    -The first 1 or 2 columns will be ID fields, which are automatically generated. Delete these columns. See Screenshot
    -Add content. Each row represents a new record, each column a field. Use previous records as examples.
    -Delete existing records. We do not need to import records that already exist. You should now have a complete tempalte. See Screenshot
    -Save the file as a CSV. This is the format needed by Salesforce. In excel, Save As, and select CSV. (Choose "Other Formats" if Office 2007) See Screenshot

II. Now we are ready to use the import wizard.
  1. In Salesforce, click Setup at the top of the screen, expand Data Management on the left, and click Import Custom Objects. See Screenshot
  2. Click the Start the Import Wizard link at the bottom of the list of items. See Screenshot
  3. You will now see a list of all your custom objects. Select the one you are importing to and click Next.
  4. Since we know all our records are new, we do not want to prevent duplicates. Leave "No" selected and continue.
  5. Designating a record owner is option. If you have it specified, select whether you are using Name or Salesforce ID to determine the owner. Otherwise, select None.
  6. Select your CSV file and click Next.
  7. Quickly scan the field mapping to ensure each CSV column is correctly associated with its Salesforce field. Click Next.
  8. You will be notified of the columns that you have selected not to import. You will also be notified of invalid data. In either of these situations you may cancel the import and edit the data. Otherwise, these fields will be left empty.

That's it! You will receive an email upon completion of import. This may take several minutes depending on the size of the CSV you are importing.