How do you import data into Dynamics 365?
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Importing looks simple and goes wrong in predictable ways. This guide shows the sequence that produces a usable result the first time.
- 7 steps
- Total time: 2 h 30 min
- Preparation: 1 h 30 min
- Result: Imported data with the correct relationships and no duplicates
Required tools
- Excel or CSV file — One file per table, not everything in a single sheet.
- Access to import — Requires a separate permission in the security role.
Prepare the file
1.Clean up the source data before opening Dynamics 365
Remove blank rows, standardize the date format, and check for names that are spelled in different ways. Cleaning up in Excel is ten times faster than cleaning up after import.
2.Split into one file per table
Companies in one file, contacts in another. Import handles one table at a time, and a file that mixes them always creates a mess.
3.Import in the correct order
What others reference comes first. Companies before contacts, products before sales opportunities. Reversing the order results in unlinked rows.
Run and verify
4.Test with a small sample first
Import twenty rows and see what happens before you submit ten thousand. An error caught in twenty rows is an adjustment; in ten thousand, it’s a cleanup job.
5.Check the field mappings manually
The system suggests mappings, but the guesses are not always correct. Review each column, especially lookup fields and choice lists.
6.Read the error file
Rows that failed are placed in a separate file with the reason. There, you will usually find one systematic issue, not a hundred different ones.
7.Check a selection of entries afterwards
Open ten imported customers and check whether relationships, addresses, and ownership were imported correctly. The number of imported rows says nothing about the quality.
Discussion
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