How to Export Contacts from Agile CRM

Managing your customer data effectively is crucial for any business. Whether you're backing up your database, migrating to a new system, or running in-depth analysis, knowing how to export your contacts from Agile CRM is a fundamental skill. At Add to CRM, we're experts in CRM data, and this guide will walk you through the entire export process step-by-step. We'll also show you a modern way to build fresh, verified contact databases that keep your sales pipeline full.

Why Export Contacts from Agile CRM?

Exporting your contact list isn't just for leaving a platform. It's a vital data management practice. Here are a few common reasons you might need to export your contacts:

• Data Backup: Regularly exporting your contacts creates a secure backup, protecting you from accidental data loss.
• CRM Migration: If you're moving to a different CRM, an export is the first step in transferring your valuable contact information.
• Data Analysis & Reporting: Exported data can be used in tools like Excel or Google Sheets to create custom reports, analyze sales trends, and gain deeper insights into your customer base.
• Building Targeted Lists: You can export specific segments of your contacts for targeted email marketing campaigns or sales outreach.
• Compliance and Auditing: Having an offline copy of your data can be necessary for compliance checks and internal audits.

Before You Export: Important Considerations

Data Privacy and Compliance

Before you export any customer data, it's essential to consider privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Ensure you have a legitimate basis for processing and storing this information outside of the secure Agile CRM environment. Always handle exported data with the same level of care and security as you would within the CRM.

What Data Gets Exported

When you export contacts from Agile CRM, you typically get the standard contact fields: name, email, phone number, company, address, and any custom fields you've created. However, associated data like notes, tasks, deals, or campaign history may not be included in a standard contact export and might need to be exported separately.

Export Limitations

Like many cloud-based platforms, Agile CRM may have limitations on exports, such as the number of records you can export at one time. For very large databases, you might need to export your contacts in batches by using filters to create smaller segments.

Step-by-Step Export Process

Preparing for Export

For the most effective export, we recommend cleaning up your data first. Use Agile CRM's filtering capabilities to identify and merge duplicate contacts, update outdated information, and standardize your data. This ensures the file you export is accurate and ready to use.

Exporting Contacts from Agile CRM

Exporting your contacts from Agile CRM is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Agile CRM dashboard.
2. Navigate to the Contacts page from the main menu on the left.
3. Select the contacts you wish to export. You can check the box at the top of the list to select all contacts on the page or use the Filter options to create a specific segment.
4. Once your contacts are selected, click the Bulk Actions button that appears.
5. From the dropdown menu, choose the Export Contacts option.
6. Agile CRM will ask you to confirm the export. The system will then prepare a CSV file for you to download.

Export Format Options

Agile CRM exports contacts in CSV (Comma Separated Values) format. This is a universal file type that is compatible with almost any spreadsheet application, including Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers, making it easy to work with your data offline.

Working with Exported Data

Understanding Your Export File

Once you open your downloaded CSV file, you'll see your contact information organized into columns. Each column represents a field in Agile CRM (like 'First Name', 'Email', etc.), and each row represents a single contact.

Data Cleaning and Validation

Even after a pre-export cleanup, you may want to validate your data further. You can use spreadsheet formulas to identify formatting issues or gaps in your data. However, manually verifying information like email addresses and phone numbers is time-consuming and often ineffective.

Common Issues and Solutions

Sometimes, exported files can have issues with special characters or formatting, especially if data was entered inconsistently. Using the 'Text to Columns' feature in your spreadsheet program can help correctly parse the data if it doesn't display correctly at first.

Alternative Export Methods

For more technical users or those needing automated data extraction, Agile CRM offers an API. This allows developers to build custom integrations that can pull contact data programmatically, offering more flexibility than the manual export feature.

Building Fresh Contact Databases with LinkAgile

Exporting your existing data is great for management and backup, but what about growth? Your exported list is a snapshot of the past, and data gets stale quickly. For active sales and marketing, you need a constant flow of fresh, verified leads. This is where LinkAgile comes in.

Why Fresh Data Beats Exported Data

Contact data decays at a rate of over 20% per year. People change jobs, companies get acquired, and email addresses become inactive. An exported list from six months ago could be full of outdated information, leading to bounced emails and wasted time. In contrast, fresh data sourced directly from a professional network like LinkedIn is far more likely to be current and accurate.

How LinkAgile Complements Your Export Strategy

LinkAgile is a Chrome extension that finds verified contact information from LinkedIn profiles and adds them directly to Agile CRM. You can use an export to analyze your existing customer base and identify your ideal customer profile. Then, use LinkAgile to find new, similar prospects on LinkedIn and add their verified, up-to-date contact details to your CRM with a single click. It's the perfect way to enrich and grow your database.

Best Practices for Contact Data Management

Regular Export Schedules

We recommend performing a full export of your contacts at least once a month for backup purposes. Store these files in a secure, encrypted location.

Data Security and Storage

Treat your exported CSV files like any other sensitive company asset. Do not store them on unsecured computers or share them over non-encrypted channels. Always be mindful of your data privacy obligations.

Keeping Data Current

Instead of spending hours manually updating your exported lists, focus on keeping your live CRM data current. A tool like LinkAgile helps you proactively add fresh, verified contacts, ensuring your database remains a valuable asset for your sales and marketing teams.

Common Export Use Cases

CRM Migration

When moving to a new CRM, your exported CSV file is the foundation. You'll map the columns from your export file to the fields in the new system to ensure a smooth transition.

Data Analysis and Reporting

Use your exported data to perform a SWOT analysis on your customer base, identify your most valuable contact segments, or track lead generation trends over time in a business intelligence tool.

Team Distribution

Export targeted lists for specific sales team members to focus on, ensuring they have the data they need for their outreach campaigns, even if they need to work offline.

Compliance and Auditing

Provide auditors with a clean, time-stamped export of your contact database to fulfill compliance requests without granting direct access to your live CRM.

Building Your Next Contact Database

While exporting is a necessary function, the future of sales is in proactive prospecting. LinkAgile is the modern way to build your contact database. It provides fresh, verified data that is far more valuable for driving new business than an aging list of exported contacts.

Getting Started with LinkAgile

It takes just a few minutes to get started:

1. Install the LinkAgile extension from the Google Chrome Web Store.
2. Navigate to any prospect's profile on LinkedIn.
3. Click the LinkAgile button to find their verified email address and other contact information.
4. Click "Add to CRM" to instantly save the new, enriched contact directly into your Agile CRM account.

LinkAgile vs Traditional Data Sources

Compared to a static exported list or an expensive purchased database, the data you get with LinkAgile is superior. It's sourced in real-time from LinkedIn, verified for accuracy, and delivered directly into your workflow, saving you hours of manual research and data entry.

Conclusion

Exporting contacts from Agile CRM is a simple yet powerful feature for managing your data. By following the steps we've outlined, you can easily back up, migrate, or analyze your contact information. But effective data management is about more than just maintaining what you have—it's about building for the future. To keep your pipeline full and your data fresh, you need a modern prospecting tool.

Ready to stop managing stale data and start building a powerful, verified contact list? Try LinkAgile for free today and see how much time you can save on prospecting.