Export Your Email Marketing Data for Bento

This guide helps you export all your valuable data from your current email marketing platform so you can smoothly migrate to Bento. Follow these steps to preserve your contacts, tags, segments, and automation history.

Exporting your data is safe and won't affect your current email operations. You can continue sending emails while preparing your migration.

Why Proper Export Matters

A successful migration depends on clean, complete data exports. Taking time to export properly ensures:

Zero data loss - Every contact and their history moves with you
Preserved relationships - Tags, segments, and custom fields stay intact
Smooth transition - Your audience won't notice the platform change
Compliance maintained - Unsubscribes and bounces transfer correctly

Most exports take 10-20 minutes depending on your list size and platform. Set aside time to do this properly—rushing leads to mistakes.

Platform-Specific Export Guides

Select your current email marketing platform for detailed export instructions:

ActiveCampaign

Export contacts, tags, automations, and custom fields

Mailchimp

Export audiences, tags, segments, and campaigns

ConvertKit

Export subscribers, tags, sequences, and forms

What You Need to Export

Essential Data

Active Contacts - Your engaged subscribers
Unsubscribed Contacts - Must be imported separately
Bounced Contacts - Prevents sending to bad addresses
Tags & Labels - Your organization system
Custom Fields - Contact properties and data

Reference Material

Segments & Lists - Document rules for recreation
Automation Workflows - Screenshot for rebuilding
Email Templates - Save HTML for reuse
Forms & Landing Pages - Export code or screenshots
Integration Settings - Note connected services

Universal Export Process

If your platform isn't listed above, follow these general steps:

Prepare Your Account

Clean up your data before exporting. Remove test contacts, merge duplicates, and fix obvious errors. This saves time later.

Export Active Contacts First

Navigate to your contacts/subscribers section. Look for "Export" or "Download" options. Choose CSV format with all available fields.

Export Status Segments Separately

Filter for unsubscribed contacts and export them to a separate CSV file. Repeat for bounced contacts. Keep these files separate.

Never mix unsubscribed contacts with active ones—Bento needs separate files to maintain compliance.

Document Your Tags

Export or screenshot your tag list. If tags are included in contact exports, verify all are captured. Note any automation tags.

Capture Segments & Lists

For dynamic segments, document the rules (screenshot or write them down). For static lists, export the contacts separately.

Save Automation References

Take screenshots of your automation workflows, email sequences, and triggers. You'll rebuild these in Bento Flows.

Preparing Your CSV Files

After exporting, you'll need to clean and standardize your data:

Standardize Column Names

Rename columns to Bento-friendly formats:

Your Platform Might Use	Change To	Purpose
Email Address, E-mail, Contact Email	`email`	Primary identifier
First, FirstName, FName	`first_name`	Personalization
Last, LastName, LName	`last_name`	Personalization
Created, Joined, Added	`created_at`	Historical data
Tags, Labels, Lists	`tags`	Organization

Format Tags Properly

Most platforms export tags differently. Standardize them:

Multiple tags: Use commas to separate (e.g., customer,vip,newsletter)
Remove spaces: customer, vip → customer,vip
Use underscores: high value → high_value

Clean Your Data

Remove:

Blank email addresses
Test contacts (test@, admin@)
Duplicate entries
System fields you don't need

Fix:

Inconsistent capitalization
Extra spaces in fields
Invalid email formats
Missing required data

Use spreadsheet software (Excel, Google Sheets) to clean your data. The "Find & Replace" feature is your friend.

Common Export Challenges

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions or contact our support team

Export Button Missing or Disabled

If you can't find or access export options:

Check your account permissions—you may need admin access
Look under different menu sections (Settings, Account, Tools)
Some platforms limit exports on free plans
Try the platform's API or third-party export tools

Large Lists Split into Multiple Files

Platforms often split exports over 50,000 contacts:

Download all parts before combining
Use consistent column headers when merging
Check for duplicates after combining files
Keep backup copies of original exports

Missing Data in Exports

If expected data isn't in your export:

Check export settings for field selection options
Some data may be in separate reports (engagement, purchases)
Custom fields might need to be explicitly selected
Platform limitations may prevent some data exports

Platform Translation Guide

Different platforms use different terms. Here's your translation guide:

Common Platform Terms	Bento Equivalent	What It Means
List, Audience, Database	People	All your contacts in one place
Tag, Label, Category	Tag	Labels for organizing contacts
Segment, Smart List, Group	Segment	Dynamic groups based on criteria
Custom Field, Property, Attribute	Field	Additional contact information
Campaign, Broadcast, Blast	Broadcast	One-time email to a group
Automation, Workflow, Sequence	Flow	Triggered email sequences
Form, Opt-in, Sign-up	Form	Ways to collect new contacts

Export Checklist

Before moving to import, verify you have:

Required Files

Active contacts CSV (with all custom fields)
Unsubscribed contacts CSV (separate file)
Bounced contacts CSV (if applicable)
Tag documentation or export

Reference Materials

Screenshots of automation workflows
Segment rules documented
Form code or screenshots saved
Email template HTML exported

Data Quality

Column names standardized
Tags formatted correctly (comma-separated)
Duplicate contacts removed
Test contacts deleted

Next Steps

With your data exported and cleaned:

Create Backup Copies - Save original exports before making changes
Start Small - Import a test batch of 100 contacts first
Verify Everything - Check that tags, fields, and data imported correctly
Scale Up - Import remaining contacts in batches
Rebuild Automations - Use your screenshots to recreate workflows

Keep your current platform active during migration. Only cancel after confirming everything works perfectly in Bento.

Need Help?

If you encounter export challenges:

Check our platform-specific guides above for detailed steps
Join the Bento Discord community
Contact your current platform's support for export assistance
Reach out to Bento support for import questions

Remember: Taking time to export properly saves hours of cleanup later. Your future self will thank you!

Most migrations complete in 2-4 hours of actual work. Don't rush—careful preparation ensures a smooth transition.