Upload Multiple Photos at Once (Bulk Upload)

How to bulk upload photos for use with Photo Uploader using Salesforce Data Loader

Version 2.0.2 | 04/03/2025

Requirements | Instructions | Data Loader

How to Upload Multiple Photos at Once Using Salesforce Data Loader

Need to upload dozens or hundreds of contact photos at once? With Salesforce Data Loader you can bulk upload images and link them to records for use in Photo Uploader. This is ideal for onboarding or updating large datasets efficiently.

Note: The standard Salesforce Import Wizard does not support file uploads. You must use Salesforce Data Loader, which is available for download from Salesforce Setup.

Requirements ↵

Before you begin:

  • You must have Salesforce Data Loader installed.
  • You need access to the ContentVersion object.
  • You should have a list of the Contact Ids (or other object Ids) to which each photo will be linked.
  • Confirm Photo Uploader is installed and working on the relevant object (e.g., Contacts).

Instructions ↵

1. Prepare Your CSV File

Create a CSV file to load files into Salesforce’s ContentVersion object. Use the format described in the Salesforce documentation.

Note: Make sure image files are correctly named and linked in the CSV.

Add the following fields, in addition to the standard fields:

  • Add a column named FirstPublishLocationId (this should be the ContactId or related record ID).
  • Include the absolute path to each image on your local drive.

    • VersionData: This should be the full file path to the image stored on your computer. When the file is uploaded, Salesforce automatically converts it into base64 format, which may increase its size by about 30%.

    • PathOnClient: Also requires the complete file path on your local machine. This field simulates a typical upload scenario from a client system and helps Salesforce track the original file location.

Example:

Title PathOnClient FirstPublishLocationId VersionData
Headshot1 C:\images\headshot1.jpg 0031t00000XXXXXXAA0 C:\images\headshot1.jpg
Headshot2 C:\images\headshot2.jpg 0031t00000YYYYYYAA0 C:\images\headshot2.jpg

Note: Use consistent and clear naming conventions to avoid confusion during the File ID mapping process.

2. Insert Files Using Data Loader

  1. Open Salesforce Data Loader.
  2. Choose Insert and select the ContentVersion object.
  3. Browse and select your prepared CSV file.
  4. Map the fields according to Salesforce’s requirements.
  5. Begin the insert operation.

A success file will be generated containing the new ContentVersionId (i.e., File ID) for each image.

3. Update Your Contacts with the File IDs

Create a second CSV file using:

  • The original ContactId
  • The new File Id returned from the success file
  • Map this File Id to the custom field used by Photo Uploader (e.g., MKP002__Photo_Id__c)

Example:

Id MKP002__Photo_Id__c
0031t00000XXXXXXAA0 0681t00000ZPHOTOAAA0
0031t00000YYYYYYAA0 0681t00000ZIMGZZAA0

Then:

  1. Use Update in Data Loader.
  2. Select the Contact object.
  3. Map the Id and MKP002__Photo_Id__c fields.
  4. Run the update.

4. Confirm Image Display in Photo Uploader

After completing the update:

  • Open any Contact record that was part of the batch upload.
  • You should now see the associated image displayed via the Photo Uploader component.
  • Test with 1–2 records before a full import.

Excited about the Endless Possiblities, Reach out!

If Photo Uploader is helping your organization connect more personally with your clients, customers, or prospects, we’d love to hear your feedback or any feature request.
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Or reach out to our team at support@photouploader.app.