Compare CSV Data to Existing Records In Your CRM

Select the CSV File for Comparison

In the Magical Import module, select the database and the record type in the top menu.

Choose the CSV file that you would like to compare against. Uploading a file into Insycle for comparison will not import it to the CRM; the Compare feature is a read-only operation. 

The Preview panel will open and load the CSV rows, with a column for each field. 

Select a Template

Select a template if you or someone on your team has already saved a configuration for this comparison. 

AI-Powered Automatic Mapping

If you have AI enabled for your object type with at least "Meta" access, Insycle automatically uses AI to analyze your CSV column names, suggesting CRM mappings and matching criteria. This happens after loading your CSV.

The AI only accesses metadata, not actual record data.

Review and Adjust Field Mappings

With AI enabled, the Data Mapping section will automatically expand after your CSV is processed. If AI is not enabled, you can manually expand this section by clicking on the Data Mapping heading.

Insycle automatically identifies and maps matching CRM fields, with the second row displaying the mapped CRM field names.

If your CSV includes fields that don't match any CRM fields, a red warning icon will appear at the top of the column. These unmapped fields need to be assigned manually by selecting the correct CRM field from the Not Mapped dropdown. Fields left unmapped won't be imported.

Review and Confirm Fields for Matching CSV Rows to CRM Records

If using AI, it will propose Matching Criteria based on your CSV columns and CRM fields. Review these suggestions, as it is key that this is a unique identifier that would only belong to a single record—such as an email address, web URL, phone number, street address, or ID number. 

You can adjust the AI suggestions or manually select the Matching Field.

When you select your Matching Field(s), the Preview will refresh, and you'll be able to see which rows match records in your CRM. The records that Insycle found will become blue links that will open the record in your CRM.

If a row has any issues, a red warning icon will appear on the left side of the Preview row. When you hover over the icon, an explanation of the error will be shown. These rows will be skipped during the comparison process. If it's important to include these rows, you will need to resolve the issues first. Learn about warnings in the Troubleshooting section below.

You can exclude data from the comparison based on validation criteria. Use Data Validation to filter out records that don't meet your quality standards, or to compare a specific segment.

To set up data validation rules:

Click the Data Validation heading to expand the section.

Configure your validation criteria:

• Select one or more fields from the Column Name(s) dropdown
• Choose Include or Exclude from the Type dropdown:
  • Include: Only import rows that match this rule
  • Exclude: Skip rows that match this rule during import
• Set the Condition that values must meet (such as "Contains text" or "Contains digits")
• Enter any other text or parameters, if applicable

To add multiple rules, click Add Rule. Records must meet all validation criteria to pass—there is no prioritization of rules.

Click Apply to refresh the Preview with your validation rules applied.

The Preview will show which records will be excluded. Any rows that don't meet your criteria will display a warning icon.

The Compare (Preview) feature generates a straightforward CSV report that shows your CSV rows alongside existing data in your CRM and displays the values side by side for easy comparison.

At the bottom of the Magical Import page, under "Action to take with the CSV," click the Compare (Preview) tab.

Click the COMPARE button. This is a read-only operation; no changes will be made to your database.

Click the Run ID in the Compare Result popup, or go to your email to download the compare CSV.

If Insycle cannot find a match between your original CSV and your database based on your Matching Field, the Result column in the downloaded compare CSV will display "Not Compared," and the ID column will show "Not Found."

If a "Failed" Result appears, read the Message for details on the issue.

CSV columns appear side-by-side with the mapped CRM fields:

• (Before) is the existing data in your CRM
• (After Update) is the column data from the CSV

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 belong to only one entity, such as:

• Email address (Insycle will automatically cross-reference any additional email fields in the records for a match)
• Company domain (Insycle will automatically cross-reference any additional domain or website fields in the records for a match)
• Phone number
• ID number
• Street address

You can set multiple matching rules that are evaluated in order from top to bottom. This allows you to find matches based on multiple criteria in a single step. 

For example, you could use the following criteria to match contact records:

1. Email address
2. First Name + Last Name + Company Name
3. 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.

If AI is enabled for your object type, many warning icons may automatically disappear after the initial CSV processing. Remaining warning icons indicate issues that still need your attention.

If there are issues with a CSV row, a red warning icon will appear at the left end of the row and next to the relevant field in the Preview. Rows with errors 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.

