Narrative 13: Import - Data mapping

Narrative 13: Import - Data mapping

Behind the scenes of a successful ticketing system: BTS Series

Narrative 13: Importing your data


When importing data into an application, it is crucial to prevent data loss or duplication. These types of errors can hinder the development of a clean and well-organized database, which is essential for effective data management and security.

Zoho Desk provides robust functionality for importing your data. The system intelligently automates the mapping of modules and fields to reduce the risk of data loss and maintain data integrity. Users have the advantage of verifying the field mappings in advance, thus adding an extra layer of security to the import process.

This capability is essential not only for clarity but also in mitigating the challenges associated with user adoption. For instance, clients can be accurately mapped to the "Contact name" field, while company names align with the "Account name" field to maintain an organized database, which helps ensure user trust in the system. 

Related knowledge base article: Importing data into Zoho Desk

Quote

Prerequisites

  1. Users can upload a .csv file or a .zip file containing multiple .csv files. 
  2. The .zip file must be named, for example, Contacts.zip, Accounts.zip, etc.

What are Identifier Fields?  

Identifier fields are fields used to find and match existing records when importing data into the product. They also help link related records, like connecting a contact’s name with their email address.

Each module supports different unique identifier fields for identification, as described in the table below:.  

Modules

Unique Identifier Fields

Accounts
​

Account ID

Account External ID

Account Name

Contacts

Contact ID

Contact External ID

Last Name

First Name

Email

Phone Number

Mobile

Tickets

Ticket ID

Ticket External ID

Ticket Number

Products

Product ID

Product External ID

Product Name

Tasks

TaskId

Task External ID

Calls

Call ID

Call External ID

Events

Event ID

Event External ID

Article Translation

Translation: External ID

Translation ID

Custom Modules

​

Record External ID

Custom Module Name

Quote

Points to remember: 

  1.  These fields help find matching records. 
  2.  If multiple records match the value, the first matching record will be selected automatically. 
  3. This can lead to unexpected matches or data being updated in the wrong record if you're not careful. 

Background:

  • Some users expressed a preference for matching Contacts by Last Name instead of Email, highlighting the importance of flexibility in their workflow. 
  • Other users approached matching through the use of a custom field, emphasizing the need for tailored solutions to fit their unique requirements. 
  • We also heard from many users who requested that the functionality be enhanced by updating existing records with the relevant entity's Zoho Desk ID to streamline their processes and improve data accuracy.

Working with the Identifier Field

When importing data into Zoho Desk, the Identifier Field is important because it helps identify existing records and avoid duplicate entries. 

Commonly used identifier fields

  • Find By is used to identify an existing record during the import process.
  • Map By is utilized to link a child record to a parent record, for instance, by linking a Contact to a Ticket.
You can now select specific fields for matching, providing enhanced control and customization during bulk processes or integrations. This functionality enables more precise data handling, ensuring that the information aligns with your specific requirements. By tailoring the matching criteria, you can streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and provide better outcomes for your team. This flexibility enables you to harness the full potential of your data.

Improvements in user experience 

Transparent process and status tracking 

We’ve implemented a straightforward, step-by-step process for data imports, complete with real-time status updates for each stage. This transparency enables users to monitor import progress and understand the current state of the process.

Unique identifiers for entity mapping 

New fields have been introduced to help users identify if a parent entity already exists when importing related child entities. For example, users can seamlessly map a contact to an existing account in Zoho Desk to streamline the import process while minimizing the risk of duplicate entries.

Enhanced error handling and log accessibility

We’ve made significant improvements in error handling by allowing users to download detailed error logs right from the history page in case of import failures. This enhancement provides users with greater insight into any issues and facilitates faster troubleshooting and resolution.

Support for custom modules

The import UI has been revamped to support custom modules, providing users with greater flexibility and customization options. This enables a more personalized and efficient data import experience.

Coming up soon

Custom unique fields

Identifying key data points, such as a Customer ID in the Contact Module, ensures that every customer has a distinct reference, which streamlines ticket management and resolution. By establishing these fields as identifiers, support agents can quickly access and update customer records, enhancing response times and accuracy.

External ID fields 

Integration with various systems often generates External ID fields, such as CRM ID, Invoice ID, and Bug ID. Utilizingthese fields as identifiers enables agents to cross-reference relevant records seamlessly. When records need to be updated or retrieved from different systems, these unique identifiers are crucial in maintaining data consistency across platforms.

Composite identifier fields

Often, relying solely on a single identifier may not be sufficient to pinpoint a customer accurately or a record.Implementing multiple fields as composite identifiers can enhance data integrity and accuracy. For example, considering both the Last Name and Email of a contact can significantly reduce errors in data retrieval and ensure that support inquiries are directed and resolved correctly.

Wrapping up

Using these features positions support teams to operate more effectively and improve overall customer interactions. For instance, a large corporation merging client data from multiple legacy systems into Zoho Desk modules will benefit significantly from automatic field mapping to ensure that contact and account names are accurately aligned. This attention to detail not only improves the user experience but also enhances overall data integrity during the merging process.


