How to Export Contacts from Copper 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 Copper CRM is a fundamental skill. In this guide, we'll walk you through the complete process, step by step. We'll also explore how you can go beyond managing existing data by building fresh, verified contact databases with powerful tools designed for modern sales teams.

Why Export Contacts from Copper CRM?

Exporting your contact data isn't just for creating backups. There are several strategic reasons why you might need a copy of your CRM data:

• Data Backup: Regularly exporting your data creates a secure backup, protecting you from accidental data loss.
• CRM Migration: If you're switching to a new 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, charts, and dashboards that go beyond Copper's built-in reporting.
• Team Handoffs: Share specific lists of contacts with team members or external partners who may not have access to your CRM.
• Compliance & Audits: Maintain offline records for compliance purposes or internal audits.

Before You Export: Important Considerations

Before you click the export button, it's important to understand a few key aspects of the process.

Data Privacy and Compliance

When you export contact data, you move it outside of Copper's secure environment. You are responsible for handling this data in compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Always store exported files securely and be mindful of who has access to them.

What Data Gets Exported

Copper CRM allows you to export your primary record types, including:

• People
• Companies
• Opportunities
• Projects
• Tasks
• Leads

Note that activity logs (like emails and notes) are not included in standard exports. For a one-time export of activities, you may need to contact Copper's support team directly.

Export Limitations

Copper is generous with its export capabilities, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, user permissions matter. By default, only admins can export data, but they can grant this permission to other users. Second, while there is a file size limit of 100GB, this is more than enough for the vast majority of businesses.

Step-by-Step Export Process

Copper offers two primary methods for exporting your data: a full export of all records or a filtered export of a specific list.

Preparing for Export

For the most useful export, we recommend cleaning up your data first. Use Copper's filtering capabilities to create a view of the exact data you need. This ensures your exported file is targeted and easy to work with.

Exporting Contacts from Copper CRM

Method 1: Exporting All Records

This method is ideal for creating a complete backup of a specific record type.

1. Sign in to your Copper account.
2. Click on your Profile icon in the upper left and select Workspace Settings.
3. In the left-hand menu, choose Export Data under the 'Manage Your Data' section.
4. Select the record type you wish to export (e.g., People, Companies).
5. Click the blue 'Export [record type]' button.
6. Copper will process the request and send you an email with a download link for your .xlsx file.

Method 2: Exporting a Filtered List

This is perfect for exporting segmented lists for specific campaigns or analysis.

1. Navigate to the list view for People, Companies, Leads, or another record type.
2. Apply filters to narrow down your list to the exact records you need.
3. Select the records you want to export. You can check the box at the top of the list to select all records in the current view.
4. Click the three-dot menu in the actions bar that appears.
5. Select Export List.
6. Confirm your selection and click Export.
7. You will receive an email with an Excel file of your exported data.

Export Format Options

Copper exports data into an Excel file (.xlsx). This format is excellent for data manipulation, analysis, and creating reports. If you need a different format like CSV, you can easily open the file in Excel or Google Sheets and save it as a CSV.

Working with Exported Data

Understanding Your Export File

Your exported file will contain columns that correspond to the fields in your Copper CRM. Each row represents a single record (e.g., a person or a company).

Data Cleaning and Validation

Once in Excel, you can use functions to clean your data further. This might include removing duplicates, standardizing formatting, or validating email addresses. This step is crucial before importing the data into another system.

Common Issues and Solutions

Occasionally, you might encounter formatting issues or notice that some data is missing. This usually happens when the corresponding fields in Copper were empty. Reviewing your data in Copper before exporting can help minimize these issues.

Alternative Export Methods

For businesses with development resources, the Copper API offers a powerful way to automate data exports. The API allows for more complex queries and integrations with other business systems, providing a flexible alternative to manual exports.

Building Fresh Contact Databases with LinkCopper

Exporting your existing data is great for management and analysis, but what about growth? For active sales and prospecting, you need fresh, verified contact information. This is where building a new database becomes more valuable than just managing an old one. At Add to CRM, we built a tool specifically for this: LinkCopper.

Why Fresh Data Beats Exported Data

Contact data decays quickly. People change jobs, companies get acquired, and email addresses become obsolete. An exported list from six months ago is likely full of outdated information. In contrast, fresh data sourced directly from professional networks like LinkedIn is current, relevant, and verified, leading to significantly higher engagement and conversion rates.

How LinkCopper Complements Your Export Strategy

LinkCopper is a Chrome extension that finds verified contact information from LinkedIn profiles and adds them directly to Copper CRM. You can use an export to analyze your current database and identify gaps—for example, contacts missing phone numbers or entire departments you haven't prospected yet. Then, use LinkCopper to fill those gaps by finding new, up-to-date contacts on LinkedIn and adding them to Copper with a single click.

Best Practices for Contact Data Management

Regular Export Schedules

We recommend performing a full export of your key records on a monthly or quarterly basis. This ensures you always have a recent backup for disaster recovery.

Data Security and Storage

Always store exported files on secure, encrypted drives. Limit access to authorized personnel and delete the files once they are no longer needed to minimize privacy risks.

Keeping Data Current

Proactively maintain the health of your CRM data. Instead of waiting for data to become stale, use tools like LinkCopper to continuously enrich your CRM with fresh, verified contacts from LinkedIn.

Common Export Use Cases

CRM Migration

Use a full export as the foundation for migrating your contacts, companies, and deals to a new platform.

Data Analysis and Reporting

Leverage the power of spreadsheets to analyze sales cycles, identify top-performing lead sources, or create custom sales forecasts.

Team Distribution

Export a filtered list of leads for a specific sales territory and distribute it to the relevant sales representative.

Compliance and Auditing

Provide auditors with a clean, time-stamped export of customer data to fulfill compliance requests.

Building Your Next Contact Database

While exporting is a key data management task, building your next sales pipeline requires a modern approach. LinkCopper provides fresh, verified B2B data that is often far more valuable than an old, exported list of contacts.

Getting Started with LinkCopper

1. Install the LinkCopper extension from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Navigate to any LinkedIn profile you want to prospect.
3. Use the extension to find verified email addresses and phone numbers.
4. Click "Add to CRM" to send the contact and all their information directly to Copper CRM, instantly.

LinkCopper vs Traditional Data Sources

Compared to static exported lists or purchased contact databases, LinkCopper provides real-time, high-accuracy data. You get verified contact information directly from the source, eliminating the guesswork and bounce-backs associated with outdated lists.

Conclusion

Knowing how to export your data from Copper CRM is essential for smart data management, backups, and analysis. The process is straightforward, giving you full control over your information. However, to truly drive growth, your focus should be on acquiring fresh, accurate data.

By complementing your export strategy with a powerful prospecting tool, you can ensure your CRM is not just a system of record, but a dynamic engine for your sales team. Ready to stop managing stale data and start building a powerful, fresh contact list? Install LinkCopper today and see the difference for yourself.