Getting Started Salesforce Data Loader
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Setting up Salesforce Data Loader can be a bit challenging because the tool is relatively old and it’s not documented well in the Salesforce ecosystem there are a few different steps you’ll need to follow:
1. Search for Data Loader in the Setup Quick Find bar. Once here, you'll see installation instructions and an option to download Data Loader for Windows.
2. Install the latest version of Azul Zulu. Before you can run Data Loader, You'll need a java development kit. Make sure to download the .msi file, as this will install directly on your computer.
3. Install Data Loader. After you've installed Azul Zulu, you'll need to install Data Loader. Once you've installed Data Loader, you should receive a zip file. Once you have this zip file, you need to extract all of the contents to a new file on your computer.
4. Run Data Loader. Once you’ve extracted the zip file, you should see a Windows Batch File called “dataloader.” All you need to do is double-click this file to run Data Loader (you need to do this every time you want to use Data Loader).
5. Configure your settings. When you open Data Loader, you'll need to configure your settings. Without changing anything, the maximum number of records that Salesforce Data Loader can process in a single insert, update, upsert, or delete operation is 200. The Bulk API option gives you 10,000. Salesforce actually has some great documentation for configuring Data Loader.
6. Import your CSV and select your object. After configuring your settings, you can choose your action in Data Loader (e.g., insert, update, upsert, delete, export, etc.) From here, you'll want to select your Salesforce object and your CSV file.
7. Map your CSV columns to the appropriate Salesforce fields. The auto mapper in Data Loader isn't very intuitive, so you'll need to drag the proper field names in your CSV to the appropriate fields in Salesforce. Once you've mapped your fields, you can save that mapping as a .sdl file for future use. Unmapped fields will not be uploaded.
8. Select a directory for your logs. After you've mapped your data, you'll see a prompt to choose a directory to save your detailed success and error log files. The best practice is to create a new folder for your sync logs that you can reference later. There's no final step after this, so once you choose your directory, your sync will commence immediately.