>> Install Conversion Tool from GitHub <<
In Winter ’16 the new enhanced Notes tool became generally available, and with it introduced a new “Notes” related list separate from the classic “Notes & Attachments” related list.
In Spring ’17 Salesforce announced that after Winter ’18 the “Notes & Attachments” related list will no longer have an upload or attach button. Customers will be required to migrate to and adopt Salesforce Files. Although this change is specific to Attachments/Files, it is very clear that “Notes & Attachments” related list will eventually be retired in favor of the new Files and Notes related lists.
The Future is Enhanced Notes
Migrating to Enhanced Notes instead of Notes is a good idea because they provide you much more capabilities around sharing the note with other users, groups, or records. Enhanced notes supports revisions, rich text, and inline images. It is the future of note-taking in Salesforce, especially in Lightning Experience and Salesforce1.
Migrating from Notes to Enhanced Notes
It’s really easy to get started using the enhanced note taking tool, but what about all your historical notes that aren’t fancy? Wouldn’t it be nice to bring them along for the ride and give them a long awaited upgrade to awesomeness?!
At the time of this writing, Salesforce has not (yet?) provided an official conversion tool from Notes to Enhanced Notes.
Since the Winter 16 release I’ve been developing and tweaking my own conversion tool which I’m happy to open source and share with you all to help make your migration efforts easier and hopefully remove some roadblocks to adopting Lightning Experience.
This project enables the manual or automatic conversion of classic Notes into Enhanced Notes to take advantage of more sophisticated features, like sharing, revisions, rich text, inline images, etc.
The package includes visualforce pages that let you:
- Configure sharing and conversion options
- Run test conversions
- Enable near real-time or scheduled conversions
![pages-main-menu[1].png](https://douglascayers.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/pages-main-menu1.png?w=616)
![pages-conversion-settings[1].png](https://douglascayers.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/pages-conversion-settings1.png?w=616)
Special Thanks
- Arnab Bose (@ArBose), Salesforce Product Manager
- Haris Ikram (@HarisIkramH), Salesforce Product Manager
- Henry Liu, Salesforce Product Manager
- And to everyone who has provided feedback on this project to make it what it is today, thank you!
Feedback
Although I’ve done my best to test various org configurations with this tool, there’s bound to be an edge case I’ve not yet thought of. If you have any feedback about the conversion tool or run into a problem, please open an issue on the GitHub project. Make sure to check out the closed issues and FAQ section on the project page as your question or problem might have already been answered. Thanks!
Readers like you who converted Notes also converted Attachments
Make sure to check out my other open source project that converts Attachments to Salesforce Files.
![character_group_campfire[1]](https://douglascayers.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/character_group_campfire1.png?w=616)
love this. Looking forward to the installed package version 🙂
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Thanks Maria!
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Hi Douglas,
I have started doing the first batch of conversion which has the limit of 200000 Notes per day.
I have some new consens and wanted to share them with you.
For example we have 4500000 Notes in our org. On day one I started the batch until it gives the error of Notes can not be save due to limit. Now how do I know how many has been converted or in another word how do I know the # of records under ContentNotes.
There is no way to run a query (select count() from ContentNote) even for system admins as its not returning any result. Its also not showing any information about ContentNote or ContentDocument from ‘Storage Usage’ under setup.
when we do this process in our production how can we specify how many recs we want to convert? the reason why I am asking is ‘assume we do the first batch of conversion on Monday evening 8:00 PM, if we hit the limit then no user can add any new Notes/File on tuesday morning…. so I wanted to know if there is any way to stop the process before we hit the limit
I really appreciate you or someone else has any idea about these questions.
Thanks
Nima
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Hi Nima,
You’re absolutely right, for orgs with large volume of attachments or notes the conversion process as-is today can easily hit the daily limit.
It’s on my todo list to add option so admins can specify the max conversions to perform in a day just haven’t had a chance to work on it yet.
Thanks for the feedback and use cases, really appreciate it!
Doug
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YESSS!!!! Thank you for releasing this tool, so helpful and very easy to use.
