Reference existing records

Reference an existing QuickStart record in a CSV import when you need to update that record or relate a newly imported record to it. Use the record’s unique name, internal ID, or external ID in the applicable template column so that File import can identify the correct record instead of creating an unintended duplicate.

• You want to update an existing record.
• You need to relate the record you are importing to another record. For example, when importing a new contact record using "Create new records", you can relate it to a company record that is already in the system.

To reference existing records you need a unique identifier for each one, so that the system can process the correct record. For that you can use the internal ID, the external ID, or the name of the record, provided it has a unique name.

The CSV file template has the reference by name as the default option, unless otherwise indicated. The header for referencing for example an item in a purchase order is Items > Item. If you want to use the internal or external ID instead, you need to edit the header to Items > Item (id) or Items > Item (eid) respectively.

For more details, see also Reference a record by name, Reference a record by internal ID, and Reference a record by external ID.