How to Add or Remove Values in Multi-Select Fields and Preserve Other Values
Multi-select fields and picklists are great for data that requires consistent values such as product interest, events attended, and countries or regions. Making bulk updates to these values can be tricky, but is critical for maintaining order in your CRM.
With Insycle, you can append or subtract multi-select field data in bulk or when importing a CSV. When appending, Insycle will add your new data to the end of your existing data.
To add or remove values in multi-select fields on records already in your CRM, you can use the Bulk Operations module to surface records and easily bulk append or subtract values in just a few clicks.
The Magical Import module can help you add multi-select field values from a CSV file. Unlike in most CRMs, when appending new data to existing multi-select fields using Insycle, you don't need to include historical data in the CSV file.
Append or Subtract Multi-Select Picklists Values in the Bulk Operations Module
The Bulk Operations module makes it simple to surface records that require the same change and select the values to bulk add or remove in the multi-select field.
Process Summary
- Filter records down to those you want to update.
- Set rules for bulk appending or subtracting data in multi-select fields.
- Preview and then apply the changes to the CRM.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Navigate to Data Management > Bulk Operations.
Select the database and record type in the top menu. Then explore the templates for an existing solution that may be close to what you need.
When you're looking to clean up specific values, the filter narrows the records down to the appropriate subset of your data.
In Step 1, under the Filter tab, select the Field to work with. Use the Condition to set the rule that the data in the selected field must meet. With this filter, you're telling Insycle what records you would like to update.
Add each field you want to look at to determine whether to include or exclude a record from this task. You can filter your data using any field in your database.
When you click Search, Insycle will list matching records in the Record Viewer at the bottom of the page. You can add columns to the view from the Layout tab under Step 1.
If you make changes to the filter, click the Search button again to refresh the results in the Record Viewer.
Now, you can modify the picklist field by either adding multi-select picklist values to the records or removing existing values.
In Step 2, under the Update tab, select your multi-select field and the Add or Remove action. In the Value field, select all of the values you want to add to the record segment.
Preview Changes in a CSV Report
Now with the filters and update action in place, you can preview the changes. It's important to verify that your fields are being updated as expected before those changes are pushed to your live database.
Under Step 3, click the Review button, then in the Bulk Update popup, select Preview and click Next.
On the Notify tab, add any additional recipients who should receive the CSV (and make sure to hit Enter after each address). You can also provide additional context in the message subject or body.
On the When tab, click Run Now, select which records to apply the change to (in most cases, this will be All), then click the Run Now button.
Open the CSV file from your email in a spreadsheet application and review the columns. For each multi-select field you’ve set up to change, a column will appear for both (Before) and (After). This will let you know what you started with and what change will be made to your CRM.
Apply Changes to Your CRM
If everything in your CSV preview looks correct, return to Insycle and move forward with applying the changes to the live CRM data.
Under Step 3, click the Review button. This time select Update mode.
On the When tab, click Run Now, select which records to apply the change to (in most cases, this will be All), then click the Run Now button.
Save Templates and Setup Automation to Maintain Formatting
In some situations, it may be prudent to ensure your multi-select fields are updated on a regular basis, in which case automation may be the right choice. In others, a one-time update may make more sense.
After you've seen the results in the CRM and you are satisfied with how the operation runs, you can save your configuration as a template and set up automation so this formatting operation runs on a set schedule.
By automating with a template, you'll save time and ensure that your fields are consistently updated on an ongoing basis.
Append Values to Multi-Select Fields on Import with the Magical Import Module
Typically, you can't append CSV data to existing multi-select picklist fields on import without including the historical data in your CSV. If you don't, the previous selections may be overwritten.
The Magical Import module allows you to append new data to multi-select picklists without having to include historical data in the import.
Process Summary
- Select the CSV file.
- Map the CSV columns to the CRM fields.
- Select the Append import mode.
- Select the matching criteria.
- Optionally, specify how to prepare and format your data before importing.
- Select records and import your data.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Select the CSV File for Import
Navigate to Data Management > Magical Import.
Select the database and the record type in the top menu.
Choose the CSV file you would like to import. Uploading a file into Insycle does not import it to the CRM right away. Instead, you can prepare the data in various ways before actually importing it to the CRM.
Explore the templates to see if there's already a template for your particular import task.
Map CSV Columns to CRM Fields
After uploading your CSV data, Insycle analyzes the file and compares the columns to fields in your CRM database.