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You’re very welcome Maria!! Glad you like it 🙂
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I received the following error when trying to install the managed package in a Sandbox:
Package: Convert Notes to Enhanced Notes (04tf4000000hqFk) Error Number: 384336189-5848 (397715281)
Problem:
(Convert_Notes_to_ContentNotes_Log__c-Convert Notes to Enhanced Notes Log Layout) The ActionId specified was invalid for ActionType QuickAction.
Convert_Notes_to_ContentNotes_Log__c-Convert Notes to Enhanced Notes Log Layout: The ActionId specified was invalid for ActionType QuickAction.
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Sorry to hear that. I’ve not seen that error before but I found one resource online that suggests to enable Chatter in the org prior to installing the managed package: http://kulturra.com/knowledge-base/installation-error-the-actionid-specified-was-invalid-for-actiontype-quickaction/
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Hi Doug — I used the Convert Attachments to Files tool and it worked like a charm (many, many thanks!). So now I’m trying to use this tool, and my test gave me this error message:
Insert failed. First exception on row 0; first error: INSUFFICIENT_ACCESS_OR_READONLY, Invalid sharing type I: [ShareType]
I’m an admin and have full privileges so I don’t understand what’s happening. Any ideas?
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Hi Wayne,
Thanks for the feedback, glad the attachment conversions worked well for you!
Regarding note conversion and that error, perhaps it is this error?
If you can narrow down the specific records or object that the error occurs on that will help with troubleshooting.
The error is likely less to do with you, who is running conversion, and more to do with the object the note is being shared to and/or the owner of the original note.
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Thanks for your reply — still unresolved, though. I own the single note I tried converting as a test, so that’s not the issue. I’m wondering if it’s necessary to go to the Salesforce Files Connect settings and check Enable Salesforce Files Connect. Or if I need to enable Salesforce Files Sync. Could that be the issue?
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Hi Wayne,
No, you shouldn’t have to enable Files Connect or Files Sync.
What is the parent object of the Note you’re trying to convert?
Does your org have any triggers on ContentNote, ContentVersion, ContentDocument, or ContentDocumentLink that might be interferring?
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Hi Douglas,
I have gone through “Convert Notes to Enhance Notes”. It covers my requirements except the one thing, “The Created Date for newly converted “Enhance Notes” become the date on which I convert the Classical Note, not the Actual Note Created Date. Enhance Note Created Date should be the exact date on which the Classical Note had gone created.
Any helps on this would be much appreciated.
Many Thanks!!
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The same thing happens with Convert Attachments to Files. However, if you click on an individual file record, the original Created Date is maintained on that screen. It’d be ideal if the original date also appeared on the list of files in the new Files related list.
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Hi Kumar,
Yes, I know that’s frustrating. This is a known bug and I’ve brought it up to the Salesforce Notes team. “Safe Harbor” but it is supposed to be resolved once Winter ’18 release is available.
The original CreatedDate of the Note is preserved on the newly converted Enhanced Note, but the LastModifiedDate is not being preserved.
Thanks,
Doug
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I just tested in a Winter 18 pre-release org and indeed the LastModifiedDate is preserved!
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I second that confirmation! But have a follow-up question (of course, I know)!
If I run this in Production, before the Winter ’18 release is live, will the LastModifiedDate not be preserved? And therefore if this data point is important to my Org I should wait until the Winter ’18 release?
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Correct JoyAnn. Please wait until your production org is on Winter ’18 before performing the conversion so that the LastModifiedDate is preserved.
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when clicking the install link on the github page, i am routed to home screen in our org. is there another link or am i doing something wrong? thanks! we have my domain turned on and i think this may be interfering.
https://test.salesforce.com/packaging/installPackage.apexp?p0=04tf40000019WZq
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Hi Christine,
With My Domain, try replacing the test.salesforce.com piece with your org’s sandbox URL domain.
Doug
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perfect, thanks!
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@Doug how do you know when the job is complete? I ran a batch conversion for up to 200 records in our Sandbox but an not sure how to know if/when the job is complete?
