Understanding APN mapping when importing properties into Invelo

Ensuring your APNs match Invelo’s database to maintain clean and accurate imports

When importing property records into Invelo, ensuring that the APN (Assessor’s Parcel Number) is correctly mapped and formatted is crucial for maintaining accurate and clean data within your account.

What is APN Mapping?

APN stands for Assessor’s Parcel Number, a unique identifier assigned to parcels of real estate by the local county assessor’s office. In Invelo, we use the APN (along with the state and county) as a key identifier to match imported properties with existing property records in our nationwide database.

What Happens If the APN Doesn’t Match?

If the APN in your imported file does not exactly match the APN format in Invelo’s property database (based on the state and county provided), Invelo will treat it as a brand-new property, even if it already exists in our system. This can lead to duplicate or separate property records being created.

Common Causes of APN Mismatches:

• Extra dashes, spaces, or formatting differences (e.g., 123-456-789 vs 123456789)

• Leading zeros being removed (e.g., 00123456 becomes 123456)

• Missing or incorrect county/state information

• Use of local formatting that differs from official assessor formatting

Best Practices for Accurate APN Matching:

1. Map the APN Field Properly During Import
   When uploading your file, make sure the column containing the APN is correctly mapped to the “APN” field in Invelo.

2. Use Official APN Format
   Ensure the APN in your file matches the official county format. You can usually verify this through the local assessor's website or by checking against known property records in Invelo.

3. Include State and County
   To improve matching accuracy, make sure your file includes the correct State and County columns mapped during import.

4. Avoid Reformatting the APN
   Try not to modify APNs by trimming leading zeros, adding dashes, or converting number formats (e.g., don’t let Excel auto-convert it into scientific notation).

What to Do If a Property Was Imported with the Wrong APN

If you suspect a property was duplicated or created separately due to an APN mismatch:

1. Check the Property Details Page
   Open the property record in Invelo and review the Property Details section.

   • If this section is blank or missing key information, it likely means the APN did not match what’s in Invelo’s national property database.

2. Use the Correct APN or Full Address for Re-import
   You have two options:

   • Delete the incorrect property record and re-upload it with the correct APN.

   • Or, instead of relying on APN, you can import using the full property address (street, city, state, and zip code) to match against Invelo’s database.

Unfortunately, Invelo does not currently support merging property records, so cleaning up mismatched imports manually is the best way to maintain a clean database.

If you're unsure which record is correct, feel free to reach out to our support team — we're happy to help verify it with you!