A column is included for each field in the CSV, with the CSV column header appearing as the top row. Insycle automatically detects the matching CRM fields and maps them for you. The second row shows the mapped CRM field names.
If your CSV contains fields that are not matched to your CRM, a red error notification icon will show at the top of the column. These unmapped fields need to be mapped manually by clicking the picklist and finding the appropriate CRM field. If they remain unmapped, they will not be imported.
To remove fields from the import, hover over the column name and click the “X.”
If there are issues with some row data, a red warning icon will appear on the left side of the row. When you hover over the icon, an explanation of the error will be displayed. Records that have errors will not be imported.
If the selections included in your CSV do not match existing picklist values in your CRM, an error will be produced with the "Invalid picklist value" notification. You can edit the import data directly in Insycle by hovering over a value and clicking the pencil icon.
Set the Import Mode to Append for the Multi-Select Field
To add these additional values to the existing data in your database, select the Append Import Mode. With Append, you do not have to include the historical selections in the CSV, and the import won't overwrite the existing data in the database.
Insycle uses Matching Criteria to compare the CSV with your CRM data and identify existing records for the same entity. The criteria must be "unique identifiers" that would only belong to a single item, such as email addresses, phone numbers, street addresses, or ID numbers.
For example, a different individual in the database should not have Maria Smith's email address, phone number, or ID number listed on their contact record. If a contact record shows a match in any of those fields, we recognize that it is Maria Smith's contact record.
Under Step 2 on the Import tab, select the Matching Criteria from the dropdown.
You can set multiple matching rules that are evaluated in order from top to bottom. This allows you to find matches based on various criteria, all in one step.
Select the Records Mode to tell Insycle how the imported data should be handled during the import process.
- Update existing and create net new – If Insycle is unable to find a corresponding record, a new record will be created in your CRM.
- Only update existing – If a corresponding record is found, it will be updated with the data from your CSV import. Records that are not matched with an existing CRM record will not be imported.
- Only create net new – Only records that can not be matched with an existing record in your database will be imported. Records that already exist in your CRM will not be updated.
When you configure your Matching Criteria rules, the data under Step 1 will refresh, and you'll be able to see which records are already in your CRM. The records that Insycle found will become blue links that will open the record in your CRM.
You can make bulk changes to the CSV data before it is uploaded to your CRM. You could clean up, format, add or remove text, copy values to other fields, or make other updates.
On the Functions tab of Step 3, select fields and functions to apply to the field data.
In the above example, the Last Name, and Company Name will be capitalized, the Country/Region field will be formatted to standardized abbreviations, and the Phone Number will be formatted to the international E.164 standard. Learn more about these options in the Function Catalog.
Click the Apply button to update your CSV data. You must apply these updates before importing your data. You can see the changes to the data under Step 1.
Under Step 4, there are several options giving you additional control over the data you import:
- List (HubSpot only) – Add your imported data to an existing list. Only available for HubSpot Contact records.
- Campaign (Salesforce only) – Add the imported data to an existing Salesforce campaign.
- Bulk Update – Update a specific field on import. For example, we could update all imported records to have the Job Title of “Founder,” regardless of the data contained within the CSV file.
- Associate/Link – Create relationships between contacts, companies, deals, or other custom objects. (The name of this tab can vary depending on what creating relationships is called in your CRM.)
- Date Format – Format dates contained within your CSV file to your preferred standard.
By default, Insycle will attempt to import all of your formatted CSV data into your database.
Test Your Import
Best practice is to select a few records to test things out before importing the entire CSV. Return to the table under Step 1 and check the boxes beside the select records.
When ready, under Step 5, click the IMPORT button and confirm the import.
Note: After confirming, changes are applied to your CRM immediately; there is no preview step.
After the import runs, the Import Result breaks down the import details—how many records you tried to import and how many succeeded, failed, were updated, deleted, or unmodified. Click the Run ID to download a CSV report or open it from your email.
In the CSV report, you can see your multi-select field values from (Before) the change and (After Append).
Import All Records
Once you've seen the results in your CRM and you are satisfied with how the operation runs, you can return to Step 1 and clear all of the checkboxes to import all of the records.
You can save all of the configurations as a template to repeat the same import operation in the future.
