Update Records in Bulk

On This Page

• Choose Your Method
• Update Records from a Query or Search Results List
• Update Records with the Mass Updates Wizard
• Check the Preview Before You Commit
• Common Variants
• Side Effects
• If It Fails

A mass update changes one or more fields on many existing records of the same type. You choose the records, enter the new values, review a preview spreadsheet, and then run the update. You can start from a query, a search results list, or the Mass Updates wizard.

Use a mass update when you need to change records that already exist. For example, you might correct a value on hundreds of contacts, fill in a custom field you added after an import, set a new status on a group of memberships, or clear a field everywhere.

Do not use a mass update to create records. A mass update edits only existing records. If Rhythm cannot find the identifier in a row, it reports that row as not found. To add new records, use a custom data task, where you choose which record types to import. For example, to create contacts without creating memberships, choose the Import Records option under Custom Data Tasks and select the appropriate application and service. When a custom data task creates a new contact, map contact creation fields such as First Name and Last Name instead of Contact ID, because the contact does not have an ID yet. To remove records, see Delete Records in Bulk.

Prerequisites

• Bulk operations must be turned on for your organization. If you do not see Bulk Changes beside your results, or Mass Updates in the System & Security menu, contact Support. If you do not see a status field or an Advanced Options area mentioned in other guidance when you edit an individual profile, that option may not be available to you. Some of those areas are internal-only, so use a query-based mass update instead.
• Before you start, confirm which record type owns the field. Each field belongs to one record type. For example, a custom field on the membership application is different from a similarly named field on the contact. Rhythm shows only the fields for the record type you choose. It also checks that every field you submit belongs to that record type and rejects fields that do not, such as expiration_date when the target is Contacts instead of Membership.
• For a file, use a .csv, .xls, or .xlsx file with a header row and a column for each record's Rhythm record ID for that record type. An email address or membership number is not a record ID. A contact can also have both an internal record ID and a separate displayed record number. After a merge, a record ID used before the merge may no longer point to an active record. When you start from a query instead of a file, include an identifier field that fits the record type in the query output, such as Membership ID, or Contact ID if Membership ID is not available. That helps Rhythm match each row to the right record. Map File Columns to Rhythm Fields explains the file.
• Some record types and fields cannot be changed in bulk. If you choose an unsupported record type, the preview step tells you. See Bulk Operation Limits and Safety Rules. Document entitlement periods and folder access are not supported for bulk update, so adjust those individually or use another non-bulk process. Mass update also does not offer Currency Code on transaction lines.
• A file-based mass update of contact or organization addresses can target only built-in address types. Custom address types configured for your CRM are not available as mapping targets.

Tip

Test an import or mass update in your sandbox first. Try a small sample of records before you run the full file, because you cannot undo the change after you commit it in your live account.

Choose Your Method

Situation	Best Method
Every record gets the same new value, and you can find the records with a query or search	Start from the results list and select Bulk Changes
Each record needs a different value that is already in a spreadsheet	System & Security › Mass Updates, method File
You have a list of record IDs	System & Security › Mass Updates, method IDs
A rule describes the records, such as every contact in one state	System & Security › Mass Updates, method Expression
Every record of the type	System & Security › Mass Updates, method All Records

A practical way to build a file is to run a query that includes the record ID and the fields you want to change. Download the results, edit the values, and upload the edited file. You can use the same approach to move values into a replacement field. Run a query that outputs the original custom field, download the results, create the new custom field, and map the exported column into it with a file-based mass update. For example, to fix unmapped country values, run a query for records with a blank country field, then mass update only those records to the correct value.

You have two ways to update existing records in bulk. You can run a mass update from query or search results, which most of this article describes, or go to System & Security › Custom Data Tasks and use Import Records with a spreadsheet. If a mass update from System & Security › Mass Updates does not populate a field, or returns an error without changing anything, try the same update from a query or search results list. That path has succeeded in some cases where the wizard did not. If a query-based Bulk Change keeps failing for a membership status change, export the results to a spreadsheet and edit the status values there. Enter the value in lowercase, such as inactive, then upload the file through Mass Updates instead. Rhythm does not generate random values on its own. If every record needs a different value and you do not already have a source for it, prepare the values outside Rhythm first, then bring them in with a file-driven mass update.