The file conversion app had a status, am I missing that here?
Thanks!
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FOUND IT! Sorry (for the second time in doing that to you!).
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=)
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HI, Doug,
In sandbox, I initiated the notes conversion process by selecting the submit button on the “Convert Notes” (step 2) of the conversion tool after processing 8 batches(800 records) the conversion job started failing(identified it by viewing the apex jobs ). so went in and aborted the Apex job. We have about a million notes that need to be converted to enhanced notes
Now after aborting the apex job(after 1 hour) when I try to access the notes using the standard salesforce page layouts it is throwing following error “ContentPublication Limit exceeded”. Any ideas on how to stop the content publication process?
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Hi, this is on my roadmap to implement a “max conversion limit” to the app. You can follow the request on GitHub https://github.com/DouglasCAyers/sfdc-convert-notes-to-chatter-notes/issues/1.
A workaround is to specify specific parent ids on the “Convert Notes” (step 2) form before submitting to try and reduce the overall number of records that will be attempted to be converted.
A million notes is a lot, I understand this isn’t an ideal workaround just yet.
Thanks,
Doug
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Thanks for your prompt response @Doug. I will try specifying the parent ids in step 2.
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Tried running this in our sandbox. It said 12 batches pending. It just hangs there for hours with no completed batches. It then dies with Salesforce System Error: 1012586211-26038 (123133497) after like a day.
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Hi Doug,
If you choose the “Keep enhanced notes private; only the note’s creator and System Administrators may access the enhanced notes” option in the Conversion Settings, where will the Note’s creator/owner find the note record?
Thanks
Jeff
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I need to reframe this. I’d expect to find the note related to the parent record in the Notes related list and that I’d be able to see it as an admin. Right now I’m not seeing any of the Notes that are marked private in the Notes & Attachments related list in the Notes related list. Maybe they didn’t get created. If I run the conversion tool again it would create duplicates wouldn’t it?
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OK, reframing one more time. I see in the FAQ https://github.com/DouglasCAyers/sfdc-convert-notes-to-chatter-notes/blob/master/README.md#how-are-private-notes-converted
that Notes that were private and converted with option (c) convert them but don’t share them with the parent entity…. will reside in the note “owner’s private library”. We don’t seem to have Libraries activated in our instance and the documentation I’ve found leads me to believe that Libraries are for Files not Notes. So, I’m not sure where to find the private converted Notes.
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Hi Jeff,
Prior to Winter ’18, Files and Enhanced Notes did not have a way to support private. If they were shared to a parent record then they were viewable by any user with read access to the parent record. So up to now, private notes and attachments — if converted — were either made public or not parented to anything. The only way to view them if not parented to anything is to be logged in as the owner of the file or enhanced note and look in the Files tab.
In Winter ’18, Salesforce introduced Sharing Privacy on Files and Enhanced Notes which mimic the behavior of the classic private checkbox.
Please follow issue 21 to be notified when the new version of the app is released to handle this.
Thanks,
Doug
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Hi,
I just read the following: https://github.com/DouglasCAyers/sfdc-convert-notes-to-chatter-notes
I learnt that If I run the conversion multiple times, no duplicate enhanced notes get created for the same notes. But unfortunately during my Notes conversion I ended up running the tool twice and created duplicate Enhanced notes. Is there a way to delete or merge the duplicate Enhanced Notes? Any help on this is appreciated.
Thanks,
Gayatri
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Hi Gayatri,
That sounds like a bug, it shouldn’t be creating duplicates. Please open a new issue on that GitHub project for me to investigate further. I’ve not had duplicates created for me when testing when I released the latest version so curious to see what the issue might be when running the tool in your org.
There is no merge feature, you would need to delete them.
Doug
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Sorry, don’t worry about my earlier comment. I’ve learned more since then. I’ve now successfully converted all the notes to enhanced notes! Thanks for sharing this tool.
I’m wondering if it’s ok to uninstall the package as I don’t expect we will need to convert anymore since we will be using enhanced notes from now on. Can I also disable setting Create Audit Fields?
