How to Export Contacts from Pipedrive

Managing your CRM data is crucial for any 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 understand the importance of a well-managed contact database. This guide will walk you through the complete process of exporting contacts from Pipedrive. We'll also show you how to build fresh, verified contact databases to supercharge your sales efforts.

Why Export Contacts from Pipedrive?

Exporting contacts isn't just about creating a spreadsheet. It's a strategic task that serves several key business functions. Here are a few common reasons you might need to export your Pipedrive contacts:

• Data Backup: Creating regular backups of your contact list protects you from accidental data loss.
• CRM Migration: If you're switching to a new CRM, an export is the first step in moving your data over.
• Offline Analysis & Reporting: Use tools like Excel or Google Sheets to perform deep analysis on your sales data that might not be possible within the CRM itself.
• Building Targeted Lists: Create custom lists for specific marketing campaigns or sales initiatives.
• Team Handoffs: Easily share a specific subset of contacts with a team member or external partner without granting them full CRM access.
• Compliance: Fulfill data requests for auditing or compliance purposes.

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 data, it's no longer protected by Pipedrive's security measures. You are responsible for its security. Be mindful of data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Ensure you have a legitimate reason for exporting personal data and handle the resulting files with care.

What Data Gets Exported

A standard contact export from Pipedrive includes the default and custom fields associated with your People, Organizations, or Deals. However, it's crucial to know what doesn't get exported. Associated data like notes, activities, and files are typically not included in a standard contact export and must be exported separately.

Export Limitations

Pipedrive has different permissions for users. Only admin users can perform a full backup of all company data via the 'Export data' setting. Regular users can typically only export data they have permission to see, often from filtered list views. Always be aware of your user role, as it may affect your export capabilities.

Step-by-Step Export Process

Exporting from Pipedrive is straightforward. The most common method is exporting from a filtered list view.

Preparing for Export

For the best results, prepare your data first. We recommend cleaning up your contacts by merging duplicates and ensuring data is consistent. Then, use Pipedrive's powerful filtering capabilities to create a list of the exact contacts you need. This makes your exported file smaller and much easier to work with.

Exporting Contacts from Pipedrive

Here’s how to export your chosen contacts:

1. Navigate to the Contacts tab in the left-hand menu of your Pipedrive account.
2. Select the filter that contains the contacts you wish to export. You can use a default filter like 'All contacts' or a custom one you've created.
3. In the top-right corner of the screen, click the “...” (more actions) icon.
4. From the dropdown menu, select Export filter results.
5. A dialog box will appear, allowing you to choose your export format.
6. Click Export. Pipedrive will prepare your file in the background. Once it's ready, a Download button will appear. Click it to save the file to your computer.

Export Format Options

Pipedrive offers two primary formats for your export:

• CSV (Comma-Separated Values): This is a universal, plain-text format that can be opened by almost any spreadsheet program. It's the best choice for importing data into other systems.
• Excel (.xlsx): This format is ideal if you plan to work with the data directly in Microsoft Excel, as it preserves formatting better than a CSV.

Working with Exported Data

Once you have your file, the work isn't over. Proper handling ensures the data remains useful.

Understanding Your Export File

Open your file in a spreadsheet program like Excel or Google Sheets. You'll see your contact data organized into columns that correspond to the fields in Pipedrive. Each row represents a single contact.

Data Cleaning and Validation

Scan the file for any issues. Look for empty cells, inconsistent formatting, or special characters that didn't export correctly. This is also a moment when you might notice how much of your data is incomplete or potentially out of date.

Common Issues and Solutions

Sometimes, exports can have minor issues. You might encounter character encoding problems if you have contacts with special characters in their names. Opening the CSV in your spreadsheet program and saving it with UTF-8 encoding can often fix this.

Alternative Export Methods

While exporting from the list view is most common, Pipedrive offers other ways to get your data out:

• Full Data Export (Admins Only): Admin users can navigate to Tools and apps > Export data to perform a bulk export of entire modules like Deals, People, or Products.
• Insights Export: You can export charts and report data directly from your Insights dashboards for presentations and analysis.
• API: For teams with development resources, the Pipedrive API provides the most flexible and powerful way to programmatically extract data.

