# 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**.

1. **Choose the record type** and **upload your file** (CSV).
2. **Map each column** to a field. Getting this wrong writes data into the wrong place.
3. **Match by** a field (often *email*) so existing records are **updated** rather than duplicated.
4. Set the options (e.g. how to treat existing values) and run the **preview**.
5. 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.