In our SugarCRM Import Wizard Tips article we provided details around importing records into SugarCRM so that your imports would go more smoothly. One thing that was left out of the original article was details around importing multi select field data. Outlined below are the two most important details about importing records with multi select data into SugarCRM.

1.        Qualify fields with double quotes ( " )

        Field qualification is when you wrap a field in a certain symbol to tell SugarCRM where the field starts and ends. Examples below:

            Doubles Quotes:              "ALT-Invest" , "Josh Sweeney"

            Single Quotes:                   'ALT-Invest' , 'Josh Sweeney'

            No Qualifier:                      ALT-Invest , Josh Sweeney

        Keep in mind that the CSV format does not require a field qualifier so data that you may be receiving and importing will have to be prepared before importing. You could also use single quotes but         it will increase the likelihood of receiving an error on import since single quotes are more prevalent in data than double quotes.

2.       Commas Separate Multi Select Values

The question most often asked by new users importing data into a multi select is "What separator do I used for values"? The answer is a comma.

Example:

Let's say you have a Contact Type field that is a multi select. In that multi select your options are Analyst, Competitor and Customer.

If you are importing a contacts last name and contact type and there contact type is Analyst and Customer then the CSV will look as follows:

    "Sweeney" , "Analyst , Customer"

As you can see, Analyst and Customer are separated by a comma inside the field qualifiers ( " ).

The last thing to note is that SugarCRM will export multi select data containing carrots ( ^ ). If you import using the carrots to qualify multi select values, SugarCRM will consume it without an issue.

SugarCRM Multi Select fields will import in the following formats

"Sweeney" , "Analyst , Customer"

"Sweeney" , "^Analyst^ ,^ Customer^"

If you are looking for more information about importing then please refer to SugarCRM Import Wizard Tips, SugarCRM Application Guide: Import Data or Importing Made Easy.