Building Fresh Contact Databases with LinkPipe

Exporting your existing data is great for management and backup. But for sales and growth, you need a constant flow of new, accurate leads. Relying solely on your existing CRM data means you could be working with outdated information. This is where building a fresh database becomes essential.

Instead of just managing old contacts, you can actively find new, verified prospects on LinkedIn and add them directly to Pipedrive with our Chrome extension, LinkPipe. It’s the modern way to build a high-quality contact list.

Why Fresh Data Beats Exported Data

Contact data decays quickly. People change jobs, companies rebrand, and email addresses become inactive. An exported list is a snapshot in time, and it starts aging the moment you download it. In contrast, fresh data sourced directly from LinkedIn and verified by LinkPipe offers:

• Higher Accuracy: Get up-to-date job titles, companies, and verified contact information.
• Better Engagement: Reach the right person at the right time with accurate data.
• Increased Efficiency: Stop wasting time on bounced emails and disconnected numbers.

How LinkPipe Complements Your Export Strategy

LinkPipe is a Chrome extension that finds verified contact information from LinkedIn profiles and adds them directly to Pipedrive. It works in perfect harmony with your data export strategy. Use your exports for historical analysis and backups. Use LinkPipe to enrich your existing contacts with current data or, more importantly, to build new, highly targeted lists of prospects for your outreach campaigns.

Best Practices for Contact Data Management

Follow these best practices to keep your contact data secure, organized, and effective.

Regular Export Schedules

We recommend performing a full data export for backup purposes on a regular schedule, such as weekly or monthly, depending on how actively your data changes.

Data Security and Storage

Store your exported files in a secure, encrypted location. Limit access to only those who need it and delete the files permanently once they are no longer required to minimize security risks.

Keeping Data Current

Data is not static. The most effective strategy for data management is continuous improvement. Use tools like LinkPipe to constantly feed your Pipedrive account with fresh, verified contacts from LinkedIn, ensuring your database is always an asset, not a liability.

Common Export Use Cases

Here are a few practical scenarios where your exported Pipedrive data comes in handy.

CRM Migration

An exported CSV file is the universal key for moving your contacts, deals, and organizations from Pipedrive to another platform.

Data Analysis and Reporting

Use the power of spreadsheets to pivot, chart, and analyze your sales pipeline, customer demographics, and team performance in ways that go beyond built-in CRM reports.

Team Distribution

Export a filtered list of leads to assign to a specific sales rep or to use for a targeted email marketing blast.

Compliance and Auditing

When you need to provide a snapshot of your customer data for legal or auditing purposes, a clean export is the most professional and straightforward way to do it.

Building Your Next Contact Database

While exporting is a necessary function for data management, the future of sales is in proactive prospecting. LinkPipe is the modern tool for building your contact database. It provides fresh, verified data that is far more valuable for active sales than a static, aging list of exported contacts.

Getting Started with LinkPipe

It takes just a few minutes to get started:

1. Install the LinkPipe extension from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Navigate to any prospect's profile on LinkedIn.
3. Click the LinkPipe button to find verified, up-to-date contact information.
4. Click “Add to Pipedrive” to instantly sync the new contact into your CRM without any manual data entry.

LinkPipe vs Traditional Data Sources

Compared to traditional methods, LinkPipe offers superior quality and efficiency. Exported lists become stale quickly, and purchased lists are often inaccurate and expensive. LinkPipe sources data directly from the world's largest professional network and verifies it, giving your team a significant competitive advantage.

Conclusion

Knowing how to export your contacts from Pipedrive is an essential skill for data backup, migration, and analysis. By following the steps outlined above, you can confidently manage your existing data. However, to truly drive growth, you need to focus on acquiring fresh, accurate contact information.

Ready to stop relying on stale data and start building a powerful, verified contact list? Try LinkPipe for free today and save hours on prospecting every week.