Best Practices
Scrubbing an Excel file before data import is crucial to ensure accuracy, prevent errors, and maintain data integrity. Here are the best practices for scrubbing an Excel file for data import:
Check for Empty or Incomplete Data
Ensure that required fields are not empty (e.g., IDs, names, emails). You can use Excel filters to highlight or find blank cells.
Steps:
Use conditional formatting to highlight blanks: Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule > Format cells that are blank.
Filter by blank cells and manually check if those rows need to be filled or removed.
Remove Hidden Rows, Columns, or Sheets
Hidden rows, columns, or sheets can cause issues during import, as they might contain data you don't want to include.
Delete Unnecessary Columns and Rows
Remove any extraneous data, comments, or metadata that is not required for the import.
Steps:
Highlight unnecessary rows/columns, right-click, and select Delete.
Spell Check and Validate Data
Use the Excel spell check (
F7) to catch typos or errors in text fields. This is especially useful for product names or addresses.
Import Checklist
Import file is a .csv
Confirm the import file has appropriate headers
Agent's name must be the full name and not broken out by agent first name/agent last name.