---
schema_version: "1"
id: c8433bbc19bbb0c50ad17fe7b69bf6460b2c2700382e75ded0103f7b43190730
title: Recommended Data Import Sequence for EDA
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/sfdo/264-0-0/eda_data-import-sequence.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.eda_data-import-sequence.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 1fb132e96967afe3075133278015240e4926ed9d5332da9085607e17f131ecbb
description: Follow these steps to import your data into EDA.
products:
  - Education
release: "264"
---
# Recommended Data Import Sequence for EDA

Follow these steps to import your data into EDA.

- **[Choose Which Automation Features to Use](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.eda_data-import-sequence.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Typically, you're integrating data into EDA from your Student Information System, course catalog, and other external systems using common data integration tools such as Salesforce APIs or Lightning Connect.
- **[Step 1. Import General School Information](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.eda_data-import-sequence.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Start with general school information.
- **[Step 2. Import Curriculum Information](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.eda_data-import-sequence.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Now, add data related to the structure and content of curriculum at your school.
- **[Step 3. Import Student Information](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.eda_data-import-sequence.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Student information is next.
- **[Step 4. Import Suspect Information](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.eda_data-import-sequence.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    After you import your student data, you're ready to import data for potential students, also known as "suspects" or "prospects" in recruiting and admissions parlance.

## Choose Which Automation Features to Use

Typically, you're integrating data into EDA from your Student Information System, course catalog, and other external systems using common data integration tools such as Salesforce APIs or Lightning Connect.

Before you import any data, review the automation that affects imported data and our recommended import sequence.

EDA has a number of automation features available thanks to Table-Driven Trigger Management (TDTM). It's important to understand the concepts to prevent unnecessary data from being created automatically. We recommend familiarizing yourself with [TDTM Overview](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleview?id=sfdo.eda_tdtm_overview.htm) and [Apex Class Descriptions for EDA](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.eda_apex_class_descriptions.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Verify access to EDA Apex classes for all profiles and permission sets that need them.") before disabling any automation settings.

After you're familiar with these concepts, take a look at this list of Trigger Handlers to learn what they control.

**Fields on the Account Object**

  
| Data Type | Created With Automation | Trigger Handler |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Administrative Account | If you're using the Administrative Account model and the Account field for a Contact is blank, the administrative account is automatically created when the Contact is created. | ACCT\_IndividualAccounts\_TDTM |
| Household Account | If you're using the Household Account model and the Account field for a Contact is blank, the household account is automatically created when the Contact is created. | ACCT\_IndividualAccounts\_TDTM |

**Fields on the Contact Object**

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
          <colgroup>
            <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
            <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
            <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
          </colgroup>
          <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
            <tr class="">
              <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d34377e207">Data Type</th>
              <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d34377e210">Created With Automation</th>
              <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d34377e213">Trigger Handler</th>
            </tr>
          </thead>
          <tbody>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Data Type" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e207 ">Mailing Address Primary Address Type </td>

              <td data-label="Created With Automation" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e210 ">Sets the default Address record.</td>

              <td data-label="Trigger Handler" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e213 ">ADDR_Contact_TDTM</td>

            </tr>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Data Type" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e207 ">University Email Preferred Email: “University” </td>

              <td data-label="Created With Automation" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e210 ">Populates Contact's Email field.</td>

              <td data-label="Trigger Handler" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e213 ">CON_Preferred_TDTM</td>

            </tr>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Data Type" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e207 ">Work Phone Preferred Phone: “Work” </td>

              <td data-label="Created With Automation" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e210 ">Populates Contact’s Phone field</td>

              <td data-label="Trigger Handler" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e213 ">CON_Preferred_TDTM</td>

            </tr>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Data Type" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e207 ">Primary Education Institution Primary Department Primary Academic Program </td>

              <td data-label="Created With Automation" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e210 ">Creates Affiliation records for each.</td>

              <td data-label="Trigger Handler" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e213 ">CON_PrimaryAffls_TDTM</td>

            </tr>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Data Type" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e207 ">Contacts' Relationships</td>

              <td data-label="Created With Automation" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e210 ">
                <p>Reciprocal Relationship records. </p>
                <p style="margin-bottom:0;"><strong>Note: </strong> Relationships in <span id="eda_choose_automation__guid-f32e942f-8b87-489d-a823-5bd1d4533765"><a name="eda_choose_automation__guid-f32e942f-8b87-489d-a823-5bd1d4533765"><!-- --></a>EDA</span> are reciprocal, meaning for every Relationship record that relates a person to someone else, there is a second Relationship record that relates them back to that person. Reciprocal Relationship records are tedious and difficult to create manually, so we highly recommend that you leave this trigger enabled.</p>
              </td>

              <td data-label="Trigger Handler" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d34377e213 ">REL_Relationships_TDTM</td>

            </tr>
          </tbody>
        </table>

After determining your automation preferences, prepare to import your data in the following recommended sequence.

