Data Loader Guide

Data Loader
When to Use Data Loader
Install Data Loader
Download and Install Data Loader
Considerations for Installing Data Loader
Uninstall Data Loader
Configure Data Loader
Using Data Loader
Run in Batch Mode (Windows Only)
Command-Line Quick Start (Windows Only)
Data Loader Third-Party Licenses
PDF

Download and Install Data Loader

Data Loader is available for MacOS and Windows operating systems. Download to install and configure the app on your local machine.

User Permissions Needed
To use Data Loader: API Enabled

AND

The appropriate user permission for the operation you’re doing, for example, Create on accounts to insert new accounts

AND

Bulk API Hard Delete (only if you configure Data Loader to use Bulk API to hard-delete records)

Data Loader is updated in every Salesforce Release. The major version number corresponds to the currently available API version.

  1. Install Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 17 or later for your operating system. Tips for downloading JRE:
    • Download the JRE java package, or a JDK package that contains a JRE.
    • If unsure of the version to choose, select the latest.
    • Make sure to select a download that matches your operating system and CPU architecture.
    • Some examples of sites that make JRE available include Azul Zulu (documentation), or Adoptium Eclipse Temurin (documentation).
  2. Set your JAVA_HOME environment variable to point to the directory in which you installed the JRE.
  3. Download the most recent version of Data Loader at https://developer.salesforce.com/tools/data-loader.
  4. Optionally, verify that the downloaded Data Loader zip file is signed by Salesforce. On macOS or Windows, run the command jarsigner -verify dataloader_v<version>.zip. Replace <version> with the version string in the download's filename. For example,
    1jarsigner -verify dataloader_v58.0.3.zip
  5. After the download completes, open the .zip file and select Extract All.
  6. On Windows, in the Data Loader folder, run the install.bat file.
  7. On MacOS, in the Data Loader folder, run the installer.command file.
    1. On MacOS 15, if there's an error that installer.command can't be opened, open the macOS Privacy & Security panel. Scroll to the Security section, then click Open Anyway next to "install.command" was blocked to protect your Mac". Click Open Anyway on the Open "install.command"? window.
    2. On MacOS earlier than version 15, an error is shown when you first double-click install.command after extracting zip file content.
      Unidentified developer error on macOS
      Ignore the error and click OK.
    3. On macOS earlier than version 15, ignore any error regarding an unidentified developer message. Press the Control key while clicking the installer.command file, and select Open from the menu. An error is shown:
      Cannot verify developer error on macOS
      Ignore the error and click Open.
  8. Specify a directory for the Data Loader installation. Overwrite the contents if there’s an existing Data Loader directory.
  9. Answer the prompts and decide your preferences to complete the installation.

To open Data Loader, use the Data Loader desktop icon, or find it from the Start menu (Windows) or in your Applications folder (macOS). You can also run dataloader.app (macOS) or dataloader.bat (Windows) from the installation folder.

If you want to retain your settings after installing a new version of data loader, move config.properties from the configs sub-folder of the previously installed version to the configs sub-folder of the newly installed version.