Update Records from a Query or Search Results List

1. Run a query or search so the list shows the records you want to change. See Design and Run a Query. Bulk Changes is available from any supported results list, whether you opened a fresh query, reran a saved query, or drilled into a KPI list on an overview page.
2. Select Bulk Changes beside the results. Checkboxes appear beside each row.
3. Tick the records you want to change. The button changes to Change followed by the number and type of records, such as Change 12 Memberships.
4. Open that menu and choose Mass Update. A pop-up opens with the operation and the number of records in the title.
5. Tick the fields you want to change. Use Search for Fields to narrow the list. Rhythm groups fields under Built In Fields and Custom Fields, and your choices appear under Selected Fields. Then continue to the values step.
6. For each field, enter the new value under Enter the new value (or, use an expression):, or select the link to switch to an expression. A Yes/No field shows the checkbox Check to set Yes, leave unchecked for No. Leaving it unchecked sets every selected record to No.
7. Continue to the preview. Rhythm shows Generating a preview... just a moment... while it creates the preview. Select Download the preview of this mass update. and review it.
8. Tick I have downloaded and reviewed the preview and I'm ready to proceed.
9. Leave Send me an email with the results of this mass update ticked if you want the results by email. The Completion Email box defaults to your own address.
10. Run the update. When it finishes, the pop-up shows Bulk Operation Completed with Successful:, Errors:, and Total:, and Click here to download the results.

If you choose Mass Update without ticking any records, Rhythm shows No records selected. Choose Cancel Bulk Changes from the same menu to hide the checkboxes again.

Administrators also use this path to update fields such as a membership or application's Date Status. Setting it to Updated removes the renewal-block banner and lets applications proceed. The same path works for date-type custom fields, not only text or picklist fields. You can also build a Contacts & Organizations query using Organization Contacts by Role, filter for the role you need, such as Primary Contact, and use the results to mass update membership ownership contacts. The same pattern works to populate billing contacts on orders or Bill to Contact on invoices. You can query the contacts who qualify for an event add-on and mass update a CRM custom field on those records, so the add-on's eligibility logic can use that field. You can also reassign financial history without a full record merge. Build a query for the payments, invoices, orders, or refunds you want to move, then mass update the organization or contact on those records to the destination record.

Update Records with the Mass Updates Wizard

1. Go to System & Security › Mass Updates. The page opens as Mass Update Records.
2. Step 1, Targets. Under What types are records would you like to update?, choose the Application: and the Service:, which is the record type. Choose the record type that owns the field you want to change. For example, Contacts lets you find records by Contact ID, but Rhythm will not offer membership-specific fields such as expiration date there. When a custom field lives on a membership application instead of the membership itself, anchor the file or IDs with the Membership Application ID, not a membership number or organization identifier. For a field on a record with no application, use the membership's own ID instead. The wizard cannot use a custom field, such as a license number, as the unique identifier to match records. When that is the only identifier you have, use a custom data task that first queries by the custom field instead. Then, under How do you want to select the records that should be updated?, choose a method:
   • All Records — every record of the type.
   • IDs — enter record IDs under Enter Record IDs, one per row, or select the link to paste many lines into one box.
   • Expression — enter a condition under Expression, such as state == 'ME'.
   • File (selected by default) — under File Information, use Upload the File: to upload your spreadsheet, or select Use URL to enter the address of a file Rhythm can reach without signing in.
3. Select Next.
4. Step 2, Select Fields. For All Records, IDs, or Expression, tick the fields to change. For File, Rhythm scans the file. Confirm the column under Which column in your input file contains the unique record ID? and, under Column Mappings, choose the field each column updates, or leave a column set to Ignore this column. Select Next.
5. Step 3, Specify Values. For each field, enter a value or an expression, as in the results-list method above. Rhythm skips this step for a file because each record's value comes from its own row.
6. Step 4, Preview. Wait for the preview, then select Download the preview of this mass update. and review it.
7. Tick I have downloaded and reviewed the preview and I'm ready to proceed. and choose whether to receive the results email.
8. Select Update Records. The button reads Executing Mass Update... while it runs.
9. Step 5, Complete shows the counts and Click here to download the results.

For example, if chapter affiliations are removed and need to be restored for many members, you can add them back one at a time. You can also update them in bulk with this wizard by using a spreadsheet of member identifiers, membership details, and the chapter to assign.

Tip

Stay on the page until the update finishes. If you leave, the update keeps running, but the next page you visit does not show the result. The completion email is your only notice.