## Step 1. Import General School Information

Start with general school information.

### Import School Accounts

Every Account needs to have a record type. Record types can be the default record types that come with EDA, or you can create custom record types.

As needed for your institution, create these Account records:

- Educational Institutions for the top-level entity representing your institution, such as the entire university, other colleges, and so on.
- University Departments that relate departments, schools, or campuses to the Courses that they are affiliated with
- Academic Programs, for example, BS Computer Science
- Sports Organizations
- Business Organizations
- Other custom Accounts. For example, you might want to track high schools for recruiting purposes or organizations (such as clubs or professional groups) that students or faculty are involved in.

### Import Faculty Data

Next, import data for the faculty at your school.

Faculty Contact-related data

Every faculty member should be identified as a Contact. Faculty Contacts can use the Administrative Account model, or you can alternatively add them to the Educational Institution Account or Department Account.

Credential-related Attributes

Attributes with a Credential record type can be used to track licenses, certifications, or endorsements earned by staff.

Contact Languages

A language spoken by a specific person connected to your institution. For example, Contact Language records can track an instructor's fluency in multiple languages.

Case, Behavior Involvement, and Behavior Response data

Track behavior events such as an event a faculty member witnessed and reported.

### Import General School Data

Finally, import data that is relevant to faculty, students, and the courses and activities that take place at your school. These include:

Facilities

Property assets like a classroom, a lecture hall, a laboratory, and other campus buildings. Facilities can also define relationships between property assets. For example, you could create a parent Facility record for the "Smith Science Building" with nested Facility records for the "East Wing" and "Lecture Hall 103."

Languages

A language spoken at your institution. 

## Step 2. Import Curriculum Information

Now, add data related to the structure and content of curriculum at your school.

Terms

Past, present, or future terms can apply to the entire institution or to individual schools or departments.

Courses

Organized by department, level, and so on. Each course must have its own record.

Time Blocks

Representing a specific period of time, Time Blocks often relate to Course Offerings.

Course Offerings

Past, present, or future instances of a course linked to a Term and, optionally, a Primary Faculty member.

Program Plans

Tied to an Academic Program, Program Plans are specific to a given set of requirements. For example, you might have an Academic Program of BS in Computer Science, but separate Program Plans for BS in Computer Science (2019) and BS in Computer Science (2018) if the requirements changed from 2018 to 2019.

Plan Requirements

A specific course, a list of courses, or a general course requirement.

## Step 3. Import Student Information

Student information is next.

### Import Student Accounts

Create Account records for every student who has attended your school in the past and for those who are currently attending. Assign a record type to every Account.

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sfdo-education_data_architecture-264-0-0-production-enus/6bcf23e4-1d0f-4cd5-8405-b8e231f03ed0/images/icon_note.png)

Note If the ACCT\_IndividualAccounts\_TDTM Trigger Handler is enabled, Administrative Account or Household Account records are created automatically when you import Contacts in the next step, making it unnecessary to import student Accounts. Make sure each student Account is created as either an Administrative Account or a Household Account.

### Import Student Contacts

Import additional data for student Contacts to continue creating a more complete view of the student's personal and academic life. TDTM may have already created Address and Affiliation records.

Addresses

One student can have many addresses, but only one is identified as the primary address. If the mailing address and Primary Address Type field are specified when a Contact is imported, a primary Address record is automatically created. Examples include campus address, home address, seasonal address such as housing during summer breaks or study abroad.

Relationships

Connect Contacts to other Contacts, such as family members or advisors.

Affiliations

Connect Contacts to Accounts, such as a department within the school or a sports team. If lookup fields on the Contact (such as Primary Education Institution, Primary Department, or Primary Academic Program) are set when you import Contacts, primary Affiliation records for each type are automatically created.

