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CSA · Question #147

When importing data, what happens to imported rows, if no coalesce field is specified?

The correct answer is D. All rows are treated as new records, but errors will be flagged in the import log. When importing data without specifying a coalesce field, all incoming rows are treated as new records, and any resulting errors are flagged in the import log.

Submitted by viktor_hu· Apr 18, 2026Introduction to Development and Data Migration

Question

When importing data, what happens to imported rows, if no coalesce field is specified?

Options

  • AAll rows are rejected from the import, as coalesce field is required.
  • BAll rows are treated as new records. No existing records are updated.
  • CDuplicate rows are rejected from the import.
  • DAll rows are treated as new records, but errors will be flagged in the import log.

How the community answered

(21 responses)
  • B
    5% (1)
  • C
    5% (1)
  • D
    90% (19)

Why each option

When importing data without specifying a coalesce field, all incoming rows are treated as new records, and any resulting errors are flagged in the import log.

AAll rows are rejected from the import, as coalesce field is required.

Coalesce fields are not strictly required for an import to proceed; the import will attempt to process all rows, but without a mechanism to update existing records.

BAll rows are treated as new records. No existing records are updated.

While all rows are treated as new records, this option is incomplete because it omits the crucial detail that errors will occur and be logged if unique field constraints are violated.

CDuplicate rows are rejected from the import.

Without a coalesce field, the system cannot identify 'duplicate' rows in the sense of matching existing records for updates; instead, it attempts to insert everything as new records, potentially causing errors rather than rejecting perceived duplicates.

DAll rows are treated as new records, but errors will be flagged in the import log.Correct

If no coalesce field is specified during a data import, the system has no criteria to identify existing records for updates; thus, every incoming row is treated as an attempt to insert a new record, leading to errors in the import log if unique fields or primary keys conflict with existing data.

Concept tested: Data import coalesce field behavior

Source: https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/utah-platform-administration/page/administer/import/concept/c_CoalesceFields.html

Topics

#Data Import#Coalesce Field#Import Set#Record Creation

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