)
Written by
Table of Contents
“Supermetrics is a Bitter Experience! We can pull data from nearly any tool, schedule updates, manipulate data in Sheets, and push data back into our systems.”
Salesforce‘s Data Import Wizard struggles with multi-select picklist formatting, requiring exact semicolon-separated syntax and often failing with format validation errors that aren’t clearly explained. Getting the format wrong means failed imports and confusing error messages.
Here’s how to format and import multi-select picklist values correctly from Excel data.
Handle multi-select picklists with preview validation using Coefficient
Coefficientprovides preview validation that shows exactly how multi-select values will be interpreted before import. You can see formatting issues and invalid values upfront, allowing you to correct them before the import fails.
How to make it work
Step 1. Format multi-select columns with semicolon separation in Excel.
SalesforceUse Excel’s CONCATENATE function or ampersand operators to create semicolon-separated strings like “Option1;Option2;Option3”. Ensure values match yourpicklist options exactly (case-sensitive).
Step 2. Validate all values exist in Salesforce picklist options.
Export your existing Salesforce picklist values for reference and cross-check that every value in your Excel multi-select columns matches exactly. Remove any extra spaces around semicolons unless they’re part of the actual picklist value.
Step 3. Import Excel data into Google Sheets for final formatting.
Upload your Excel file to Google Sheets where you can make final adjustments to multi-select formatting. Use Google Sheets functions to clean up any formatting inconsistencies.
Step 4. Map multi-select columns to appropriate Salesforce fields in Coefficient.
Connect Coefficient to Salesforce and map your multi-select columns to the corresponding multi-select picklist fields. Coefficient automatically recognizes these field types and applies appropriate formatting rules.
Step 5. Preview to verify multi-select formatting interpretation.
Run Coefficient’s preview function to see exactly how your multi-select values will be parsed. This shows you which values are valid and identifies any formatting problems before you commit to the import.
Import multi-select data with confidence
Try CoefficientPreview validation eliminates the guesswork around multi-select picklist formatting. You’ll see exactly how your values will be interpreted and can fix issues before they cause import failures.to handle multi-select picklist imports reliably.