Please stay tuned for more in the Desk behind-the-scenes series.

 

Regards,

 

Kavya Rao

The Zoho Desk Team


      • Recent Topics

      • Related lists New option in missing

        hi I have created quite a few modules and added as related lists to my main module. Some have new, some dont I can not see why?

      • Cliq and ToDo integrations?

        I'm a bit surprised not to find any way to open a Cliq chat for the current thread, or to create a Zoho Mail ToDo from a thread. Are these on the roadmap?

      • Reply-to names are mangled

        Hello, I'm seeing an odd behavior in replies. Steps to reproduce: 1. Click reply to an email from "John Doe <doe.john@example.com> in TeamInbox Expected outcome: TO field pre-filled with "John Doe <doe.john@example.com>" Actual outcome: TO field pre-filled

      • I CANT UPGRADE MY FREE ACCOUNT

        I TRY TO UPGRADE MY FREE ACCOUNT AND I COULD NOT UPGRADE IT CAN SOMEBODY TELL ME WHY? AND I HAVE THE MONEY SO.

      • Level up your ASO game with tags & categories in store reviews

        Introducing tags and categories in Apptics' store reviews Dear Apptics community, If your app is listed on the Play Store or App Store, you already know how important store reviews and ratings are. They’re one of the most direct signals of user sentiment

      • Including attachments with estimates

        How can attachments be included when an estimate is sent/emailed and when downloaded as a .pdf? Generally speaking, attachments should be included as part of an estimate package. Ultimately, this is also true for work orders and invoices.

      • Adding VENDOR SKU to PURCHASE ORDERS

        how can we add the Vendor SKU when issuing a Purchase Order , so the PO shows the Supplier SKU and our own Internal SKU , which is what we want to receive into the system .

      • Possible to freely prompt/query CRM data using Zia?

        Is it possible to prompt Zia to query on any information stored in the CRM, especially on the data stored in custom text fields? My use case is the people in my organisation have entered lots of text in custom text fields to capture information from an

      • Restrict employees to take only one day holiday from a multi-day festival holiday

        Hi everyone, I have a requirement related to Optional/Festival Holidays in Zoho People. For example, in the month of May there are three optional holiday dates: May 11, May 12, and May 13. Employees can choose one of these days as their optional holiday.

      • Cannot modify colours in invoice email template

        I have tried switching browsers... but I cannot change the (pretty horrible) default colours in the preset email when sending an invoice... the blue banner, red outstanding total and the bright green button... I can change other things but not the colours?

      • Cannot find zpuid for Zoho Projects user

        I'm using the Zoho Projects v3 API to create a task. The task is created successfully, but in order to assign the task owner, the "Create a Task" API also requires the zpuid of the task owner. Unfortunately I cannot find any user-related API calls that

      • Print a document from Zoho Writer via Zoho Creator

        If i use the code below i can get writer to create a new document or email it to me but i want to be able to print it directly from the browser and not have to send it via email and then print. Below is the code im using. Attached options form zoho writer

      • Allow styling for specific Subform fields in Zoho Creator

        Sometimes in forms we need to visually highlight a specific field inside a Subform (for example Sanctioned Amount, Approved Value, Critical Fields, etc.) so that users immediately notice it while entering data. Currently there is no direct UI option to

      • Placeholder format in Number field does not reflect Max Digits configuration

        When the Max Digits (Maximum digits of number) property is set to a smaller value (for example, 2 digits), the placeholder in the input field still displays a 7-digit format (#######). The same behavior can also be observed in Decimal and Currency field

      • How does SKU work when selling products in parts in Zoho Inventory

        Hello everyone, Zoho Inventory does not understand the physical cutting of the piece.. It only tracks quantities of the unit (like feet ). So when you sell part of an item, the system simply reduces quantity for that SKU. Assume that i have a 50 ft long

      • CRM Cadences - working timesThe Friday afternoon? The next Monday morning? Not at all?

        I think I’m writing saying that cadence emails are only sent during the organisations set working hours in CRM. So if a particular email is set to send for example in three days and that lands on a Sunday (when working hours are not operational) when

      • CRM Cadences - working times

        I think I’m right in saying that cadence emails are only sent during the organisations set working hours in CRM. So if a particular email is set to send for example in three days and that lands on a Sunday (when working hours are not operational) when

      • Push Notification for New Bookings in Zoho Bookings App

        when a someone schedules an appointment through the booking page, is there any option to receive a push notification in the mobile app?

      • Add the same FROM email to multiple department

        Hi, We have several agents who work with multiple departments and we'd like to be able to select their names on the FROM field (sender), but apparently it's not possible to add a FROM address to multiple departments. Is there any way around this? Thanks.

      • Zoho Desk View Open Tickets and Open Shared Tickets

        Hi, I would like to create a custom view so that an agent can view all the open tickets he has access to, including the shared tickets created by a different department. Currently my team has to swich between two views (Open Tickets and Shared Open Tickets).

