Bulk Update Records

Use Salesforce reports to quickly update a large number of records in Salesforce.

Explanation

If you need to update a large number of records in Salesforce, you can use Salesforce reports to simplify the process. A common use case is updating the value of a field across all records created by a Play. However, these steps are generally applicable to any set of Salesforce records.

Steps

Export the Records

1. Navigate to the Reports page.

In the top-right corner of the screen, if you click the menu icon and search for “reports”, you should see a link to get there.

2. In the top-right corner of the screen, select New Report
3. Choose a report type based on which type of records you need to update, and then click Start Report on the right

4. Be sure to add the Id column to your report in the sidebar, which is typically named after the record type you are selecting (e.g., Account ID, Contact ID, etc.)

5. Also add any additional columns that you wish to edit on the records
6. Add any filters or sorting options needed to narrow down the records you want to update

7. When ready, click Save in the top-right corner, enter a name, and then click Save again

8. Click Run in the top-right corner and verify these are the records you want to update
9. Click the dropdown arrow next to Edit in the top-right corner and select Export
10. Choose Details Only and Comma Delimited .csv as the format and then click Export

Make Changes

1. Open the downloaded file and make any desired updates to the values
2. Save the changes as a new file so that the original is available as a backup

Upload the Changed Records

1. Navigate to the Setup page in Salesforce

2. In the sidebar on the left, search for “data import wizard” and select the Data Import Wizard integration

3. Follow the on-screen instructions to update existing records and be sure to choose the option to match records by Salesforce.com ID

4. Ensure the mapping looks correct and that the ID column is mapped to Salesforce.com ID

5. Verify the details on the last page and then click Start Import

6. Once this bulk import is complete you’re all finished!