How Setting Fields as "Apply If Blank" Will Impact Reporting/Accuracy

This article explains how the Apply if blank update rule works during CRM exports, and how it can affect reporting and data accuracy.

Prerequisites

Before reading this article, you should:

• Have a CRM integration connected to Cognism
• Be configuring or reviewing field mappings for that integration

Understand update rules in field mapping

When you map Cognism fields to your CRM, each mapped field has an update rule. This rule controls how Cognism updates data during exports.

You can choose between:

• Apply if blank 
• Always overwrite 

By default, fields are set to Apply if blank.

How “Apply if blank” works

When a field is set to Apply if blank, Cognism only updates that field if it is empty in your CRM.

If the field already contains data, Cognism does not update it during export.

This applies when exporting new records and when updating existing ones.

Why “Apply if blank” can reduce data accuracy

Using Apply if blank on important fields can limit the value of Cognism data.

If a field already contains data:

• Cognism does not update it
• New or improved Cognism data is not applied
• Reports continue to rely on older or incomplete information

Over time, this can result in:

• Inconsistent reporting
• Outdated contact or company data
• Reduced confidence in CRM data quality

Recommended field mapping approach

To balance data protection and reporting accuracy, Cognism recommends using a combination of custom and standard fields.

Create custom fields for Cognism data

Create custom fields in your CRM specifically for Cognism data.

Set these fields to Always overwrite.

This ensures Cognism always applies the most up-to-date data.

Use standard CRM fields for gap filling

Map Cognism data to standard CRM fields where appropriate.

Set these fields to Apply if blank.

This allows Cognism to fill in missing information without replacing existing data.

Expected results

With this setup:

• Existing CRM data is preserved
• Cognism data remains current in dedicated fields
• Reporting is more consistent and reliable

Next steps

• Review your current field mappings
• Identify fields where Apply if blank may limit reporting accuracy 
• Create custom fields for key Cognism data points