Is there a more verbose version of the import log available? I'm on about the 5th iteration of trying to import a list from excel into contacts and I keep getting the same error message. Don't know where the error is occurring or why. I'm about at the end of my rope.
Entirely useless error message below:
Conversion failed when converting from a character string to a unique identifier.
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Are you using the log at https://<instance>.bpmonline.com/0/Nui/ViewModule.aspx#LookupSectionModule/FileImportLookupSection/ExcelImportLog? That one usually at least gives me the cell where the problematic data is.
If that's what you're using already, which columns are you importing into? It sounds like one of them is an Id/GUID type column; is the input to that one in 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 format? Does it have extra spaces, or is it perhaps missing the dashes (or depending on the converter's whims, does it have them when it's not expecting any)?
Darian Lewis,
Yes. That's the log I'm using. I've done imports several times and it has never given me the cell where the data has gone wrong. Perhaps you have some other configuration. If so, please let me know what it is. The lack of information is why I asked for a more verbose log. I typed verbatim the message from the log in my original question.
I'm using the Account ID column. This is so it doesn't overwrite the Account records we're adding the Contacts to. I've tried trimming extra spaces via excel. There are over 300 records in the original spreadsheet. I'm pretty sure I could have entered them all manually in the time it's taken me to troubleshoot this.
Afraid I couldn't guess further without seeing a sample of the data. Have you tried importing just one row to see if it's a single record causing the problem or all of them, and to test different ways of formatting the GUID in the column?
Darian Lewis,
Yes, I've done a few rows at a time and it worked. Which is why I'd like to know exactly which of the records is causing the issue. If I had that information from the import log, it would be helpful. Hence the original question. I don't want to have to import all of these records a row at a time. I shouldn't have to either.
What other ways of formatting the GUID would you suggest? Would there be a preferred format for that field?
If individual records are working, then whatever format the functional ones are using should be fine. Are there any blank/null entries in that column? If so, I'd test one of those; it might be expecting all 0s instead. If not, best I can suggest at that point is a binary search to narrow it down (i.e. import half the file; if there's an error, halve it again, if not, halve the other half and try that, repeat until you find the problematic row).
Might be someone else has a better idea.
Sorry, thought you worked at bpm'online. I'll try taking this up with them.
Thanks
Dear Lisa,
This error occurs when you are trying insert values of different type into string field. It is also possible that during the initial import there was a minor mistake in mapping of fields (which lead to the mentioned case) and when you've imported smaller portions the mapping was correct so the error didn't occur.
You can try double checking the mapping of columns and importing the whole file once again.
Best regards,
Dennis