Insycle uses Matching Criteria to compare the CSV with your CRM data and identify existing records for the same entity. Matching Criteria are rules based on unique identifiers that typically belong to only one entity, such as:
- Email address
- Company domain (for business records)
- Phone number
- ID number
- Street address
Note that when using an email field, Insycle will automatically cross-reference any additional email fields in the records for a match. If using a domain field, Insycle will check additional domain fields.
You can set multiple matching rules that are evaluated in order from top to bottom. This allows you to find matches based on various criteria, all in one step.
For example, you could use the following criteria to match contact records:
- Email address
- First Name + Last Name + Company Name
- First Name + Last Name + Phone Number
Insycle attempts to match each CSV record using the first rule. If no match is found, it proceeds to the next rule, continuing until either a match is found or all rules are exhausted (in which case the CSV record is considered new or unique).
For best results, place your most precise matching criteria at the top of your rule list. Additionally, keep in mind that while names can be included as part of the matching criteria, they should be used in conjunction with other identifiers, as multiple individuals may have the same name.
Important Note
You can select more than one field in each Matching Criteria rule; however, ALL of the fields must match, not just one or some of them. If you include five fields and four of them match, but one doesn't, Insycle will not consider the rule a match.
Typically, it is best to use a single field for your first Matching Criteria to improve the likelihood of finding existing records in your CRM. Then you can add additional rules to match multiple fields.
If there are issues with a CSV row, the red warning icon will be shown on the left side of the record. Records that have errors in them will not be imported.
To learn what the problem is and determine steps to resolve it, hover over the red exclamation mark—an explanation of the error will display.
If a field in your CRM includes dropdown values and the data included in your CSV does not match, the row will display an "Invalid picklist value" error. This value needs to be changed to match the dropdown options used in your CRM.
You can make quick fixes to the import data directly in Insycle by hovering over a value and clicking the pencil icon.
If a record in your CSV is not being matched to a CRM record and you know that it should be, there are several potential causes:
-
The Matching Criteria you chose does not match between the CSV and CRM
Insycle depends on your Matching Field selection to compare your CSV to your CRM data. If Insycle can't find matches between the two sources, you may need to find a more reliable but unique field.
Have a look at the data in your CRM using the Grid Edit module, adding columns to the layout so you can explore the fields and values. Then, compare this against the columns and values in your CSV to find a field that reliably matches the two sources.
-
You are using too many fields in the Matching Criteria rule
You can select more than one field in each Matching Criteria rule; however, ALL of the fields must match, not just one or some of them. If you include five fields and four of them match, but one doesn't, Insycle will not consider the record a match.
Typically, it is best to use a single field for your first Matching Criteria to improve the likelihood of finding existing records in your CRM. Then you can add additional rules to match multiple fields.
-
Your Matching Criteria is too broad
If you're using a field that is not truly unique as Matching Criteria, it's likely that Insycle won't be able to identify one single record as a match. For instance, there could be many people with the first name "John" in your CRM. This is why uniqueness is key.
When selecting your Matching Criteria, make sure it is truly a "unique identifier." These are data points that would only belong to a single record—such as email address, phone number, street address, or ID number. For companies, it could also be company name, or company domain.
-
There is a syncing issue
To refresh the data in Insycle, navigate to Settings > Sync Status, and next to the account name, click the Sync changes from last day button (lightning bolt icon).
Alternatively, you could log out of Insycle and then log back in.
For help re-syncing a specific field, contact support.
Append Values to Multi-Select Fields While Deduplicating
When deduplicating in Insycle's Merge Duplicates module, the field-by-field data selection feature allows you to Combine and append all values in multi-select fields. The options let you keep all the content for multi-select fields from all of the duplicate records that are merged together.
To learn more, see Bulk Merge Duplicate People, Companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Insycle's field-by-field master selection feature allows you to append multi-select picklist data into master selection fields as well. That way, when you merge records, you can keep all available context for "Notes" and similar fields.
To learn more, see Bulk Merge Duplicate People, Companies.
No, Insycle enables you to append fresh data to your existing values without including the historical data in your CSV.
To learn more, see the Append Values to Multi-Select Fields on Import with the Magical Import Module section above.
Yes, you can bulk select options to add to existing picklist field data without using a CSV. See the Append or Subtract Multi-Select Picklists Values in the Bulk Operations Module section above.
Additional Resources
Related Help Articles
- Compare CSV Data to Existing Records In Your CRM
- Import New Records or Update From CSV
- Date Formats for Import CSV
- Bulk Merge Duplicate People, Companies
Related Blog Posts