Export data to delimited files

Most customer relationship systems include a backup function that exports data to files. These files typically are in one of the following formats: delimited text A file that contains data in which individual field values are separated by commas, tabs, semicolons, or other characters. Delimited text file names typically end with a .txt file extension (for example, "my_file.txt"). (.txt), comma-separated value (CSV) files Data files with a .csv file extension. Typically a CSV file consists of fields and records, stored as text, in which the fields are separated from one other by commas. , XML A type of file that provides a way to structure data to share between applications. XML files typically have the .xml extension. (.xml), or Microsoft Office Excel (.xls or .xlsx).

The Import Data Wizard requires all import files to have a .csv, .txt, .xml, or .zip extension and format. If your backup system created a file in another format, convert that file into one of the required file formats. (The text inside a .csv file can use any delimiter, not necessarily a comma.)

1. Save each type of record into a separate file:
   • Specify a file name for each record type. Use one of the following criteria to determine how you name your file.
     • If you select Map Automatically, then the Import Data Wizard tries to match the file name with the record type name in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. For the simplest match, make the file name that same as the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online entity display name.
     • If you are using a data map, then match the file name to the value specified in the SourceEntityName parameter in the <EntityMap> element for the record type.
     • If you are using a data map but the file name does not match with the name in the data map, then the file is shown as "Not Mapped." Manually map the file using the Import Data Wizard.
   • Store Notes and Attachments in separate files from their associated records.

     More information: How Notes and Attachments Are Imported

   • Store Addresses in a separate file.

     More information: How Addresses Are Imported

2. Make sure that the data in each file is delimited correctly. All files in one import must use the same delimiters.
   • Separate each column of data with a consistent field delimiter Character used to separate columns of data in a file.: a comma (,), colon (:), semi-colon (;), or tab character (\t).
   • If the data for any column includes a field delimiter character, place a data delimiter The character used to surround data that includes the field delimiter. For example, if the field delimiter is a comma, and the data delimiter is quotation marks, one column in a file could contain "Redmond, WA" and still be treated as a single column. character on both sides of the field data. Use straight quotation marks (") or a single straight quotation marks ('). Typically, double quotation marks are used as data delimiters.

     For example, if your field delimiter is a comma and your source data my contain an "Address" column that includes a comma. An example address using a comma is 123 Main Street, Apartment 2. Use "123 Main Street, Apartment 2" for the field data in this example.

3. If needed, convert your files to the .csv extension. How you do this depends on whether your data uses ASCII A set of non-accented uppercase and lowercase letters A through Z, American English punctuation symbols, and the digits 0 through 9. or non-ASCII Characters that are not in the ASCII character set. These are typically characters used in languages other than English. characters.

   If the data is in XML format, open the file in Excel.

   1. Right-click the file, select Open With, and then select Microsoft Office Excel.
   2. In the Open XML dialog box, select As an XML list. For more information about opening XML files in Excel, in the Open XML dialog box, click Help.

   If the data is in Excel files and uses only ASCII characters, save each file as a .csv file.

   In Microsoft Office Excel, click Save As, and select CSV (Comma delimited)(*.csv).

   If the data is in Excel files and uses non-ASCII characters, convert each file to Unicode or UTF-8.

   If your import file contains non-ASCII A set of non-accented uppercase and lowercase letters A through Z, American English punctuation symbols, and the digits 0 through 9. characters, the import file must be in a Unicode A character set that defines all characters needed for writing the majority of living languages on computers. or UTF-8 A unicode character set that is backward-compatible with the ASCII character set. format.

   1. In Excel, click Save As, and select Unicode text (*.txt).
   2. Use Notepad to open the .txt file.
   3. Search for commas in the file. Enclose any data that includes commas with double quotation marks. For example:

      "23 State Street, Apt 2".

   4. Rename the file to have a .csv extension.
4. If there the data in a file lacks a column heading Text used in the first row of a spreadsheet or file that labels the data in each column., adding a column heading is recommended.
   • Review the column headings in each file:
     • If you select Map Automatically, the Import Data Wizard tries to match the column name with the field name in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. For the most efficient matching, the column heading and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online field display name The label that is used by default when an attribute is displayed on a form, in a list, or in a report. The Display Name for each attribute can be changed in the Customization area by a user with an appropriate security role. should match.
     • If you are using a data map, the column heading must match the value specified in the <SourceAttributeName> element in the <AttributeMap> element for the attribute.
     • If you are using a data map but the column name does not match with the name in the map, the column is shown as "Not Mapped". You can manually map it in the Import Data Wizard.
5. Make sure all your files conform to the following file size and row length limits:
   • Any .csv, .txt, or .xml file must not exceed 8 MB in size.
   • The total size of the .zip file with the attachment folder cannot exceed 32 MB.
   • The total size of the extracted files must not exceed 200 MB.
6. Remove any new line characters (\n) from the data in your source files. If the data contains new line characters, the record will not import.