Initiating data import

Zoho Desk allows admins to import tickets, accounts, contacts, products, tasks, events, calls, custom modules, and KB articles. Only .csv files can be imported, such as <modulename>.csv or <modulename>_<id>.csv. For example, for Tickets module it should appear as Tickets.csv or Tickets_<id>.csv

Note: XLS format is not supported for import. A maximum of 10,000 rows or a maximum of 30MB file size (CSV file) can be imported.

Prerequisite

• Create a .zip file containing the CSV file of the data that needs to be imported.
• Users can also upload a direct .csv file or as a .zip file containing multiple .csv files.
• The .zip file must be named as, for example Contact.zip, Accounts.zip etc.
  
  

Importing data comprises the following steps:

File upload - Select the Desk module where the data should be imported and upload the respective .csv or zip file. As mentioned in the prerequisite, the CSV files must be named appropriately to auto-map them to the selected module. The maximum file size of the .zip file cannot exceed 30MB.

Unmapped files - The system will analyze the uploaded file. If the file name doesn't match the required format, it will be moved to the un-mapped files. From there, users can drag and drop it to the Mapped Files and proceed with the import.

Field mapping - Users need to select what should be done with the records:

1. Create a new record and skip the existing records. The system will identify the duplicate records and skip it during import. If the records are unique or are not already present in the respective module, a new record will be created.  Users can select a unique field using which the system will identify duplicate records. For example, Account ID, Last name, Ticket ID, phone number, email address, and so on.  Users can also identify duplicates by using one of the following methods: external ID, module name, or by choosing the None option. Refer to the table for a complete list of module-specific unique fields and external IDs.
   
   
   
   Note: If a user doesn't have a unique ID for the records in their CSV file, they can choose the None option. However, entities created with this option cannot be updated later. Without a predefined field, the import tool cannot identify if the entity already exists in Zoho Desk, and therefore cannot update it.
   
   
2. Update only the existing records. The system will use the above-mentioned unique field to identify existing records in the modules. If a duplicate record is found, then it will update the field values with the ones provided in the import file. However, if there are more than one duplicate record the system may not update the field value. The user must manually verify the record and the values.
   
3. Both the above - If both options are selected, then the field value will only be updated if a duplicate record is found; if not, a new record will be created in the respective module.

If the date or date and time field has a different format in the import file

If the Date and time or date fields in the import file do not match the format in which the values are supposed to be present in Desk, then the system will automatically format it for compatibility. Such fields will be listed with the file name: Field Name, format <Column Name In the File>_isoDate for date fields or <Column Name In the File>_isoTime for date time.

Users must map the original import field to None and map the system generated field to the appropriate Desk field. The table below is for reference. 

Alternatively, users can change the fields in the accepted format and re-upload the file by initiating a fresh import.

Review - Users can review the import details and make changes if needed.

To import data to desk modules

1. Log into your Desk account with administrative privileges.
2. Navigate to Setup > Data Administration > Import/Export > Import.
3. Click New Import.
4. In the File Upload tab, select the module from the drop-down list.
5. Click Browse File and upload the CSV file or .zip containing the CSV file to be imported from your system.
   Check the unsupported files and re-upload the file if needed. The file size cannot exceed 30MB/file.
6. Click Next.
7. Under Mapping, select from the following options:
   
   • Create a new record and skip existing records
   • Update existing records
   • Both
8. Select a field to identify duplicates from the drop-down list.
9. Check the field mapping and make changes as needed.
10. Click Next.
11. Review the import details. You can go back to make changes.
12. Click Start Import.
    It will take some time to complete the import process; the progress will be displayed on the Import History page
    
    
    
    
    
    

Viewing the error log

Some records that are not successfully imported can be viewed under Completed with error under the error log. The report can be exported for reference. 

Reverting import

The UI Import feature supports reverting, allowing users to undo the creation of all entities and their mapped child entities. However, entities that were updated during the import process cannot be reverted. Only the import that was successful or completed with error can be reverted within two weeks of import. If the import was completed more than two weeks ago, you will not find the option to revert.

Note, if the data is updated using either the Update or Upset options, you will not be able to revert the import.