> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.mimeeq.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# How to Import and Export Companies and Contacts and Using CSV

## Introduction 

Managing your contacts and companies efficiently is crucial for any business, and this comprehensive guide provides detailed instructions for importing and exporting data using CSV files. Whether you're looking to bulk upload new contacts, update existing company information, or export your data for backup purposes, you'll find step-by-step procedures and essential best practices. The guide covers everything from preparing your CSV files with the correct template structure to troubleshooting common import issues. 

|| 📒 Before importing contacts, you must have companies set up in your system first. The Company Numeric ID is a required field and must match existing company records in the system. This guide will walk you through all the necessary steps to successfully manage your contact and company data through CSV operations.

## In this article

1. [How to Import Companies with CSV](#2-how-to-import-companies-with-csv)
2. [How to Export Companies to CSV](#2-how-to-export-companies-to-csv)
3. [How to Import Contacts with CSV](#2-how-to-import-contacts-with-csv)
4. [How to Export Contacts to CSV](#2-how-to-export-contacts-to-csv)
5. [Best Practices for CSV Operations](#2-best-practices-for-csv-operations)
6. [Troubleshooting Common Issues](#2-troubleshooting-common-issues)

## How to Import Companies with CSV

To import companies using a CSV file:
1. Navigate to the **Companies** tab
2. Click the arrow (▼) on the **New** button
3. Select **Import from CSV** from the dropdown menu

| 🌟 Quick tip: Need to add just one company? Click "New" directly – no need to use the dropdown!

![How to Import Companies with CSV](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/4/1/0/8410e0b256e81000/import-61-new_1szwrjv.webp)
#### Preparing Your Company CSV

1. Use our Company CSV Template: [🔗 Link to Download a Template](https://d1bd8jihtqzqs4.cloudfront.net/help_articles/Company_Import_Template.csv)
2. Ensure all required fields are properly formatted

| 🛠️ Note: Only CSV format is accepted

#### Company CSV Template Structure

| Field | Example | Note |
| ---- |
| Company Numeric ID | AUTO | Optional. System-generated, cannot be manually specified. Leave empty or use "AUTO" for new companies. To update existing companies, use their existing ID |
| Company Name | Acme Corporation | Required |
| Status | ACTIVE | Required. Must be either ACTIVE or INACTIVE |
| Address Street | 123 Main Street | Optional |
| Address City | New York | Optional |
| Address Zip Code | 10001 | Optional |
| Address Country | USA | Optional |
| Account Email | info@acmecorp.com | Optional. Company email address. Must be valid email format (e.g., name@domain.com). Use semicolon ( ; ) to separate multiple emails |
| Account Work Number | +1-555-345-6789 | Optional. Company phone number. Use semicolon ( ; ) to separate multiple numbers |
| Currency | EUR | Required. Must be supported by your account (e.g., EUR, PLN, USD) |
| Payment Terms | Net 30 | Optional |

#### Upload and Import Process

1. Drag and drop or click to upload your CSV file
2. Check **Update existing companies** if you want to update records with matching IDs: 
* **If checked:** Companies with matching IDs will be updated with new information from your CSV
* **If unchecked:** Companies with matching IDs will be skipped - even if you've changed their data in the CSV file
3. Click **Import** to process

|| 👉 Important: If you don't check "Update existing companies" but your CSV contains companies that already exist in the system, those records will be skipped entirely and won't be updated.

![Upload and Import CSV](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/4/1/0/8410e0b256e81000/import-7-new_jmnouo.webp)
### Handling Company Import Results

The results dashboard will show:
* **Records Processed** - Total number of companies in your CSV file
* **✅ Records Added** - New companies successfully created in the system
* **✅ Records Updated** - Existing companies that were updated with new information (only if "Update existing companies" was checked)
* **⏯️ Records Skipped** - Existing companies that were skipped because "Update existing companies" wasn't checked
* 🔺 **Records Had Errors** - Companies that couldn't be imported due to validation errors

![Import Results](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/4/1/0/8410e0b256e81000/import-8-new_km88ac.webp)
If some records couldn't be imported:
1. Review errors in the data grid
2. Hover over warning icons for details
3. Common company errors: 
* Invalid status values (must be "ACTIVE" or "INACTIVE")
* Unsupported currency codes (must be supported by your account)
* Missing required fields (Company Name, Status, Currency)
* Invalid Company Numeric ID (use "AUTO" or leave empty for new companies)

## How to Export Companies to CSV

To export your Companies:
1. Go to the **Companies** tab
2. Click **Export to CSV**
3. A CSV file with all your companies will be generated and downloaded

![Export Companies to CSV](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/4/1/0/8410e0b256e81000/import-91-new_on2n0w.webp)

## How to Import Contacts with CSV

To import contacts using a CSV file:
1. Navigate to the **Contacts** tab
2. Click the arrow (▼) on the **New** button
3. Select **Import from CSV** from the dropdown menu

| 🌟 Quick tip: Need to add just one contact? Click "New" directly – no need to use the dropdown!

