Auto-Generated Fields (Account ID, Opportunity Number) Cannot Be Used as Unique Identifiers for Overwrite Imports (CRM)
Overview
When using the Overwrite import functionality in the Accounts or Intake Opportunity modules, you may notice that Account ID and Opportunity Number are not available to map as unique identifiers — and that attempting to use them causes the system to create duplicate records instead of updating existing ones.
This is expected platform behavior. Account ID and Opportunity Number are auto-generated fields, and auto-generated fields cannot be used as unique identifiers for overwrite imports.
Why This Happens
Account ID and Opportunity Number are automatically assigned by Dazos CRM when a record is created. Because the system controls these values internally, they are not treated as stable, user-defined identifiers during the import process.
When an auto-generated field is included in your unique identifier combination, the import engine cannot use it to locate an existing record. As a result, the system treats each row in your file as a new record and creates a duplicate instead of overwriting the existing one.
This behavior applies to both modules:
Accounts module — Account ID is not available in the mapping step and cannot be used as a unique identifier.
Intake Opportunity module — Opportunity Number is not available in the mapping step and cannot be used as a unique identifier.
How to Successfully Overwrite Existing Records
To update existing records without creating duplicates, you must use stable, non-auto-generated fields as your unique identifiers. These are fields whose values were manually entered and remain consistent across imports.
Recommended unique identifier combinations include:
First Name + Last Name + Date of Birth — A reliable combination for most use cases.
Email Address — Usually the most reliable single unique key, if consistently formatted.
Phone Number — Effective when phone numbers are formatted consistently across your data.
External ID or Medical Record Number (MRN) — Ideal if your organization uses a stable ID from a previous CRM or EMR system.
When non-auto-generated identifier fields are used, the Overwrite functionality works correctly — the system locates the matching record and updates it rather than creating a new one.
Tips & Notes
💡 Tip: Before importing a large file to overwrite records, test with 2–3 rows first. If the system creates duplicates instead of updating the test records, review your unique identifier selection and ensure none of the fields are auto-generated.
⚠️ Warning: Do not include Account ID or Opportunity Number as part of your unique identifier combination, even alongside other fields. The presence of an auto-generated field in the identifier set will prevent matching and result in duplicate records.
✅ Best Practice: Use a combination of fields like First Name + Last Name + Date of Birth to uniquely identify records when Email Address or an External ID is not available in your import file.