How to Export Contacts from Freshworks

Managing your CRM data is crucial for any successful business. Whether you're backing up your hard-earned contacts, migrating to a new system, or running in-depth analysis, knowing how to export your data is a fundamental skill. At Add to CRM, we're experts in CRM data management, and we're here to guide you through the complete process of exporting contacts from Freshworks.

In this guide, we'll cover the step-by-step process for getting your data out of Freshworks. We'll also explore a more modern approach: how to build and refresh your contact database with verified, up-to-date information directly from LinkedIn.

Why Export Contacts from Freshworks?

Exporting your contact data isn't just for switching CRMs. It's a vital task for several strategic reasons. Here are a few common scenarios where you might need an export:

• Data Backup: Regularly exporting your data creates a secure backup, protecting you from accidental deletion or data loss.
• CRM Migration: If you're moving to a new platform, a full export is the first and most critical step.
• Data Analysis & Reporting: Exported data can be used in tools like Excel or Google Sheets for deep analysis, helping you uncover trends and create custom reports.
• List Segmentation: You can export specific segments of your contacts for targeted email campaigns or sales outreach.
• Compliance: Some regulations require you to provide data records upon request or maintain archives for a specific period.

Before You Export: Important Considerations

Before you click that export button, it's important to understand a few key details about the process.

Data Privacy and Compliance

Once you export contact information, you become the custodian of that data. It's your responsibility to handle it in compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Always store exported files securely and ensure you have the proper consent to use the personal information within them.

What Data Gets Exported

Freshworks allows you to select which modules you want to export. This means you can pull data from Contacts, Accounts, Deals, and other modules you use. The export will include all standard and custom fields associated with the records in your selected modules, giving you a complete picture of your data.

Export Limitations

Freshworks has a few rules to ensure system stability:

• A full data export (using the "Until Today" option) can only be performed once per day.
• Time-limited exports (e.g., Last 30 Days) can be performed up to five times per day.
• The exported data is not an instant download. It will be sent as a ZIP file to your registered email address.

Step-by-Step Export Process

Here’s how to perform a bulk data export from your Freshworks account.

Preparing for Export

For the cleanest possible export, we recommend doing a quick data audit. Take a moment to merge any duplicate contacts and update any obviously outdated information. A little cleanup beforehand can save you a lot of time later.

Exporting Contacts from Freshworks

Follow these simple steps to get your data:

1. Log into your Freshworks CRM account.
2. Click on Admin Settings in the left-hand navigation panel.
3. In the search bar that appears, type and select Account Settings.
4. On the right side of the Account Settings page, click the Export Data option.
5. Choose the time period for your export. You can select a preset range like "Last 90 Days" or choose a custom date range.
6. Select the modules you wish to export (e.g., Contacts, Accounts).
7. Click the Export button.

After you initiate the export, Freshworks will process the request and send an email with a download link to the address associated with your account.

Export Format Options

Freshworks exports your data in the CSV (Comma-Separated Values) format, packaged within a ZIP file. CSV is a universal format that can be easily opened and managed in any spreadsheet application, including Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers.

Working with Exported Data

Once you've downloaded and unzipped your file, here's what to do next.

Understanding Your Export File

The ZIP file will contain separate CSV files for each module you chose to export. For example, if you exported Contacts and Accounts, you will find contacts.csv and accounts.csv inside.

Data Cleaning and Validation

Open the CSV files in your preferred spreadsheet program to review the data. This is a good time to remove any columns you don't need, correct formatting issues, and validate that all the information looks correct before using it for its intended purpose.

Common Issues and Solutions

Occasionally, you might encounter character encoding issues, where special characters or symbols don't display correctly. If this happens, try opening the CSV file and re-saving it with UTF-8 encoding, which is a universal standard that supports a wide range of characters.

Alternative Export Methods

Besides the bulk data export tool in Admin Settings, you can also export individual records directly from their detail page. This is useful if you only need the information for a single contact. For more technical users, the Freshworks API offers a powerful way to build custom integrations that can pull data automatically.

Building Fresh Contact Databases with LinkFresh

Exporting your existing data is great for backups and analysis, but what about growth? Your exported list is a snapshot in time, and data gets stale quickly. For active sales and marketing, you need fresh, accurate information.

This is where our tool, LinkFresh, comes in. Instead of just managing old data, you can build brand-new lists of verified prospects directly from LinkedIn.

Why Fresh Data Beats Exported Data

An exported list is, by its nature, already aging. People change jobs, email addresses become inactive, and phone numbers are disconnected. Fresh data sourced in real-time from LinkedIn provides:

• Higher Accuracy: Get up-to-date job titles, companies, and contact details.
• Verified Information: Reduce email bounce rates and connect with real decision-makers.
• Targeted Prospecting: Build lists based on the most current professional information available.

How LinkFresh Complements Your Export Strategy

LinkFresh is a Chrome extension that finds verified contact information from LinkedIn profiles and adds them directly to Freshworks. You can use your exported data for historical analysis and backups, while using LinkFresh to fuel your pipeline with a steady stream of new, high-quality leads. It's the perfect two-part strategy for comprehensive data management.

Best Practices for Contact Data Management

Regular Export Schedules

We recommend setting a recurring calendar reminder to export your Freshworks data weekly or monthly. This ensures you always have a recent backup on hand for disaster recovery.

Data Security and Storage

Treat your exported data with the same level of security as your live CRM. Store the files in a secure, password-protected location, and limit access to only those who need it.

Keeping Data Current

Data decay is inevitable. The best strategy is to continuously enrich your CRM with new information. Using a tool like LinkFresh helps you proactively add fresh contacts from LinkedIn, keeping your database relevant and powerful.

Common Export Use Cases

CRM Migration

An export is the foundation of a successful CRM migration. You can use the CSV file to clean and format your data before mapping it to the fields in your new system.

Data Analysis and Reporting

Load your exported data into a business intelligence tool or spreadsheet to analyze sales performance, identify your most valuable lead sources, and build custom dashboards.

Team Distribution

Need to hand off a list of leads to a specific sales rep? Export a filtered list and share it with them directly, ensuring they have exactly the data they need.

Compliance and Auditing

Exports provide a clear, time-stamped record of your data, which can be essential for demonstrating compliance or fulfilling audit requests.

Building Your Next Contact Database

While managing existing data is important, building your next high-value contact list is what drives revenue. LinkFresh is the modern way to build a database, providing fresh, verified information that is far more valuable than an old, exported list.

Getting Started with LinkFresh

It only takes a minute to get started:

1. Install the LinkFresh Chrome extension from the web store.
2. Navigate to any prospect's profile on LinkedIn.
3. Use the extension to find their verified email address and phone number.
4. Click "Add to CRM" to send the contact and all their information directly to Freshworks.

LinkFresh vs Traditional Data Sources

Compared to static, exported lists or expensive, low-quality purchased lists, LinkFresh provides real-time, verified data directly from the source. This means higher engagement rates, fewer bounced emails, and more meaningful conversations.

Conclusion

Exporting your contacts from Freshworks is a straightforward process that is essential for smart data management, backups, and analysis. By following the steps above, you can confidently manage and protect your existing data.

But for future growth, your focus should be on acquiring fresh, accurate contact information. A tool like LinkFresh is essential for any modern sales team looking to build a powerful and reliable pipeline. Stop relying on stale data and start closing more deals.

Try LinkFresh for free today and discover the easiest way to add verified leads from LinkedIn to Freshworks.