Check the Preview Before You Commit

Open the preview spreadsheet and check that:

• The row count matches the number of records you expect.
• The Status column reads Ready For Execution for records you expect to update. Rhythm will not change a row with Error and a reason, or <record> not found.
• The New columns hold the values you intended. If you did not mean to clear the field, an empty New column means the value, the file, or the mapping is incomplete.
• The Old columns show a value for records you know have one. An empty Old value for that kind of record usually means the field is on a different record type than the one you chose.
• For a multi-select or other list-type field, check the actual field value after the update, not just the success count and the New column. In rare cases, a file-based update has reported success and incremented the record without writing the new list values.
• Identifiers and postal codes kept their leading zeros, and dates are the dates you meant. Mass updates to contact and organization address postal codes once failed validation unless the value was parsed as a string; that has since been fixed.

Bulk Operation Previews, Results, and Completion Emails describes every column.

Common Variants

• Clear a field on many records. Choose the field and leave its value empty. Rhythm clears the field on every selected record and does not warn you first. If the field has already been removed from its record's form, you may need to add it back to the form temporarily so you can include it in a query and then clear it with a mass update. This is also how to normalize a checkbox. Mass update records with an explicit No value to blank, then update the query that reads the field to filter for blank as well as No, so records stay included consistently. To remove values a past import left behind, clear the field on the record itself for one record. For many records, create a query for the affected records and mass update the field to blank.
• Add or remove one value in a multi-select field, such as removing one contact role while keeping the others. Use the list syntax, for example -[BILLING-CONTACT] to remove a value or +[BILLING-CONTACT] to add one. A plain value replaces the whole list. See Mass Update Field Value Rules. Relationship fields such as contact roles take IDs, not names. Correcting a custom multiselect picklist option's label in its own settings does not rewrite the value already stored on existing records. A query built around the corrected label can miss those older records until you update them, for example with a mass update.
• Fill in a custom field added after an import. The custom field appears under Custom Fields when you choose its record type. Once a custom field exists, you can also search for and select it in a query's Field Browser or Output Fields. See Custom Fields Explained.
• Leave some cells unchanged in a file. An empty cell clears the field. Type [ignore] in a cell to leave that field alone for that record.
• Convert a picklist field to a reference field. Existing values, especially abbreviated values or values that do not exactly match a target record's name, may not associate automatically. You may need a mass update afterward to map those values to the correct referenced records.
• Fill in missing latitude and longitude values, such as ones an import left blank. Resaving each affected record one at a time is not practical when many records are involved; contact Support about a script-based backfill instead. When you contact Support, include the record ID and complete address, including postal code, for each affected record, and send contacts and organizations as separate lists so the backfill can be run by record type.
• Correct a record that still shows up in a query result you believe is wrong. If a record keeps appearing in results that a known query issue should not be returning, make any small change to that record and save it. Even a change unrelated to the problem field has cleared the record from the incorrect result.

Result

The application that owns the records updates each record that passed its checks. The completion step shows Successful:, Errors:, and Total:. The results spreadsheet shows each record's outcome, old and new values, and any error reason. If there were errors, the completion step also shows Unfortunately, there were some errors.

Side Effects

• The change cannot be undone. Keep the preview spreadsheet, because its Old columns are the only record of the prior values.
• Rhythm selects records again when you commit, so the update applies to whatever matches at that moment.
• Records with nothing to change are skipped and not counted.
• A completed mass update appears in each changed record's audit history, which is a reliable way to confirm whether a specific record's change actually took effect.
• In the Mass Updates wizard, selecting Back from the completion step returns to the preview with the acknowledgement still ticked. If you commit again, Rhythm runs the whole update a second time.

If It Fails

• The preview shows an error card, "Unable to preview import". Read the message under it. Common causes are an unsupported record type, a file Rhythm cannot read, or duplicate or blank IDs in the file. The same error can also mean the specific field or resource is not supported for file-based mass update at all, such as certification course fees, rather than a formatting problem with your spreadsheet.
• "Unable to execute mass update". The commit failed, but Rhythm keeps your choices. Try again, or go back and change them.
• Some records show errors in the results. The owning application refused them, and the reason follows the outcome in the results spreadsheet.
• A bulk change using the list-append syntax reports zero updates with no reason given. This has happened with some multi-select fields, including membership sections. Contact Support with the query's name if it happens to you.
• A multi-select or array field update reports success but the field is still empty. Check the New columns in the results and the field itself, not just the success count. Try again or contact Support if the value did not take.

For more, see A Bulk Operation Failed, Stalled, or Changed the Wrong Records.