How to Import Data to SharePoint Online (Office 365) with List Bulk Import 2.5

How to Import Data to SharePoint Online (Office 365) with List Bulk Import 2.5

by | Jun 27, 2012 | The Bamboo Team Blog

Update: List Bulk Import is now available from the Bamboo Solutions storefront.

With its friendly user interface, List Bulk Import allows users to easily migrate documents, pictures, and list data into SharePoint from legacy databases; spreadsheets; SharePoint to SharePoint Server; Office 365; Claims-based and Forms-based Authentication environments; and/or any SharePoint document management application with large volumes of data and/or documents that need to be widely accessed.

In this post, I will show you how to migrate data to SharePoint Online, provided Microsoft’s hosting solution, Office 365.

Challenge:

With a growing number of both enterprise and small businesses migrating their content to Office 365, a growing number of users are seeking a tool to help streamline the migration process.

Solution:

Prerequisite

For a successful connection to SharePoint Online, Windows Identity Foundation must be installed on the computer running List Bulk Import. To download the component, go to http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17331 download page. NOTE: Confirm that you download the correct version of the software. Refer to the Instructions section on the download page for additional information.

How to Use

With Release 2.5 of List Bulk Import, users can now import data from various sources into the SharePoint Online service. This post provides an example of how you can migrate data from an existing on-premises SharePoint 2010 deployment to SharePoint Online.

Upon opening List Bulk Import, you will be asked to initially configure the target SharePoint Site.  This is where you will enter the URL to your SharePoint Online deployment. TIP: List Bulk Import is expecting the Site URL.  An example is if you were to access your SharePoint Online site, the browser might display https://HostName.onmicrosoft.com/site/default.aspx.  You will want to enter https://HostName.onmicrosoft.com/site in the target site URL field.

NOTE: Currently List Bulk Import only supports accounts provided by SharePoint Online. If your company has implemented a custom authentication provider using CBA, it is currently not supported.

As mentioned above, List Bulk Import has the ability to import from various sources into SharePoint Online but, in this example, we will be importing data from an existing on-premises SharePoint 2010 deployment. Select Create Import Job to start a new import configuration.

In the first step, select Existing SharePoint List. Notice that the second set of options will appear. This is where you will define the location of your existing SharePoint List. The list can be located in:

  • SharePoint 2007
    • WSS v3
    • MOSS 2007
  • SharePoint 2010
    • SharePoint Foundation 2010
    • SharePoint Server 2010
  • SharePoint Online

Click on the Next button to continue:

In the next step, we will define the source list and target list. When selecting a source list, you have the added options of importing the Content Types associated with the selected source list, and optionally selecting read-only source columns to import into a single target column for archival reasons. NOTE: If you prefer to maintain the same Created, Modified, Created, and Modified By details, you can omit this option and map the columns in the Column mapping step. For more details, please see this post: How to Update Read-only Fields in SharePoint Lists with List Bulk Import 2.5.

In the Target Information tab, select your target list for importing. NOTE (1): If you created your list AFTER connecting to the Target Site, you will have to Reset Connection in the File menu as this information is cached. NOTE (2): You can optionally select – Create a new List from the drop-down menu to have List Bulk Import create a new list on import. You will then be prompted to provide a list name.  This option is only available if the source is an Existing SharePoint List.

Complete the subsequent steps to complete the import configuration. For additional information on each step, please see the details provided in this post.

You can now log in to your SharePoint Online site to verify that all of your data has been imported successfully.

Looking for a walk-through from start to finish? See this post: How to Import an Excel File with List Bulk Import 2.5.

If you’re ready to give release 2.5 of List Bulk Import a try, it’s available in Bamboo Labs as a free download today! With this Beta version, there is a 15-item limit, and the trial is good for 30 days. If you like what you see, you can purchase a lichttps://bamboosolutions.com/products/list-bulk-import/ense key from the storefront to fully activate the product and circumvent the 15-item limit. Please note that this Labs version of the product is still in Beta and we ask for your patience if you experience any issues. To report any problems you may encounter, please go to the List Bulk Import 2.5 forum and post your feedback there.

Happy importing!

Read the entire series celebrating the release to Bamboo Labs of List Bulk Import 2.5:

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