Safe imports, history, and error handling

A safe import process involves duplicate rules, test data batches, result verification, and error correction via the import history.

Last updated 13 days ago

What you’ll do

The safe import process involves setting rules for duplicates, using a test dataset, verifying results, and correcting errors via the import history.

Before You Begin

You need import permissions for the selected module. Before performing the full import, export your existing data and prepare a sample file containing 3–10 rows.

Safe Import, Duplicates, and Record Updates

Before importing, you must select rules for handling duplicates and updating existing records, as well as verify a small sample of the data.

Importing Data

Access the data import feature via Other Functions → Data Import. Select the module, upload a CSV, XLSX, or XLS file, indicate whether the first row contains headers, and click Next Step.

Before Confirming

Review the displayed data sample and ensure the first row of data has not been skipped. Check the mandatory fields and, if updating records, verify the selected identification field. This applies to all functions described in this article.

After the Action

Wait for the import process to complete in the history log. Compare the counts of created, updated, and duplicate records, then check a few individual records. This note applies to all features described in this article.

Duplicates and updates

When updating existing records, choose a reliable, unique identifier field. First, export your existing data and test using a small file.

Safe import process

Start by exporting your existing data and importing a sample of 3–10 rows. If the result is unexpected, do not re-import the file without first resolving the underlying issue.

Import history and error correction

The import history displays the results of operations and helps identify rows that require correction.

Import history and errors

Imports may run in the background. Check the History section for the status, the number of created, updated, and duplicate records, and any errors. Once complete, open a few records to verify the results.

The import finished, but the data is incorrect

A completed operation does not confirm that every column was mapped to the correct field. Compare a specific source row with the resulting CRM card.

Symptom	What to check	Next action
Email or another field is empty	Whether the source column contains a value and is mapped to the intended CRM field	Correct the mapping and test a small sample
Records are missing	Import errors, required fields, duplicate rules, and the first-row header option	Distinguish rejected, skipped, and updated rows
Duplicate records appeared	The selected matching field and consistent values in the file and CRM	Establish which card is correct before proceeding; do not repeat the entire file
The wrong card was updated	Whether the matching value is truly unique and the update rule is appropriate	Stop further imports and list the affected records
Amounts, dates, or codes differ	Source file formatting, date interpretation, and leading zeros in codes	Compare the original value, preview sample, and result

Matching and duplicate options depend on the module; email is not a universal key for all imports. If records were updated incorrectly, preserve their current state before correction and compare it with the export made before importing. Do not assume that another import will automatically restore previous values or that a universal import undo action exists.

Test the correction on a few affected rows first. If the issue persists, send Hanna Customer Support the module, import time or history entry, selected mapping and duplicate rule, and an anonymized row showing the expected and actual results.

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