For years, CSV uploads have been the default way to get data into systems like NetSuite and Salesforce. Need to add or update records? Export a spreadsheet, clean it up, upload a CSV, fix the errors, try again. It’s a workflow so familiar that many teams accept it as unavoidable.

But as organizations move into 2026, they’re starting to look for better ways.

CSV uploads are slow, tedious, and increasingly out of step with how modern teams work. They interrupt productivity, introduce risk, and often send users searching for creative—but inefficient—workarounds just to get data where it needs to go.

If your organization still relies on CSV imports to move data into NetSuite or Salesforce, now is the time to rethink that approach.

The Real Problem with CSV Uploads

On paper, CSV uploads sound simple. In practice, they create a long list of challenges that compound over time.

CSV Uploads Are Time-Consuming

Before you ever upload a CSV, you have to:

• Export data from another system
• Normalize formats and field names
• Remove duplicates
• Validate required fields
• Check data types and character limits

Then comes the upload itself, followed by error messages that often require you to fix issues blindly, re-export the file, and try again. What should take minutes can easily turn into hours.

Errors Are Inevitable—and Often Hard to Fix

CSV uploads fail for countless reasons:

• Missing required fields
• Invalid values
• Formatting mismatches
• Duplicate records
• Referential integrity issues

The error messages don’t always point directly to the problem, forcing users to hunt through large spreadsheets to guess what went wrong. This trial-and-error cycle wastes time and increases frustration.

CSV Workflows Break Focus and Momentum

CSV uploads force users out of their natural workflow. Instead of working where they already analyze and edit data—Excel—they must constantly jump between systems.

This context switching slows productivity and increases the likelihood of mistakes, especially when large datasets are involved.

Workarounds Become the Norm

Because CSV uploads are cumbersome, users often find ways around them:

• Splitting files into smaller batches
• Uploading partial data
• Avoiding updates altogether
• Maintaining “shadow systems” in Excel

Over time, this leads to inconsistent data, delayed updates, and reduced trust in NetSuite or Salesforce as a system of record.

Why CSV Uploads Don’t Fit 2026 Workflows

Modern teams expect:

• Immediate feedback
• Real-time validation
• Scalable updates
• Tools that work where they already are

CSV uploads offer none of these. They’re static, brittle, and disconnected from how teams actually manage data day-to-day.

As businesses scale and data volumes grow, CSV imports become a bottleneck, not a solution.

A Better Way: Upload Data Directly from Excel

This is where ExtendInsights changes the game.

ExtendInsights is an Excel integration app that allows users to write data directly into NetSuite ERP and Salesforce, all without CSV files. Instead of exporting, uploading, fixing errors, and retrying, users can work entirely inside Excel and push updates straight to their system of record.

How ExtendInsights Replaces CSV Uploads

Upload Thousands of Rows Directly from Excel

With ExtendInsights, users can upload:

• New records
• Updates to existing records
• Thousands of rows at once

All without generating or managing CSV files.

Instant Data Validation Before Upload

One of the biggest advantages of ExtendInsights is real-time validation.

Instead of discovering errors after an upload fails, ExtendInsights:

• Flags issues immediately
• Identifies exactly which rows need attention
• Allows users to correct data on the spot

This dramatically reduces trial-and-error cycles and eliminates the frustration of cryptic CSV error messages.

Edit, Re-Upload, and Move On

Because everything happens in Excel:

• Users can fix errors directly in the worksheet
• Re-upload immediately
• Confirm success in seconds

There’s no re-exporting, re-mapping, or starting over.

A Familiar, Scalable Workflow

Excel is already where most teams:

• Clean data
• Perform analysis
• Review changes
• Collaborate

ExtendInsights turns Excel into a safe, controlled write-back layer for NetSuite and Salesforce, bringing data updates into a familiar environment while maintaining system integrity.

In Their Own Words: ClearStar

But don’t just take our word for it. ClearStar, a premier background check and drug screening solution provider, recently found itself in need of a more efficient way to load data into its NetSuite ERP.

“We were using CSVs,” said finance transfer lead Craig Halliburton. “If there’s something wrong with one piece, you have to start all over again and figure out what’s wrong.” For an organization loading thousands of records into NetSuite on a weekly or even daily basis, they needed a better process—and fast.

“ExtendInsights by CloudExtend is so much easier,” Craig said. “The app tells you right away if something is wrong with your data upload, and you can get a whole lot more data in and out of the system a lot faster. Every day, I’m updating thousands of records. There’s no way I could do this manually. ExtendInsights has saved a year’s worth of work.”

>> Read more about ClearStar’s experience

Why 2026 Is the Turning Point

As data volumes increase and teams demand faster, cleaner workflows, CSV uploads are becoming an unnecessary liability.

Organizations that abandon CSV in favor of direct Excel-to-system updates gain:

• Faster data updates
• Fewer errors
• Higher user adoption
• More trusted systems of record

The shift isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about aligning tools with how people actually work.

Leave CSV Behind

CSV uploads had their moment. And now that moment is over. Because in 2026, there’s a smarter way.

ExtendInsights allows you to:

• Upload data directly from Excel
• Validate instantly
• Scale updates safely
• Work faster with less friction

If you’re ready to stop wrestling with CSV files and start updating NetSuite and Salesforce the modern way, now is the time.

Try ExtendInsights free for two weeks and experience what uploading data should feel like.