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Hi Karen,
Glad the tool worked well for you =)
Once you’ve completed the conversion, you are fine to uninstall the package.
You are also ok to unassign the Create Audit Fields permissions to your user until if/when you need them again for a future data migration project.
Thanks,
Doug
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Thanks again. Definitely recommend this conversion tool as it has turned something that looked impossible into just a click of a button!
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Awesome, glad to hear it!
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Hi Doug,
In our Org OWD Account is Private. We have the requirement such that any user in org should able to create and edit any Content Notes in the org when they have access to that particular Account.
For account View, we have VF page and we have Custom Note button. On click, we are inserting note with share type as ‘C’ but we are ending up with error System.DmlException: Insert failed. First exception on row 0; first error: INSUFFICIENT_ACCESS_OR_READONLY, Invalid sharing type C: [ShareType]
How to overcome this issue?
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You may need to try share type ‘I’
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Hi Doug,
I ran all my parent IDs through your tool and I am finding notes that weren’t converted and I can’t figure out why. The current owner is an active owner, but the creator is not active – is that why? I also received no error log so I keep putting the ParentID through the converter and try to find the log via the JOB ID but nothing is populating. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Hi Ann,
This sounds similar to what someone else posted to the GitHub project: https://github.com/DouglasCAyers/sfdc-convert-notes-to-chatter-notes/issues/20
Would you mind adding more details to that issue about what parent objects these unconverted notes belong to and the license type of the create user?
Thanks!
Doug
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Hi Doug,
It seems I am getting this error: First error: ContentPublication Limit exceeded. I have tried running another note through the conversion and it seems to be working again! I had a Note and Attachment created by an inactive user – I have reactivated the user and put the note into conversion. It is saying the Enhanced Note owner is the current account owner (and not the once inactive user). Anything I can do to rectify this before I submit the remaining records for conversion?
Thank you so much for your help!
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Hi Ann,
Regarding the error ContentPublication Limit, there is a max number of Files or Enhanced Notes that can be created in a 24 hour period.
When the “Notes and Attachments” are converted into “Files” and “Enhanced Notes”, the owner of the original record will become both the Owner and Creator of the new file/note.
The owner carrying over makes sense. The reason why the creator also has to be the same as the owner in conversion is because the ContentVersion object requires the owner and creator to be the same user.
I opted to use the old note/attachment’s owner to be the new file/note’s owner/creator because admins can easily change ownership of records but can’t change the original creators of records.
Hope that helps!
Doug
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Hi Doug,
Thank you again for all your help! I agree and want to keep the original “Created By” user but it seems like it’s not happening. The original “Created By” and the new enhanced note “Created By” do not match. I have a screenshot I’d like to show you but I’m not sure how I can attach it here?
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You may open an issue on GitHub and share screen shot there: https://github.com/DouglasCAyers/sfdc-convert-notes-to-chatter-notes/issues
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Hello, I have been attempting to download this into my sand box and i keep coming up with an error. Which i have listed below.
This app can’t be installed.
There are problems that prevent this package from being installed.
Apex Classes(classes/ConvertNotesToContentNotesSchedulable.cls-meta.xml) Missing feature Installing this package requires the following feature and its associated permissions: Apex Classes
Apex Triggers(triggers/ConvertNotesToContentNotesTrigger.trigger) Missing feature Installing this package requires the following feature and its associated permissions: Apex Triggers
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Hello,
Glad you’re wanting to try out my conversion app! The error you’re getting makes me think your org might be on Professional Edition which does not allow API or Apex features.
This solution will work with Enterprise and above.
Salesforce Labs has tentatively said their conversion app on the appexchange will support Professional Edition but I don’t know any ETA on that.
Thanks,
Doug
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Hi Doug – Thanks for this utility. I’ve had success with previous installs, but I just tried to install and got this error. Do you
have any ideas on next steps?
“Convert_Notes_to_ContentNotes_Log__c-Convert Notes to Enhanced Notes Log Layout: The ActionId specified was invalid for ActionType QuickAction.”
