---
schema_version: "1"
id: 3d007d19590743e064f729331507444c197ab0ae85ad81ad673dcff9a451396e
title: Understand Field Mappings
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/sfdo/264-0-0/npsp_am2_understand_field_mappings.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.npsp_am2_understand_field_mappings.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 936b94700ed02c0f4557327cfff4fc574472fa4e7b5814cc8cbfce1fa3a897be
description: This article explains Field Mappings, a key component of Advanced Mapping, which is the logic used to process Gift Entry, Elevate, and imported data
products:
  - Nonprofit
release: "264"
---
# Understand Field Mappings

This article explains Field Mappings, a key component of Advanced Mapping, which is the logic used to process Gift Entry, Elevate, and imported data

Field Mappings are a key component of Advanced Mapping. Field Mappings connect fields on the NPSP Data Import object—where you initially bring data into Salesforce—to fields on the target object—Account, Contact, Opportunity, or other objects. 

For example, let’s look at data for Billing City on the Account object.

When you gather Billing City data from a Gift Entry or Elevate form, or import it using an import tool, the data is first stored in a field called Account1 City on the NPSP Data Import object. Ultimately, that data needs to get to the Billing City field on the Account object. A Field Mapping record connects those two fields.

The Field Mapping record within Advanced Mapping looks like this:![Field Mapping record showing Account1 City field linked to BillingCity field](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sfdo-nonprofit_success_pack-264-0-0-production-enus/bd2879e2-2bdc-4012-aa32-dc0c697c4538/nonprofit_success_pack/images/am2_billing_city_field_mapping.png)

Advanced Mapping comes with the Field Mappings that cover typical data entry and import scenarios. For most organizations, no additional customization is needed.

However, if you want to import data into a custom field, or include a custom field on a Gift Entry or Elevate form, create a Field Mapping record and complete some other necessary customizations. For more information, see [Customize Advanced Mapping](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.npsp_use_advanced_mapping.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Customize Advanced Mapping for data import if you want to map data into an object or field that hasn't yet been mapped.").