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Data Loader vs. Import Wizard

Published on: June 18, 2025

Salesforce provides administrators with powerful tools for managing data: the Import Wizard and Data Loader. While both facilitate moving data into and out of the platform, they cater to different needs based on complexity, volume, and functionality. Here's a comparison to help you choose the right tool for your task.

Record Limits and Supported Objects

One of the primary distinctions between the two tools lies in their capacity. The Import Wizard is designed for smaller-scale data operations, capable of loading up to 50,000 records. It supports all custom objects but has limitations on standard objects, specifically supporting only Contacts, Leads, Accounts, and Solutions. This includes Person Accounts and Campaign members as part of Account functionality.

In contrast, Salesforce Data Loader is a more robust application built for handling larger datasets, accommodating up to 150 million records. It offers broader support across the Salesforce ecosystem, working with all custom objects and all standard objects. This makes Data Loader the go-to choice for significant data migrations or regular large-volume updates.

Core Functionalities

Beyond record limits, the tools differ in their operational capabilities:

  • Import Wizard:

    • Simplicity: It's an inbuilt tool, often preferred for its ease of use when dealing with straightforward data imports.

    • Scheduled Exports: The Import Wizard does not support scheduled exports.

    • Duplicate Detection: A key advantage of the Import Wizard is its ability to detect and ignore duplicate records during the import process.

    • Limitations: It cannot perform delete operations, nor can it import cases and opportunities.

  • Salesforce Data Loader:

    • Complexity Handling: Data Loader is a standalone application, suitable for more complex data import and export scenarios.

    • Comprehensive DML Operations: Unlike the Import Wizard, Data Loader can perform a full range of Data Manipulation Language (DML) operations, including insert, update, upsert, delete, undelete, hard delete, export, and export all.

    • Hard deletion requires specific permissions to be enabled in Data Loader and for the user.

    • Case and Opportunity Import: Data Loader can import cases, events, tasks, and opportunities.

    • No Scheduled Exports: Data Loader does not support scheduled exports.

    • No Duplicate Detection (Built-in): It does not have direct, built-in duplicate detection and ignoring capabilities during import.

    • Requirements: Data Loader requires a Java Runtime Environment or JDK to run.

Other Data Tools

While the Import Wizard and Data Loader are primary tools, Salesforce administrators also leverage other options:

  • Dataloader.io: A web-based tool for data operations.

  • Workbench: Another web-based tool.

  • Salesforce Inspector Reloaded: A browser extension that assists with data inspection and manipulation.

In summary, for basic imports of common standard objects and all custom objects with fewer than 50,000 records, the Import Wizard offers a user-friendly experience with built-in duplicate detection. For larger volumes, more complex data scenarios, or when delete operations and support for all standard objects are necessary, the Salesforce Data Loader is the more powerful and flexible choice.