### Import Student Application Data

After you import Address, Relationship, Affiliation, and Contact data, import information that provides insight into students' educational background and is relevant to their enrollment at your institution.

Academic Certifications

Track diplomas, degrees, or certifications that a student earned for completing a course of study.

Credentials

Track extracurricular badges, certifications, or licenses that a student has earned.

Applications

Store information about a student's application to an educational institution or program.

Education History records

Store data about a student's previous educational experience.

Test and Test Scores

Track an instance of a student taking a particular test and the scores resulting from a test or an overall grade standing.

### Import Program Enrollments

Next, import Program Enrollments to easily track a student’s major, Program Plan, and Program Plan Requirements.

### Import Course Connections

Add information about student progress in their program of study. In EDA Settings, under Course Connections, make sure that you've selected Course Connection Record Types and verified the record types before you import these records.

Taking the time to add past Courses and Course Offerings is particularly important, as it allows you to represent a student’s full course history.

### Import Additional Student-Related Data

Finally, add data that provides additional insight about your students.

Student-related Attributes

Attributes with a Student Characteristic record type track situations that might require additional support, such as whether a student is an International Student or has a Section 504 plan in place.

Case, Behavior Involvement, and Behavior Response data

Track behavior events, a student's role in such an event, and the response that resulted from the incident.

Attendance Events

Track a student's attendance.

Contact Languages

Track the languages used by students and their family members.

Term Grades

Track students' grades at milestones that you define.

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sfdo-education_data_architecture-264-0-0-production-enus/6bcf23e4-1d0f-4cd5-8405-b8e231f03ed0/images/icon_note.png)

Note Some of this data may have been imported when you imported similar faculty-related data. If so, verify that all student-related data is also present.

## Step 4. Import Suspect Information

After you import your student data, you're ready to import data for potential students, also known as "suspects" or "prospects" in recruiting and admissions parlance.

Suspects are people who haven't signaled interest in your institution, but whom you want to engage with marketing. In EDA, we recommend modeling suspects as Leads. When a suspect signals interest, they become a prospect and you convert their Lead record into Contact and Account—and optionally Opportunity—records. For more information about suspects and prospects, see [Model Suspects and Prospects](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.eda_model_suspects_and_prospects.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "In order to find the best-fit applicants for your institution, recruiting tracks suspects and prospects. Use the standard Lead and Contact Salesforce objects to track suspects and prospects, respectively. Here's why: Prospects have signaled interest in your institution, so creating a Contact record for them gives recruiting teams more robust detail to better engage with potential students. Suspects, on the other hand, haven't yet signaled interest so it's premature to create Contacts for them. When a suspect does raise their hand, convert the Lead to a Contact and Account.").

Most institutions import suspects based on a list obtained from a testing service, recruiting event, or other source. The list often provides only basic details, such as a name and an email. 

Before importing a suspect list, clean up your data set to align with the Lead object. Review how the Lead fields map to the Contact, Account, and Opportunity fields so that you're ready when it's time to convert Leads. Understanding the mappings helps you clean up and prepare your import list. For details, see [Lead Conversion Field Mapping](https://help.salesforce.com/articleview?id=sales.lead_conversion_mapping.htm&type=5) in Salesforce Help.

In EDA, the most important Lead field is Company. The Company field is required and, depending on how you configure the Automatically Rename Lead-Converted Accounts setting in EDA Settings, it can impact the Account Name on Account records that are created when you convert Leads. If Automatically Rename Lead-Converted Accounts is configured with specified record types, Account names follow either the default EDA Account name format or the format specified in Administrative or Household Account Name Format in EDA Settings. If Automatically Rename Lead-Converted Accounts is not configured, standard Salesforce Account naming based on the Company field is used, so be sure to populate the Company field on Lead records with a value that is suitable as an Account name. If you're importing a .csv file, consider opening the file in a spreadsheet app and creating a formula that populates the Company field using the suspect's name and your required naming conventions.

Here are some other things to consider when preparing your data set.

- Does your institution use assignment rules for Leads? If so, what fields do you want included?
- Does your institution have custom Lead fields to include?
- Does your institution use Lead processes that rely on a specific value for the Lead Status field?

After your import list is ready, create a Lead record for each suspect.