CRM Contact Migration: CSV Import Guide & Checklist

How do you migrate contacts into a new CRM?

Export a dated source file, map each column to its destination, and import a small representative sample first. In Chirply, Contacts → Import lets you map built-in and custom fields, choose batch tags, lists and an owner, and inspect the background job. Reconcile created, matched and skipped rows before importing the full file.

Prepare a migration map and a source copy

Save an original export with its date and source system before making changes. Work from a separate copy. Decide which account owns each contact and who will review the imported data. For an agency, keep each client's migration separate so records land in the intended client account.

Make a column map with four entries per field: source header, an example value, the Chirply destination and the validation rule. For example, Email maps to Email and should contain an address; an external customer reference can use a custom text field; a subscription start date may map to First added when that meaning is appropriate.

Include representative rows in your pilot: a new person, a person already in Chirply, a phone-only record and a record with custom data. Keep communication preferences and consent evidence available for the team. An imported address is data; decide outreach eligibility separately before enabling campaigns or workflows.

Map and import your pilot

The import starts with automatic header matching. Review each proposed mapping against your own field definitions.

1. Select the destination account, open Contacts and choose Import. Choose the CSV or drop it into the file area. Read the current file and row limits shown in the dialog.
2. In the mapping step, compare Column in your file, First row and Import as. Choose the destination for each column. Leave a column set to Don't import when it should stay out of this batch.
3. For a field that has no destination, use its custom-field control or Create fields for unmapped columns. Review field names and types before creating them, then check the resulting mappings.
4. Review the batch's tags, lists, owner and lifecycle. The initial lifecycle is Lead; no batch tags, lists or owner are preselected. Choose settings that describe this import and check any automations associated with added tags or created contacts.
5. Choose the historical-date behavior deliberately. First added preserves existing contacts' dates while applying the mapped date to new contacts. First added · overwrite also replaces that date on matched contacts. Blank dates keep an existing date or use import time for a new contact.
6. Review the summary and start the import. The job runs in the background, so you can close the dialog and keep working. Reopen import history to inspect progress and the result before starting the full migration.

Reconcile records, then migrate the full batch

Chirply matches existing contacts by email or phone. Read the matching result separately from the number of newly created records. The explicit historical-date overwrite option affects First added; review other existing contact values directly when planning updates to an established database.

An illustrative pilot contains twelve rows: nine new contacts and three matches to existing people. The useful check is that the job accounts for all twelve and the sampled records have the expected destinations. Those numbers illustrate reconciliation; they are not a customer migration result or a promise that every source file is clean.

Open several imported records. Check email, phone, custom values, lifecycle, owner, tags and First added. Confirm dates in a timezone-aware format when time matters. Use YYYY-MM-DD for midnight UTC or an ISO timestamp with a timezone for an exact instant.

When the pilot meets the acceptance checklist, reuse the reviewed mapping for the remaining source file and record each job's outcome. Keep the source export and reconciliation notes under your normal data retention controls. Plan deals, messages, files and provider connections as separate migration workstreams with their own verification.

Resolve common import discrepancies

If a row is skipped for having no name, email or phone, inspect the source row and mapping. If a field is blank, check whether the column was mapped and whether its data fits the destination type. Preserve customer reference identifiers as text when leading zeros matter.

If new-record counts are lower than the source count, review matches and skipped rows before rerunning the file. If a historical date differs, check the selected date mapping and the source timezone. Review the job's own error details for a failed batch.

A completed contact import establishes that contact data was processed. Finish by testing the team's real workflow: find a person, open the record, read the expected context and create the next internal task. Activate customer communication only after the destination data and audience rules have been reviewed.

Common questions