Setting Up an Alternate Key in Dynamics 365 CRM

Alternate keys provide another way for Dynamics 365 CRM to uniquely identify records. For example, you can configure Account Number as an alternate key so that each Account must have a unique Account Number. Setting up an alternate key requires System Administrator access in CRM.

Open the Power Apps Customization Editor

Start by going to make.powerapps.com. Make sure you're working in the correct CRM environment before making any changes. Then, use the Tables section to locate and open the table you want to configure. In this example, we're working with the Account table.

Choose the Field for Your Alternate Key

With the Account table open, navigate to Keys. If the field you want to use as the alternate key already exists, you can proceed directly to creating the key. If you need a new field, create that column first before proceeding. In this example, Account Number already exists, so we can use it as our alternate key.

Create the Alternate Key

From the Keys area:

1. Select New key.
2. Give the key a name.
3. Select the field you want to use for the key, such as Account Number.
4. Save the key.

Once saved, the new alternate key appears in the list of keys for the table.

Wait for the Alternate Key to Become Active

An alternate key isn't necessarily available immediately after you save it. Dynamics 365 runs a system job in the background that checks the existing data and verifies that the values in your selected field are unique. If the field already contains duplicate values, this process will fail. You'll need to correct the duplicate data before setting up the alternate key again. Once the status changes to Active, the alternate key is ready to use.

Why Use an Alternate Key?

An alternate key gives Dynamics 365 a unique identifier other than the system-generated record identifier. For example, your organization may already use unique Account Numbers to identify customers. By making Account Number an alternate key, Dynamics 365 can use that value to reliably identify the appropriate Account. This is particularly useful when another application doesn't store Dynamics 365's internal record identifiers. Alternate keys can therefore play an important role in integrations and data imports.

Using Alternate Keys with CSV Imports

Alternate keys are especially useful when updating existing Dynamics 365 data with CSV files. Unlike the Excel-based update process, updating existing records through a CSV import requires an alternate key. The alternate key gives Dynamics 365 a unique value it can use to determine which existing record should receive the imported changes. For example, if Account Number is configured as an alternate key, your CSV can include Account Number along with the information you want to update. Dynamics 365 can use that Account Number to locate the correct Account rather than relying on its internal record identifier. Alternate keys provide a straightforward way to uniquely identify Dynamics 365 records using meaningful business data, making them particularly valuable when you're importing or integrating data from other systems.