Bulk Updates Overview

Discovery oversees a wide range of entities, including Client Companies, Locations, Services, and more, with a strong focus on being easy to use. Most day-to-day changes to these entities are made using the standard, menu-driven screens within Discovery.

Sometimes, however, a large number of existing records need to be corrected. When those corrections are made one record at a time, the process can become slow and repetitive.

Bulk Updates are designed to make this easier.

What Are Bulk Updates?

Bulk Updates allow you to update existing Discovery data in large groups using a CSV file. Instead of opening and editing each record individually, you can make changes to many records at once.

Bulk Updates are especially helpful when:

  • The same field needs to be corrected across many records
  • Data entry mistakes were made during initial setup
  • Multiple records need similar adjustments

Each Bulk Update template focuses on a single type of Discovery entity. The templates guide you on which fields can be updated and how the data should be formatted.

Bulk Updates vs. Bulk Imports

There are two bulk data tools available in Discovery: Bulk Imports and Bulk Updates.

  • Bulk Imports are used to create new records in Discovery.
  • Bulk Updates are used to adjust records that already exist.

Bulk Updates do not create new entities. They only modify existing ones that are already set up in Discovery.

How Bulk Updates Work

At a high level, the Bulk Update process follows these steps:

  1. Navigate to the index page for the entity you want to update (Client Companies, Locations, or Services.)
  2. Use the Export to CSV button to export the records you want to update.
  3. Open the exported CSV file and make your desired changes.
  4. Save the updated CSV file with the required name.
  5. Navigate to Settings > Bulk Imports and select New.
  6. Choose Replace Existing as the import type.
  7. Attach your updated CSV file and select Save to process the update.

Each row in the CSV represents one existing record in Discovery. The system uses identifying fields in the file to determine which record should be updated.

Each Bulk Update process has specific requirements, such as file naming conventions and required fields. Refer to the entity-specific Bulk Update documentation for detailed instructions.

Entities That Support Bulk Updates

Bulk Updates are currently available for the following Discovery entities:

Additional Bulk Update templates may be added over time as this functionality continues to expand.

Important Notes

  • Bulk Updates apply changes to live data. Always review your file carefully before uploading.
  • Only supported fields can be updated using each template.
  • Records referenced in the CSV must already exist in Discovery.

For detailed instructions on each template, refer to the entity-specific Bulk Update documentation.

If you have additional questions or need more in depth information, please feel free to send us a message using the help beacon in the lower right-hand corner.

Related Articles