Several common reasons for the warning icon include:

• Your validation rules
• Several records match your criteria
• Invalid picklist values
• Invalid reference values
• Unmapped columns

Your validation rules. A row will show warnings and be excluded from the operation based on your validation rules. The warning info will list which rules apply to the row.

There are several records in your CRM that match. If multiple records have the same Matching Criteria, Insysle identifies these as matching records in your CRM.

If there should be only one record with this value, you may need to first merge duplicates and then try importing again.

If there are legitimate reasons for a Matching Field value to exist in more than one record, try adding additional Matching Criteria to make it more specific.

Invalid reference values. If a column is mapped to a CRM field that references other data, such as owners or associated record IDs, and no match is found, an error will appear.

Invalid picklist values. If a CRM field includes dropdown options and the data in your CSV does not match, you'll see an "Invalid picklist value" error. This value needs to be changed to match the dropdown options in your CRM.

To quickly fix the import data directly in the Preview, hover over a value and click the pencil icon.

Once you've selected your Matching Criteria, filter options will become available in the Preview. You can use the Show Only Warning Rows filter to view only rows with warnings.

If AI is not providing mapping suggestions or the suggestions don't make sense, check the following:

• AI settings are enabled: Navigate to Settings > AI and ensure that at least "Meta" level access is enabled for your selected object type.
• Column naming: AI works best when CSV column names are descriptive and similar to your CRM field names. Generic names like "Column1" or "Data" may not generate good suggestions.
• Template conflicts: If you selected a template after AI processing, template settings override AI suggestions. Try clearing the template to see AI suggestions, or select the template first.

If AI is enabled but not working as expected, you can always map fields manually using the dropdown selections.

Even when using AI tools, it is normal that some fields are not automatically mapped. AI mapping works best when:

• Column names are descriptive: Fields like "email," "phone," or "company" are easily recognized
• Names match CRM conventions: CSV columns that closely match your CRM field names will map more reliably
• Data types are clear: Ambiguous column names or custom fields may require manual mapping

For any remaining unmapped fields (those still showing warning icons), manually select the appropriate CRM field from the Not Mapped dropdown.

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:

1. The Matching Criteria you chose does not match between the CSV and CRM

   Insycle relies on your Matching Field selection to compare your CSV with your CRM data. If Insycle cannot find matches between the two sources, you might need to choose 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 reliable but unique field that matches the two sources. 

2. You are using too many fields in 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 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.

   

3. 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.

   

4. AI suggested inappropriate matching criteria

   While AI can recommend matching criteria, it might not always select the most suitable fields for your specific data. Review the AI-suggested matching criteria and adjust or replace them with more appropriate options based on your understanding of the data quality and uniqueness in both your CSV and CRM.

5. 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.

Use the Compare (Preview) feature when you need to:

• Identify differences between CSV data and existing CRM records
• Determine how many contacts in your CSV are new vs. already in your CRM
• Preview potential changes to existing records before importing
• Check unsubscribes against your CRM database

This feature is especially useful when:

• You have CSV data exported from another application
• You're unsure if the CSV records already exist in your CRM
• You want to compare CSV data side-by-side with corresponding CRM field values

The Compare feature helps you make informed decisions about data imports and updates, ensuring data integrity and preventing unwanted overwrites.

Yes, Insycle will automatically map fields that it is able to identify. However, if there are cases where it can't figure out what a field should map to, a warning icon will appear, and the CRM field dropdown will say "Not Mapped." You should select the corresponding CRM field to ensure the field is included in the comparison.

AI mapping provides an excellent starting point and can correctly identify most standard fields when CSV column names are descriptive. However, you should always review AI suggestions because:

• Custom fields or unique naming conventions may not be recognized
• Similar field names might map to unexpected CRM fields
• Your specific business requirements may need different field mappings
• Matching criteria suggestions should be validated against your data quality

Think of AI mapping as a time-saving assistant that handles the obvious mappings, so you can focus on complex or custom fields that need human judgment.

Yes, you can disable AI features by navigating to Settings > AI and turning off the toggles for the object types where you don't want AI assistance. You need Admin or Owner Insycle permissions to change these settings.

When AI is disabled, you'll manually map all CSV columns to CRM fields and set your Matching Criteria.

You can also use a hybrid approach: enable AI for initial suggestions, then manually review and adjust mapping for each column to maintain full control while benefiting from AI's time-saving capabilities.