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SF-0242 · Concept · Easy

Which file format is supported by Data loader and Import Wizard?

✓ Verified by Vikas Singhal · Last reviewed 5/17/2026 · Updated for Spring '26

Both Data Loader and the Data Import Wizard accept exactly one input format: CSV (Comma-Separated Values). Excel files (.xlsx), Tab-Separated (.tsv), JSON, XML, Parquet — none of them work directly. You convert to CSV first.

What “CSV” actually means in this context

A specific shape:

  • First row is a header with column names.
  • Each row after is one record.
  • Commas separate fields.
  • Double-quotes wrap any field that contains a comma, newline, or quote (the quote is escaped by doubling: "").
  • One file = one object (for both tools).

A clean example:

Id,Name,Industry,AnnualRevenue
0015g00000ABCDE,"Acme, Inc.",Technology,1000000
0015g00000ABCDF,Globex,Manufacturing,2500000
0015g00000ABCDG,"Initech ""HQ""",Software,500000

Why CSV and nothing else

CSV is the universal data interchange format — every spreadsheet, every database, every ETL tool reads and writes it. Salesforce picked it because it’s the lowest common denominator: an admin with Excel can produce one, and a custom script with pandas.to_csv() can produce one.

Encoding (the bit people miss)

CSV doesn’t specify an encoding. The default on Windows is Windows-1252 (CP1252); Salesforce expects UTF-8.

For special characters (accents, CJK, emoji) you need to:

  1. Save as UTF-8 CSV in your editor.
  2. Tick Read UTF-8 encoding in Data Loader Settings.

The Import Wizard handles UTF-8 automatically — no toggle needed.

What Data Loader exports

When you run an Export or Export All in Data Loader, the output is also CSV. UTF-8 if you’ve ticked Write UTF-8 encoding (recommended).

Things that aren’t CSV but get confused with it

  • .txt files with commas — work if structured as CSV, but Data Loader may not auto-detect. Rename to .csv.
  • Excel .xlsx — will not work directly. Save As → CSV UTF-8 first.
  • Tab-separated — not supported.
  • Semicolon-separated — not supported, despite some European locales producing this by default in Excel. Re-export with commas.

Practical workflow

  1. Work in Excel / Google Sheets / your editor of choice.
  2. Save / Export As → CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited).
  3. Optionally validate it in a text editor to confirm commas (not semicolons) and UTF-8 encoding.
  4. Load via Data Loader or Import Wizard.

Interview-friendly summary

“Both tools use CSV. Save as UTF-8 if you have non-ASCII characters. Each file represents one object. Data Loader also exports to CSV.” That’s the complete answer.

Verified against: Data Loader Guide — Supported Data Types, Salesforce Help — Data Import Wizard, Metadata API Developer Guide. Last reviewed 2026-05-17 for Spring ‘26 release.