      • Zoho Expense - Bi-Weekly Report Automation

        Hi Zoho Expense Team, My feature request is to please include an option to automate creation of reports bi-weekly (every 2 weeks)

      • How to Fetch data from Sales Order and Insert into Purchase Order with Deluge

        Hello, I am wanting to write a Deluge script that would take the shipping address on a Sales Order and upon conversion to a Sales Order automatically insert it into that corresponding PO. I am new to Deluge but understand that it has great capabilities.

      • Arquitetura de Aplicações no Zoho Creator: Por que pensar nisso desde o início

        Muitas empresas começam a utilizar o Zoho Creator criando formulários simples para automatizar processos internos. Isso é natural — a plataforma é extremamente acessível e permite construir aplicações rapidamente. O problema começa a aparecer quando a

      • Dark Mode - Font Colors Don't Work

        When editing a document in Dark Mode and selecting font colors, they don't show up on screen.  Viewing/editing the same document in Light Mode shows them just fine.

      • How to Customize & Reorder Spaces in Zoho One 25 (Spaces UI) — Admin Tips Not in the Docs

        Hey Zoho Community, After digging around in the new Spaces UI, I found a couple of admin features that aren't well documented yet but are really useful. Sharing here in case others are looking for the same things. 🔁 How to Change the Default Space Users

      • Non-Avalara Tax Automation wtih Zoho Books

        We are paying a ridiculous amount for Avalara. Our team wants to make a change, but they're the only software fully integrated with Zoho. We also don't have the bandwidth to do this manually, so we do need some sort of automated software solution. We

      • System Components menu not available for Tablet to select language

        I have attached a screenshot of my desktop, mobile, and tablet menu builder options. I am using 2 languages in my application. Language Selection is an option under the System Components part of the menu, but only for my desktop and phone(mobile). My

      • Approvals in Zoho Creator

        Hi, This is Surya, in one of  my creator application I have a form called job posting, and I created an approval process for that form. When a user submits that form the record directly adding to that form's report, even it is in the review for approval.

      • Function #9: Copy attachments of Sales Order to Purchase Order on conversion

        This week, we have written a custom function that automatically copies the attachments uploaded for a sales order to the corresponding purchase order after you convert it. Here's how to configure it in your Zoho Books organization. Custom Function: Hit

      • How Zoho Desk contributes to the art of savings

        Remember the first time your grandmother gave you cash for a birthday or New Year's gift, Christmas gift, or any special day? You probably tucked that money safely into a piggy bank, waiting for the day you could buy something precious or something you

      • Estimate PDF Templates - logo too large

        Hello, I cloned a standard estimate template, but my logo is showing up much larger than intended. This doesn’t happen with the standard invoice template, where the logo displays correctly. How can I adjust the logo size in the estimate template? Thank

      • Select CRM Custom Module in Zoho Creator

        I have a custom module added in Zoho CRM that I would like to link in Zoho creator.  When I add the Zoho CRM field it does not show the new module.  Is this possible?  Do i need to change something in CRM to make it accesible in Creator?

      • Invoice emails not sending but reminders are

        I am a new user. I have been creating some dummy invoices before I go live and have struck a block. Emails for the invoice are not being recieved by the recipient, however, when I send a reminder for the same invoice the email is sent. NOTE: I have checked

      • Deleted account recovery

        I ended up accidentally deleting our Zoho invoice account while trying to work something out. Emailed support for recovery and restoration of the deleted account, if possible, but they responded by saying they can't find an account associated with that

      • Devis et factures multipage coupées

        Bonjour, je suis sur Zoho invoice et je rencontre un problème sur mes devis et factures lorsqu'ils dépassent 1 page. je me retrouve souvent avec des lignes coupées ou le sous total page 1 et le total page 2. j'aimerai savoir s'il existe une possibilité

      • Custom Related List Inside Zoho Books

        Hello, We can create the Related list inside the zoho books by the deluge code, I am sharing the reference code Please have a look may be it will help you. //..........Get Org Details organizationID = organization.get("organization_id"); Recordid = cm_g_a_data.get("module_record_id");

      • Zoho Meeting - Feature Request - Introduce an option to use local date and time formating

        Hi Zoho Meeting Team, My feature request is to add an option for dates to be displayed in the users local format. This is common practice across Zoho applications and particularly relevant to an application like Zoho Meeting which revolves around date

      • Cannot give public access to Html Snippet in Zoho Creator Page

        Hi, I created a form in Zoho Creator and published it. The permalink works but I want to override the css of the form. (style based URL parameters is not good enough) So I created a page and added an Html snippet. I can now override the css, which is

      • How can Outlook 365 link back into Zoho Projects so meetings and events in Outlook calendar show in Zoho?

        We use Outlook 365 for our emails and diaries and have integrated Zoho Projects with Office 365. One challenge we face is getting Zoho Projects to recognise when we have meetings and events in Outlook and not allow project managers to assign tasks over that period. Is there a way to resolve this? Thanks

      • On Edit Validation Blueprint

        Hello, I have a notes field and a signature field. When the Approve button is clicked, the Signature field will appear and must be filled in. When the Reject button is clicked, the Notes field will appear and must be filled in. Question: Blueprint will

      • Next Page