Managing Data
Importing, exporting, and cleaning up records safely.

Importing & Exporting Records
Exporting
Open any list view (e.g. Contacts), filter if you like, select records (or all), then Export.
Choose the format (CSV or XLSX) and which fields to include.
Exports are useful for reporting, a quick safety copy before a risky change, or prepping data for re-import.
Exported files often contain personal information. Store them responsibly and delete working copies when you're done.
Importing
Administration → Import.
Choose the record type and upload your file (CSV).
Map each column to a field. Getting this wrong writes data into the wrong place.
Match by a field (often email) so existing records are updated rather than duplicated.
Set the options (e.g. how to treat existing values) and run the preview.
Import.
Always test a real import first — in the Sandbox, or with just a handful of rows in Production — before running a big one. A wrong mapping or match field can create hundreds of duplicates or overwrite good data. Keep the source file so you can correct and re-run.
Tips for clean imports
Tidy the spreadsheet first: consistent dates, phone formats, no stray columns.
Use a stable match field (email is common) to update instead of duplicate.
Import related records in dependency order — the thing being referred to before the thing that refers to it.

Duplicates, Mass Updates & Cleanup
Finding & merging duplicates
The CRM flags likely duplicates when records are created, and you can hunt for them with filtered/sorted list views (by name or email).
To merge: select two or more records in a list → Merge → choose which values to keep → confirm. Merging combines them into one and preserves their links.
Merging is not easily undone. Double-check you're merging the right records and keeping the right values.
Mass updates
Select records in a list view → Mass Update → choose the field(s) and the new value → apply to all selected.
Handy for bulk reassignment, status changes, or team changes.
A mass update changes every selected record at once. Check your filter and selection before applying. Sandbox-test anything large or unfamiliar.
Mass delete
Select records → Remove.
⚠️ Deletion is the most dangerous bulk action. Confirm the exact filter and selection. Prefer deactivating or closing records where the record type allows it. For anything beyond a few obvious junk rows, Sandbox-test the exact filter first and take an export as a backup immediately before deleting.
If you delete something by mistake
Stop making changes. Recovery usually means restoring from backup, which is time-sensitive — the sooner you raise it, the more recoverable it is. See Troubleshooting & Recovery and Getting Help and Next Steps right away.