Reference a record by name

Although the name of a record cannot be used to identify it and update it, you can reference a record by name when you are importing a related record. In this case, you should make sure the name is unique.

Using the name as a reference is convenient because it is usually easier to remember a name, rather than an internal or external ID. For some record types, though, it is more likely to have duplicate names in the system.

Reference by name is the default option, so when the CSV file template is generated the header does not include the option. In this example of a contact import file’s headers, you see the Company column. Here you must enter the name of the contact’s company, as saved in QuickStart, to relate them.

Company	External ID (set)	*First name	*Last name	Mobile phone number