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. 

After uploading your CSV data, Insycle analyzes your file and compares the columns in the file 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. Then, 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. These "Not Mapped" fields need to be mapped manually by clicking the dropdown and selecting the appropriate CRM field. 

If there are issues with a specific CSV entry, the red warning icon will be shown on the left side of the row. When you hover over the icon, an explanation of the error will be displayed. If you plan on importing this data after comparing, these rows will need to be fixed, or the row data will not be imported. Learn about warnings in the Troubleshooting section below.

Compare (Preview) provides a simple CSV report comparing the rows in your CSV to existing data in your CRM records. This is a read-only operation.

Under Step 2, click the Compare (Preview) tab.

Use the dropdown to select the Matching Field from your CSV data. This should be a field where both the CSV and CRM have the same value. This needs to be a unique identifier that would only belong to a single record—such as email address, phone number, street address, or ID number. 

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. 

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. 

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.

Click the COMPARE button, then 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 say "Not Compared," and the ID column will say "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 typically belong to only one entity, such as:

• Email address
• Company domain (for business records)
• 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 various criteria, all in one 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 there are issues with a CSV column, a red warning icon will appear at the top of the column. Any "Not Mapped" fields must be mapped manually, or they will be excluded from the generated CSV.

If there are issues with a CSV entry, the red warning icon will be shown on the left side of the row. Rows that have warnings may also display errors in the generated CSV report.

To learn what the problem is, hover over the red exclamation mark—an explanation of the error will display. 

In this example, the duplicate row will be excluded from the CSV report.

In other cases, such as dropdown values that don't match the CRM field settings, the value will simply show a description of the issue in the generated CSV.

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

   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

   Insycle uses Matching Criteria to compare your CSV to your CRM data. 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. 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.