How to Export Contacts from Ontraport

At Add to CRM, we live and breathe CRM data. We know that managing your contacts effectively is the backbone of any successful sales and marketing strategy. A key part of that management is knowing how to get your data out of your CRM when you need it. Whether you're creating a backup, migrating systems, or running in-depth analysis, exporting is a critical task. In this guide, we'll walk you through the complete process of exporting contacts from Ontraport. We'll also show you a more modern way to build fresh, verified contact databases that fuel your growth.

Why Export Contacts from Ontraport?

Exporting your contact list isn't just for leaving a platform. It's a routine task with many practical applications. Here are a few common reasons you might need to export your data:

• Data Backups: Regularly exporting your contacts is a simple and effective way to create backups, giving you peace of mind.
• CRM Migration: If you're ever moving to a new system, a clean export is the first step in the migration process.
• In-Depth Analysis: Spreadsheet tools like Excel or Google Sheets offer powerful data analysis features. Exporting your contacts allows you to create custom reports, pivot tables, and visualizations that might not be possible within your CRM.
• Team Handoffs: You can export specific lists of contacts to distribute to sales team members or external partners for targeted campaigns.
• Data Cleaning: Sometimes it's easier to spot and fix inconsistencies, duplicates, and formatting errors in a spreadsheet.

Before You Export: Important Considerations

Before you click that export button, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure the process is smooth and compliant.

Data Privacy and Compliance

When you export contact data, you become responsible for its security. Be mindful of regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Ensure you have the proper consent to use the data for its intended purpose, especially for marketing outreach. Always store and handle exported files securely.

What Data Gets Exported

Ontraport gives you great control over what data you export. You can choose to export all fields associated with a contact or select specific ones. A powerful and unique feature in Ontraport is the ability to export data from related objects. For example, you can export a contact and also pull in the street address of their related employer organization, all in one file. However, internal system data or extensive activity logs may not be included in a standard contact export.

Export Limitations

Ontraport is robust, but there are a few practical limits to consider. Very large exports (tens of thousands of contacts) can take some time to process. The system will email you a download link when it's ready. These download links, and the files stored in your Exported Lists section, are temporary and are typically removed after a few months, so be sure to download your data promptly.

Step-by-Step Export Process

Here’s our simple, step-by-step guide to exporting your contacts from Ontraport.

Preparing for Export

For the cleanest export, we recommend preparing your list first. Use Ontraport's filtering and grouping features to create a segment of the exact contacts you want to export. This saves you from having to filter a massive spreadsheet later.

Exporting Contacts from Ontraport

1. Navigate to the Contacts object in your Ontraport account.
2. Select the contacts you wish to export. You can check boxes individually, or hover over the top checkbox to Select All on Page or Select All in Group.
3. Once your contacts are selected, the action menu will appear at the top. Click Export.
4. An export configuration window will pop up. Here you can:
   • Enter your email address to be notified when the file is ready.
   • Choose whether to include a header row in your file (we recommend this).
   • Select the specific fields you want to export. You can Clear All and add fields one by one, or Select All. Remember, you can even add fields from related objects here!
5. Click the Export button at the top of the window.

Your export will begin processing. You'll receive an in-app notification and an email with a download link once it's complete. You can also find your file by going to Settings > Exported Lists.

Export Format Options

Ontraport exports your data as a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file. This is a universal format that can be opened by virtually any spreadsheet application, including Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers, making it perfect for data migration and analysis.

Working with Exported Data

Once you have your CSV file, the work isn't over. Here’s how to handle your new data file.

Understanding Your Export File

A CSV file is a simple text file where each line is a contact record, and the data fields are separated by commas. When you open it in a spreadsheet program, each field will be in its own column, and each contact will have its own row.

Data Cleaning and Validation

Use your spreadsheet software to clean the data. Look for common issues like inconsistent formatting (e.g., "USA" vs. "United States"), typos, or missing information. This is your chance to standardize your data before using it or importing it elsewhere.

