In Salesforce, we have various tools for Data Management, and one such robust data management tool is Data Loader.
In this Salesforce tutorial, we will learn to Update Data With a Data Loader in Salesforce. With the help of a data loader, we can update the records of both Salesforce Lightning and Salesforce Classic editions by following the same procedure.
Why use Data Loader to update Data in Salesforce
In the Salesforce CRM, Data Loader is a robust data management tool that facilitates the import, export, and update of data in our Salesforce environment. It’s a client application that simplifies the data loading process, offering both ease of use and powerful capabilities for handling large volumes of data.
The Data Loader supports bulk data processing, allowing administrators to handle large datasets efficiently, and with this capability, we can update and modify the data in bulk which might not be possible with other data management tools.
Update Data with Data Loader in Salesforce
To update the records data with the Data Loader in Salesforce, you must have installed the data loader in your system and have the necessary permission to update the records data.
If you meet the above conditions, then follow the steps below to update the data with the data loader.
In this example, I will explain the method of updating records using a few opportunity records where I’ll update the Amount(currency) field of those opportunity records.
To update the records we need a record ID of those records, and for that, the best way is to export the Opportunity records with a data loader including the fields ID, Name (for reference), and the fields that you have to update like Amount, Stage, etc.
1. To export the data open the data loader click on Export, log in with your credentials then select the object in which you to update records, select the fields ID, Name, and Amount (the field to be updated) then click on Finish to proceed export.
2. Save the export in a CSV file, and from here, copy the header ID and the Amount, then copy the IDs of the records that you have to update.
3. Now create a new CSV file with the header column ID and the fields that you to update. In this example, I will update the Amount field of the opportunities.
In the ID column, enter the IDs that you copied from the exported CSV file then enter the new values in the Amount column. After this save this CSV file in your system from where it can be accessed to the data loader.
4. Now again open the Data loader and click on the Update button.
5. In this step, select the data object and browse the CSV file that we have created to update the records, then click on the Next button.
6. As we click on the Next button the data loader will initialize the records from the CSV file and on successful initialization Batch size of the record and org’s API limit. Here, click on the OK button.
7. In this step, we will create a mapping between the CSV file header and the Salesforce object fields and for that click on the button Create or Edit a Map.
In the next window, click on the button Auto-Match Fields to columns. Now the column header will be mapped with the field names and in case it is not auto match then you can drag and drop the field name with column headers.
After this, click on the OK button to complete the mapping, then click on the Next button.
8. In this step, select the location for the CSV file in which you can view the successes and Errors that occurred during the data update operation, and after this click on the Finish button.
9. In a warning message click on the Yes button to proceed with the update operation.
10. After the completion of the operation, we can see the message of success and errors occurred in the
11. As we click on the View Successes, the data loader CSV viewer will open and here we can view the successfully updated records.
As we can see in the above image the records are successfully updated and you can also check the updated records in Salesforce objects.
In this way, we can update records in Salesforce with Data Loader and the same method can be followed to update any records or fields in Salesforce org.
Conclusion
In Salesforce, DataLoader is an invaluable tool for administrators tasked with maintaining accurate and up-to-date information within their Salesforce instance.
In this Salesforce tutorial by following the procedure discussed in the above steps, you might have got good insights about the update operation of the Salesforce data loader and by now you will be able to streamline your data update processes.
You may like to read
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- How to Update Records using External ID in Salesforce
- How to Insert Null or Blank Values with the Salesforce Data Loader
- How to Mass Edit Records by Inline Editing in Salesforce
- How to Mass Update Addresses in Salesforce
- How to Upsert Data with Data Loader in Salesforce
I am Bijay Kumar, the founder of SalesforceFAQs.com. Having over 10 years of experience working in salesforce technologies for clients across the world (Canada, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, etc.). I am a certified salesforce administrator and expert with experience in developing salesforce applications and projects. My goal is to make it easy for people to learn and use salesforce technologies by providing simple and easy-to-understand solutions. Check out the complete profile on About us.
