Importing Record Images in Bulk in Zoho CRM

Overview

In Zoho CRM, visual representation of records such as product thumbnails or contact photos greatly improves user experience, helps with identification, and supports marketing workflows. However, uploading these images manually for each record becomes tedious and impractical at scale. To address this, Zoho CRM offers two built-in approaches to bulk import record images efficiently.

Approaches to Import Record Images in Bulk

Zoho CRM supports the following methods for importing record images:

Module-Level Import
Import via Data Administration (Migration Approach)

Approach 1: Module-Level Import using VCF File

This approach allows you to bulk import record images using a .VCF file.

How to Use:

Make a.VCF file containing the records' information and pictures. You can download & check this sample .VCF file to get started.
Import the file in the required module (e.g. Leads, Contacts, or Products) using the module-level import feature as instructed in this document.
The data in the file will be inserted as records along with their photos following the import, as seen in the screenshot below.

Sample screenshot:

Key Highlights:

The .VCF file can contain multiple records, each with its associated image.
The image is automatically mapped to the Record Image field without needing manual field mapping.

Permissions Required:

The user must have the Import permission enabled in their CRM profile.

Approach 2: Import via Data Administration (Migration Approach)

This approach is ideal for migrating data from another Zoho CRM account.

Steps to Follow:

Export Data from Source CRM
- The backup (Data.zip) will include:
  - Record data (CSV files)
  - Metadata
  - Record images (stored separately in a folder)
Prepare the Data Files
- Open the CSV file, such as Products.csv or Contacts.csv
- Add a column for the image field in the CSV file such as Product Image / Contact Image.
- Populate this column with image file IDs (name of the image) matching the files in the image folder in the back-up file.
Folder Structure
- Create a folder named Data and place your CSV files inside.
- Create a folder named RecordImages and place the image files with their matching names.
- Compress both folders into a .zip file (e.g. Archive.zip)
Import Process in CRM
- Navigate to: Setup > Data Administration > Import
- Upload the .zip file
- Select the module. During the field mapping area, map the Image column in your CSV file against the Record Image Id field in Zoho CRM

Mapping Example:

📌 Best Practices & Notes

Ensure image file names in the CSV match exactly with files in the RecordImages folder
Optimise image sizes to reduce import time
Test the import in a sandbox environment before executing in production

Summary:

Whether you're performing a new CRM setup or updating existing records, these two approaches allow you to bulk import record images easily and accurately. Choose Module-Level Import for straightforward image additions or go with the Migration Approach when handling CRM-to-CRM data transfers.

Custom Solution Created by Yogeshwari N | Zoho Partner Support

If you need any further clarifications, please don’t hesitate to contact partner-support@zohocorp.com.