crm data import matched on the wrong external id: merged unrelated records

TL;DR

The import matched on the wrong external ID and merged unrelated records. Stop the import, unmerge what you can, fix the ID mapping, and re-import.

Error

import merged unrelated records on wrong external id

Steps

1. Stop the import immediately Expected: no more bad merges.
2. Identify the wrongly merged records Expected: you know the scope.
3. Unmerge what the CRM allows; restore the rest from backup Expected: data is repaired.
4. Fix the external ID mapping and re-import Expected: matches are correct.

When to use

• Import merged unrelated records
• The external ID was wrong

When not to use

• The ID is right (then check for duplicate ID values)
• Merges were intended (then the match criteria were too loose)

Tool compatibility

• External IDs
• Data imports

Variant phrasings

wrong external id merge

Stop, unmerge, fix the ID mapping.

import merged unrelated

Same: the external ID pointed at the wrong records.

Why it happens

External IDs are only unique if the source keeps them unique. Agents trust the column without validating uniqueness.

Edge cases

• Test the match on a sample before the full import
• Keep an import log to reverse bad merges

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_flQmwTB-0lieEiY9dkjgfg

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_flQmwTB-0lieEiY9dkjgfg

Thread query: crm data import matched on the wrong external id: merged unrelated records

TL;DR: The import matched on the wrong external ID and merged unrelated records. Stop the import, unmerge what you can, fix the ID mapping, and re-import.