How to Importing Data to Zoho Desk – Old UI?

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Introduction

When transitioning from another help desk system to Zoho Desk, importing your existing data is critical to maintaining continuity. Zoho Desk allows you to import various modules such as Tickets, Contacts, Accounts, Knowledge Base Articles, Products, Calls, Events, and Tasks in CSV or XLS format.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Access & Restrictions

  • Import is not available in the Free edition.
  • Only users with Import Records permission can import.
  • You can only import into default layouts, even if multiple layouts exist.
  • The Import option is not visible when in “All Departments” view—switch to a specific department.

 

Pre-Import Checklist

Item

Details

Permission

Ensure you have the necessary role/permission to perform imports.

File Format

Must be .csv or .xls format (ASCII text).

Forbidden Characters

Avoid: “, `

Mandatory Fields

Must be filled. Zoho Desk highlights them in red during import.

Checkbox Fields

Use True/1 for selected and False/0 for unselected checkboxes.

Dropdown Fields

Values in the import file must match existing values in Zoho Desk.

Header Row

First row must contain field names, not data.

Blank Lines

Remove all blank lines from the file.

Date Format

Dates: YYYY/MM/DD; DateTime: YYYY/MM/DD HH:MM:SS.

File Size

Should not exceed 5 MB.

Import Limits

 

– Enterprise

Up to 30,000 records/batch

– Professional

Up to 20,000 records/batch

– Standard

Up to 10,000 records/batch

 

General Import Process

  1. Navigate to: Setup > Data Administration > Import
  2. Select the module (e.g., Tickets, Contacts, etc.)
  3. Upload your CSV/XLS file
  4. (Optional) Set duplicate handling: Skip, Overwrite, or Clone
  5. Map the file fields to Zoho Desk fields (mandatory fields in red)
  6. Review mappings in Confirm Mapping section
  7. Click Import
  8. Receive import summary via email

 

Module-Specific Notes

Importing Tickets

  • Optionally update the ticket’s account using the contact’s primary account.
  • Only non-archived tickets with mapped contacts can be updated.
  • Associated account will overwrite existing ones if “Associate Contact with Multiple Accounts” is enabled.

Importing Contacts

  • Handle duplicates: Skip, Overwrite, or Clone
  • Choose whether to update the account name in existing tickets when overwriting.
  • Associated accounts may be overwritten based on contact mapping settings.

Importing Knowledge Base Articles

  • Choose a KBase section to place articles under.
  • All article fields must be mapped correctly.

 Importing Tasks, Calls, and Events

  • Follow the same steps as above for each respective module.
  • Ensure correct mapping of date/time, users, and status fields.

 

Duplicate Record Behavior

Action

Record C (New)

Record B (Exists)

Skip

Imported

Skipped

Overwrite

Imported

Overwritten (updated)

Clone

Imported

Duplicated (new record)

Duplicates are identified by:

  • Contacts: Email
  • Accounts: Account Name
  • Products: Product Name

 

Viewing Import History

To track and manage past imports:

  1. Navigate to: Setup > Data Administration > Import History
  2. View:
    • File name
    • Module name
    • User who imported
    • Import timestamp

Actions:

  • Confirm: Permanently saves the imported records.
  • Undo: Rolls back the import and deletes imported records.

Important Notes:

  • Once confirmed, imports cannot be undone.
  • Undoing Contacts deletes associated Accounts (and vice versa).

Related Articles

Data Administration - Previous How to Export Data From Zoho Desk Modules? Next - Data Administration Data Migration Guide

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