![How to Import Contacts with CSV](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/4/1/0/8410e0b256e81000/import-new_1dk1xsy.webp)

#### Preparing Your CSV File

Before importing, you need to prepare your CSV file correctly:
1. Download and use our CSV Import Template: [🔗 Link Download a Template](https://d1bd8jihtqzqs4.cloudfront.net/help_articles/Contact_Import_Template.csv)
2. Ensure your CSV includes all required fields

#### Contact CSV Template Structure

| Field | Example | Note |
| ---- |
| Contact Numeric ID | AUTO | Optional. System-generated, cannot be manually specified. Leave empty or use "AUTO" for new contacts. To update existing contacts, use their existing ID |
| First Name | John | Required |
| Last Name | Smith | Required |
| Emails | john.smith@company.com | Optional. Work email address. Must be valid email format (e.g., name@domain.com). Use semicolon ( ; ) to separate multiple emails |
| Phone Numbers | +1-555-345-6789 | Optional. Work phone number. Use semicolon  ( ; ) to separate multiple numbers |
| Company Numeric ID | 25 | Required. Must match existing company ID |
| Status | ACTIVE | Required. Must be either ACTIVE or INACTIVE |
| Address Street | 123 Main Street | Optional |
| Address City | New York | Optional |
| Address Zip Code | 10001 | Optional |
| Address Country | USA | Optional |
| LinkedIn Account | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith | Optional. LinkedIn profile URL |

#### Uploading Your CSV File

In the Import Contacts modal, you can **Drag and drop** your CSV file into the designated area or click **Upload File** to browse and select your file

![Upload CSV file](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/4/1/0/8410e0b256e81000/import-2-new_1y8r2ey.webp)

#### Import Options

Before importing, you'll see an option to **Update existing contacts.** What does this mean?
* **If you check this box:** We'll update any contacts that already exist in your system (based on their ID) with the new information from your CSV
* **If you leave it unchecked:** We'll skip any contacts that already exist - even if you've changed their data in the CSV file. These records won't be updated and will appear as skipped in your import results

| 💡 Tip: Not sure? Leave it unchecked for your first import to avoid accidentally overwriting data. You can always run the import again with the box checked if you need to update existing records.

#### Import Process

After uploading your file, you'll see a green success area with a file. Click **Import** to start processing your contacts. If there's an error, check your connection and try again.

![Uploaded CSV file](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/4/1/0/8410e0b256e81000/import-3-new_1lj4xig.webp)

#### Import Results

After processing, you'll see the Import Results dashboard showing:
* **Records Processed** - Total number of records in your CSV file
* **✅ Records Added** - New contacts successfully created
* **✅ Records Updated** - Existing contacts that were updated with new information (only if "Update existing contacts" was checked)
* **⏯️ Records Skipped** - Existing contacts that were skipped because "Update existing contacts" wasn't checked
* 🔺 **Records Had Errors** - Contacts that couldn't be imported due to validation errors

![Import Results](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/4/1/0/8410e0b256e81000/import-4-new_13ngrl8.webp)

#### Handling Import Errors

If some records couldn't be imported:
1. Review the error data grid below the results
2. Each error row shows the problematic record, a warning icon indicating the error, hover over the icon for detailed error information
3. Common errors include: ID contains letters (must be numbers only), missing required fields (First Name, Last Name) or invalid data format
4. Click to download a CSV file containing only the failed records
5. Correct the errors in the downloaded file
6. Re-upload the corrected file

## How to Export Contacts to CSV

To export your contacts to a CSV file:
1. Go to the **Contacts** tab
2. Click the **Export CSV** button
3. Your contact list will be instantly downloaded as a CSV file containing all current contacts.

![Export Contacts to CSV](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/4/1/0/8410e0b256e81000/import-51-new_d8sfrq.webp)


## Best Practices for CSV Operations

1. Always back up your data before performing bulk updates
2. Test with a small batch first to ensure your CSV format is correct
3. Review the template carefully to understand required fields and formats
4. Use the update option cautiously - it will overwrite existing data
5. Keep your CSV files organized with clear naming conventions

## Troubleshooting Common Issues

* **Upload fails**: Check file format (must be .csv), verify internet connection
* **All records show errors**: Review template format, ensure proper column headers
* **ID errors**: Ensure IDs contain only numbers, no letters or special characters
* **Status errors**: Use only accepted values (e.g., "ACTIVE" or "INACTIVE")
* **Missing data errors**: Fill in all required fields before importing