Mapping fields between apps
🎯You'll be able to
Write a field-mapping table between two apps, including name, structure, type and missing-value rules.
🏠The everyday picture
A translator doesn't just swap words; she knows that "Mrs Sharma" in one letter becomes "Smt. Sharma" in another, and that some phrases have no direct match. Mapping fields between apps is translation for data.
📘What it really is
- Field mapping connects a field in the source to a field in the destination: shop
customer.name→ CRMfull_name. - Common differences between apps:
- names:
phonevsmobilevscontact_number; - structure: one
namefield vsfirst_nameandlast_name; - types: amounts as numbers or as text,
true/falsevs"yes"/"no"; - allowed values: the CRM's "Stage" accepts only "New", "Qualified" or "Won";
-
required fields: the destination rejects records without an email.
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Write a mapping table before building: source field, destination field, transformation, and what to do if it's missing.
-
Decide on defaults carefully. "Unknown" is better than an invented value; for required fields that are missing, send the record to a person instead of guessing.
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Keep a field that links records across systems, such as the shop's
order_id, so you can trace one order everywhere.
📝A worked example
Mapping a Sharma Textiles order into the CRM:
| Shop field | CRM field | Transformation | If missing |
|---|---|---|---|
customer.name |
full_name |
Trim spaces, tidy capitals | Send to review |
customer.phone |
mobile |
Format as +91 and 10 digits (Lesson 5) | Send to review |
customer.email |
email |
Lowercase | Leave empty (optional in CRM) |
lines total |
last_order_value |
Sum of qty × price, convert paise to rupees (Lesson 4) | — |
order_id |
last_order_ref |
None | — |
| — | source |
Fixed value "Website" | — |
🌍Where it's used
- CRM syncing from shops, forms and ads.
- Accounting: invoice fields from orders into accounting software.
- HR systems: joining forms into employee records.
- Data migration: moving records from an old system to a new one.
📝Case scenario
New leads keep failing to reach the CRM with the error "Stage: invalid value". The form sends "new lead", but the CRM only accepts
"New". You add a small translation step that maps form values to CRM stages, with a fallback that sends unknown values to review.
Leads flow again, and any future surprise is caught.
🖱️Try it
Write a mapping table for sending your DA2 orders to a CRM of your choice (your Level 5 CRM, or a free CRM's documentation). Include at least six fields, a transformation for each, and a rule for missing values.
⚠️Common mistakes
- Mapping by eye in the node. Sign: no one can say which field fills which. Fix: write the mapping table first and build from it.
- Ignoring types. Sign: an amount arrives as text and sums go wrong. Fix: add a type column to the mapping and convert where they differ.
🛠️For your project
Write the mapping from the payment event to the simulator's invoice fields (order_id, payment_id, amount_paise, paid_at_ist). It goes into your handover data map.
✅Quick check
What four things should a mapping table record?
Show the answer
The source field, the destination field, the transformation, and what to do if the value is missing.
Why send records with missing required fields to a person rather than inventing a value?
Show the answer
Invented values look real and spread errors; a person can find the right value or decide to skip the record.