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I’d clarify to add that I’ve read the above comments you’ve posted — the org is EE so I don’t think that’s the issue.
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Hi Martin,
Glad you’re getting some good mileage out of the app!
The error “The ActionId specified was invalid for ActionType QuickAction” makes me think that Chatter may not be enabled in their org. Or possibly that the Notes Settings hasn’t been enabled yet?
Thanks,
Doug
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Hi Doug,
I used the note conversion functionality for a specific record and for all notes in a development org. It worked as expected. Thank you for the utility!
Now, I would like to convert notes in production which has over 500K records. In order to avoid running into an issue and be able to validate the converted notes, I would like to do note conversion object by object basis. I understand that I can provide comma separated parentids for this but it is still going to be painful as we have 100+K records for Account, Contact and Opportunity objects. Furthermore, I have to first identify the object records with old notes and then create a comma-separated list. It would be great if we can do an object-specific note conversion.
My apologies in advance as if you already addressed this issue as I didn’t read all the previous comments.
Thank you in advance!
Regards,
Meena
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Hi Meena,
You’re very welcome, glad it’s working for you!
At this time, the app doesn’t provide object-by-object conversion but the Salesforce Labs app Magic Mover for Notes And Attachments to Lightning Experience does.
Their app and my app have fundamental design differences, particularly around how conversions are tracked. My app does not alter the original note or attachment, their app renames the records. The renaming is what I would be concerned about because that alters the LastModifiedDate in the event you ever needed to do a re-conversion for some reason.
It’s been a couple months since I last used the Salesforce Labs app. At the time they didn’t provide a mechanism for reporting on conversions whereas my app stores that data in a custom object “Convert Notes to Enhanced Notes Logs”.
If you do continue to use my app for object-by-object conversion by creating comma-separated parentIds, you may need to do further split that text into smaller chunks. If the number of ids is too large then the apex code fails to parse it and will display an error about “regex too complicated”. It will work, but the number of parentIds per conversion may need to be reduced.
Good luck!
Thanks for the feedback, Meena.
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Good Morning Doug,
I converted 181,638 notes to enhanced notes. The “Convert Notes to Enhanced Notes Logs” table shows all notes are converted successfully. I’m also able to see the enhanced note in UI. However, when I query the “ContentNote”, “ContentVersion” and “ContentDocument”, the query returns only 2 records. I need to delete 50% of the 181,638 notes and enhanced notes because all notes are pointing to the same parentid. I can delete the notes but don’t know how to delete enhanced notes when the table does not return the data. Please advise.
Thank you in advance for your help.
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Hi Meena,
Enhanced Notes and Files use more restrictive sharing what other SObject. If you are not the owner of the note/file then you have to query for them indirectly via the ContentDocumentLink object.
See this tweet for example queries.
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Hi Doug – Any idea what the cause of this error might be? ‘Invalid content ids specified: 0696100000374vW’
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Hi Regan, I’ve posted a reply for more details on the your GitHub issue. Thanks
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Hi Doug,
Can you please shed some light on the following error:
Salesforce System Error: 704808199-7495 (123133497) (123133497)
Thanks!
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Hi Angela,
That error means the note content contains non-ASCII printable characters.
Salesforce doesn’t tell us what specific characters in your note failed only that you will need to review the note manually and adjust the content by replacing or removing the offending characters.
Doug
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hi doug
we have around 40000 notes , i installed conversion tool and tried to convert it worked for 27000 records then job was not making any progress further . i aborted it multiple times and tried to reconvert but still job says processing but its not moving forward and it is not even throwing any error . can you help with it.
Thanks
Nikitha
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Doug,
When do we know when all Attachments have been converted? Is there a way to tell how many are still left?
Thanks!
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Hi Angela,
The reporting is not built into the app itself, but for reporting and tracking, you can export with Data Loader all the Attachment IDs so you have a list of which ones need to be converted then report on the “Convert Attachments to Files Log” object to know which Attachment IDs have been successfully converted or not.
Doug
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