Excel VLOOKUP breaks with special characters in Salesforce IDs because certain characters get interpreted as wildcards or cause encoding issues during data export and import processes.
Here’s how to handle special characters in Salesforce IDs and maintain character integrity throughout your data workflows.
Preserve all Salesforce ID special characters using Coefficient
CoefficientSalesforcehandles special characters inIDs seamlessly by using direct API connections that preserve all character types without encoding issues. The platform maintains character integrity and uses Salesforce’s native relationship system for data joining.
How to make it work
Step 1. Establish direct API connection through Coefficient.
Install Coefficient and connect to your Salesforce org. The direct API import preserves all special characters without the encoding corruption that occurs during CSV exports or manual transfers.
Step 2. Import data with preserved character integrity.
Select reports or build custom queries that include External ID fields with special characters. Coefficient maintains exact character formatting including asterisks, question marks, and other special symbols.
Step 3. Use native Salesforce relationships instead of character-sensitive matching.
Access data through Salesforce’s built-in object relationships that eliminate manual character matching. This removes wildcard interpretation issues that break VLOOKUP functionality.
Step 4. Configure automatic refreshes with consistent character preservation.
Set up scheduled imports that maintain special character integrity across all updates. Each refresh preserves the exact Salesforce ID format without character encoding problems.
Handle any ID format reliably
Get started with CoefficientInstead of troubleshooting VLOOKUP special character issues, Coefficient provides robust data import capabilities that maintain exact Salesforce ID formatting while offering superior relationship management.to handle all Salesforce ID formats including custom External IDs with special characters.