Common Issues and Solutions

Occasionally, you might run into issues like special characters not displaying correctly. This is often an encoding issue (UTF-8 is standard). Ensure your spreadsheet program is opening the file with the correct encoding. If data seems misaligned, double-check that none of your contact fields contained commas that could have broken the CSV structure.

Alternative Export Methods

For more technical users, Ontraport offers a robust API that allows developers to build custom integrations for automated data extraction. This is ideal for creating real-time data dashboards or syncing with proprietary internal systems.

Building Fresh Contact Databases with LinkOntra

Exporting your existing data is great for management and analysis. But what about growth? Relying on an aging contact list can lead to high bounce rates and missed opportunities. For active sales and marketing, you need a constant flow of fresh, verified data.

This is exactly why we built LinkOntra. It’s a modern solution for building high-quality contact lists directly from the source: LinkedIn.

Why Fresh Data Beats Exported Data

Exported data is a snapshot in time. The moment you export it, it begins to decay. People change jobs, switch emails, and get new phone numbers. Fresh data, sourced in real-time from LinkedIn profiles, is significantly more accurate and relevant for outreach. It ensures you're contacting the right person at the right company, right now.

How LinkOntra Complements Your Export Strategy

LinkOntra is a Chrome extension that finds verified contact information from LinkedIn profiles and adds them directly to Ontraport. It works hand-in-hand with your data management strategy. You can use an export to analyze your current database and identify gaps—for example, contacts missing phone numbers or entire industries you need to target. Then, use LinkOntra to enrich those existing contacts or find net-new leads to fill your pipeline with verified, up-to-date information.

Best Practices for Contact Data Management

Regular Export Schedules

We recommend performing a full backup of your contacts at least quarterly. Store these exports in a secure, named folder so you have a clear history of your data.

Data Security and Storage

Treat your exported files with the same level of security as your live CRM. Store them on encrypted hard drives or in secure cloud storage. Never leave sensitive contact data on a public or unsecured computer.

Keeping Data Current

Data hygiene is an ongoing process. Instead of spending hours cleaning an old, exported list, the best strategy is to continuously populate your CRM with fresh data. Using a tool like LinkOntra to source new contacts from LinkedIn ensures your database stays current and valuable.

Common Export Use Cases

CRM Migration

Use a full CSV export as the foundation for mapping and importing your data into a new CRM system.

Data Analysis and Reporting

Load your exported data into a business intelligence (BI) tool or spreadsheet to track sales trends, identify your most valuable customer segments, and build custom dashboards.

Team Distribution

Export a targeted list of leads for a specific sales rep's territory or for a direct mail campaign.

Compliance and Auditing

Use exports to provide a snapshot of your data for auditing purposes or to fulfill a data access request from a contact.

Building Your Next Contact Database

Exporting is for managing the data you have. LinkOntra is for building the database you need. It's the modern, efficient way to turn LinkedIn into your most powerful source of leads.

Getting Started with LinkOntra

It takes just a few minutes to get started:

1. Install the LinkOntra extension from the Google Chrome Web Store.
2. Navigate to any prospect's profile on LinkedIn.
3. Use the extension to find their verified email address and other contact information.
4. Click "Add to Ontraport" to instantly sync the new contact into your CRM—no manual data entry required.

LinkOntra vs Traditional Data Sources

Why waste time with outdated lists? A purchased list is often inaccurate and expensive. An exported list is already aging. Data sourced directly from LinkedIn with LinkOntra is fresh, verified, and immediately actionable, giving your sales team the competitive edge it needs.

Conclusion

Mastering the export feature in Ontraport is a key skill for smart data management, backups, and analysis. It gives you control over the valuable information you've worked so hard to collect. But for future growth, you need more than just the data you already have. You need a steady stream of fresh, accurate leads.

Instead of relying on outdated lists, empower your team to build a high-quality pipeline directly from LinkedIn. Stop wasting hours on prospecting and manual data entry. Ready to get started? Try LinkOntra for free today.