CSV Lead Import Checklist — Salesforce Best Practices

A practical checklist for preparing and executing CSV lead imports into Salesforce, based on hands-on troubleshooting. Following these steps reduces the risk of field mapping errors, incorrect lead ownership, and unintended automation triggers.

Related: ^[1] | ^[2]

Pre-Import: File Preparation

• [ ] File format is CSV. Export or save your spreadsheet as .csv before importing. The Salesforce Data Import Wizard does not accept .xlsx or other formats.
• [ ] Column headers match Salesforce field API names exactly. Use the field's API name (e.g., DEP_Exclude_from_Round_Robin_Assignments__c), not its label. Mismatches will cause fields to go unmapped or fail silently.
• [ ] Remove unused columns. Any column you don't intend to import should be deleted from the file before upload. Extra columns create noise and can cause mapping confusion.
• [ ] Owner field uses the full Salesforce display name. The Lead Owner value must match exactly how the user's name appears in Salesforce (typically First + Last name, not just first name or email).
• [ ] Lead Source value exists as a picklist option. If you're attributing leads to a new source (e.g., a new vendor or internal team), verify the value exists in the Lead Source picklist before importing. Add it if needed via Setup → Object Manager → Lead → Fields → Lead Source.

Pre-Import: Automation Awareness

Before uploading, check whether any Flows or Workflow Rules will trigger on new lead creation and interfere with your intended assignment.

• [ ] Identify active Flows triggered by lead creation. Navigate to Setup → Flows, search for "round robin" or "lead assignment," and review trigger conditions.
• [ ] Understand the bypass field if a Round Robin flow exists. Many round-robin implementations use an exclusion checkbox field (e.g., DEP_Exclude_from_Round_Robin_Assignments__c). If the flow fires when this field is FALSE, setting it to TRUE in your CSV should suppress it — but verify this works with a test batch first.
• [ ] Add the exclusion field column to your CSV if needed. Set the value to TRUE for all rows.

⚠️ Known issue: Even with the exclusion field set to TRUE and the Import Wizard assignment rule set to "None," the round-robin flow may still fire. If this happens, escalate to the Salesforce admin (see ^[2] for full troubleshooting context).

Import Wizard Settings

When stepping through the Salesforce Data Import Wizard:

• [ ] Object: Select Leads → Add new records.
• [ ] Lead Source: Set to the appropriate source value (e.g., "Asymmetric"). Once selected here, the Lead Source column in your CSV will be ignored — do not map it separately.
• [ ] Assign all leads using the assignment rule: Select None to prevent assignment rules from overriding your intended owner.
• [ ] Round Robin Recipient: Select None if this option appears.
• [ ] Map all fields carefully. Step through the field mapping screen and confirm each CSV column maps to the correct Salesforce field. Pay special attention to address fields (Street, City, State, Country) and any custom fields.

Testing

Always test with a small batch before importing the full list.

• [ ] Create a test file with 3–5 records from your full list.
• [ ] Run the import using the same settings you plan to use for the full upload.
• [ ] Verify lead ownership after import: look up each test lead and confirm it is assigned to the intended owner, not reassigned by an automation.
• [ ] Check field values on at least one record to confirm custom fields (NAICS code, lead type, exclusion flag, etc.) populated correctly.
• [ ] If the round-robin flow fires anyway: Manually reassign the test leads, then re-test once more. If it fails a second time, escalate to the Salesforce admin (Demetri) with a description of what was attempted.

Post-Import Cleanup

• [ ] If any leads were incorrectly reassigned during testing, manually reassign them before proceeding with the full import.
• [ ] Confirm the full import completes with a "Completed" status in the import job log.
• [ ] Spot-check a sample of records from the full import for ownership and field accuracy.

Quick Reference: Common Failure Points