From Spreadsheet to Salesforce: 3 Easy Ways to Create and Import Objects

From Spreadsheet to Salesforce: 3 Easy Ways to Create and Import Objects

If you’ve ever worked with Salesforce, you already know that its real power comes from the quality of the data you bring into it. And for many teams, that data often lives in spreadsheets—think lead lists, product inventories, event sign-ups, or unique datasets your business needs to track.

The great news is that Salesforce makes it simple to transform those spreadsheets into objects and records. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the different approaches—Lightning Object Creator, Data Import Wizard and Data Loader. You’ll discover step-by-step how each method works, when to use them, and the pitfalls to watch out for so your data migration goes smoothly.

Before You Start: Prepare Your Spreadsheet

A little preparation upfront saves hour of cleanup later.

Headers matter: The first row should contain column names only.

Picklist values: Standardize them before import.

Consistent formats: Dates in YYYY-MM-DD, Booleans as TRUE/FALSE.

Parent–child relationships: Load parent objects first (e.g., Accounts before Contacts).

First Method — Lightning Object Creator: Build a New Object from a Spreadsheet

If your spreadsheet defines a new custom object—like "Projects," "Events," or "Assets"—this is the fastest, most intuitive option.

What is the Lightning Object Creator?

The Lightning Object Creator is a tool that lets you take a spreadsheet and instantly turn it into a brand-new Salesforce object. Instead of the traditional process—manually creating the object, building each field, and then importing the data—you can accomplish it all in one streamlined step.

Steps:

In Lightning Experience → Go to Setup → Object Manager → Create → Select Custom Object from Spreadsheet from dropdown menu.

Selecting the Instance Type: Select the suitable instance type (Production or Sandbox) where you want to create the object. Since I’m working in a Developer org, I’ll log in using the Production option, i.e., Log in with Salesforce and in next step allow access.

You’ll notice three upload options: from your desktop (.csv or .xlsx files), from Google Sheets, or from OneDrive (Office 365). For this example, I’ll be uploading a file directly from my desktop.

Screen Customization: Once the spreadsheet is uploaded, Salesforce automatically identifies the fields for you. From here, you can adjust the field names, modify their data types, and choose whether to add them to the page layout.

Field Name Selection: Choose whether to use the column headers from your spreadsheet as Salesforce field names or to configure the field names manually.

Header Row Selection: Specify which row in your spreadsheet contains the column headers.

Import Timing: Decide whether to import the data immediately or handle it at a later stage.

Record Name Selection: Let Salesforce automatically generate record names or select a column from your spreadsheet to serve as the record name.

Hide Mapped Fields: If your spreadsheet has many rows and some fields are already mapped (indicated by the green checkmark), use this option to hide mapped fields and focus only on the unmapped ones.

View Toggle: Switch between different views. In the example above, the List view is shown; below, you can see the Data Preview view.

Final Mapping Table: This table shows the complete mapping of your spreadsheet columns to their corresponding Salesforce field names and data types.

Proceed to Object Configuration: Click the Next button in the top-right corner. This will take you to the next screen, where you can set the object’s Label and API Name, as well as enable or disable the Advanced Settings options.

Complete the Object Creation: Click Finish, and the Lightning Object Creator will generate your object along with all its fields and settings. To view your newly created object, navigate to Setup → Object Manager and search for your object.

Second Method — Data Import Wizard (Browser-based, up to ~50k records)

The Data Import Wizard is ideal for one-time or light recurring imports into standard or custom objects—and the best part is, no installation is required.

Steps to use it:

Go to the Setup gear → Setup, then type Data Import Wizard in the Quick Find box and launch the wizard.

Select the type of object you want to import: Standard Objects (like Accounts, Contacts, Leads, Campaign Members) or Custom Objects.

Choose the operation: Add New, Update, or Add & Update, and set your matching rules (for example, matching by Email).

Upload your CSV file and map the fields. The wizard will automatically map many fields, but you can adjust them as needed. Then start the import and review the results.

Third Method — Salesforce Data Loader (Big/complex jobs)

Best for large data volumes, upsert with External IDs, and objects not covered by the Import Wizard.

Steps:

Install & open Data Loader, log in.

Choose Insert (or Upsert/Update/Delete), pick your object.

Browse to CSV, create/edit field mapping, then Run.

Review success and error CSVs produced by the tool.

Tip: For very large jobs, schedule batches and keep an eye on API limits.

Summary

Bringing spreadsheets into Salesforce doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether you’re creating a brand-new custom object with Lightning Object Creator, importing records into existing objects with the Data Import Wizard, handling large or complex datasets with Data Loader, or leaning on third-party tools for extra flexibility—Salesforce offers a method to fit every scenario.

The key is to choose the right approach for your data size, object type, and complexity—then prep your spreadsheet carefully to avoid common pitfalls. With the right method, you can turn raw spreadsheets into powerful Salesforce data that drives insights, automation, and business growth.