How to Export Your Contacts From UniLink (Download Your Email List as CSV)
How to Export Your Contacts From UniLink (Download Your Email List as CSV)
Export your full subscriber list from UniLink CRM as a CSV or XLSX file in just a few clicks.
- Go to Dashboard → Contacts → Export to download your subscriber list as CSV or XLSX.
- Use filters (tag, date range, status) to export only the contacts you need.
- Large exports may take a minute to process — check your email if the download doesn't start immediately.
Your UniLink contacts are more than just a list — they represent every subscriber, lead, and customer who trusted you with their information. Whether you're migrating to a new email platform, backing up your data, or running a campaign in an external tool, exporting your contacts gives you full ownership of that relationship. UniLink makes this straightforward with a built-in export flow directly inside the CRM dashboard.
What Contact Export Does
The contact export feature lets you download your entire subscriber database, or a filtered subset of it, as a structured file. Each row in the export represents one contact, and each column maps to a field you've collected — email address, first name, last name, phone number, tags, subscription status, and any custom fields you've configured in your account.
UniLink supports two file formats: CSV (comma-separated values) and XLSX (Microsoft Excel). CSV works with virtually every email platform, CRM, and spreadsheet tool on the market. XLSX is better if you need to do analysis directly in Excel or Google Sheets, since it preserves formatting and column types out of the box.
The export always reflects the current state of your contacts at the time you run it. If a subscriber unsubscribed an hour ago, they'll appear with an "unsubscribed" status in the file rather than being omitted. This means your export is a complete historical record, not just active subscribers — which is important for compliance and data portability.
How to Get Started
- Log in to your UniLink dashboard at app.unilink.us and navigate to the Contacts section from the left sidebar.
- Review your contact list to understand what data you have. Check that the columns you care about — custom fields, tags, subscription status — are populated before exporting.
- Apply any filters you need using the filter bar at the top of the contacts table. You can filter by tag, sign-up date range, or subscription status before triggering the export.
- Click the Export button (top-right of the Contacts page) and choose your preferred file format — CSV or XLSX.
- Download or check your email. Small lists download immediately. For larger lists, UniLink will email the file to your account email address once it's ready.
How to Use Contact Export
- Filter by tag to export a specific segment — for example, subscribers who signed up during a product launch or who are tagged as "VIP customers."
- Set a date range using the sign-up date filter to pull only contacts who subscribed in the last 30 days, last quarter, or any custom window you define.
- Choose "Active only" in the status filter if you're importing into a cold email tool and don't want to include unsubscribed or bounced contacts.
- Select XLSX format if you need to cross-reference contact data in Excel or build pivot tables — the column headers will be properly named and types will be preserved.
- Import the downloaded file into your external tool. Most email platforms (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ConvertKit, etc.) accept CSV uploads directly. Map UniLink's column headers to the destination fields during import.
Key Settings
| Setting | What It Does | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| File Format | Choose between CSV and XLSX output | CSV for imports into email tools; XLSX for spreadsheet analysis |
| Tag Filter | Limits export to contacts with a specific tag | Use when you only need one audience segment |
| Date Range Filter | Exports contacts who subscribed within a defined window | Use for campaign-specific lists or incremental backups |
| Status Filter | Filters by subscribed, unsubscribed, or bounced status | Set to "Subscribed" when importing into external senders |
| Custom Fields | Includes any extra fields you've collected in the export columns | Always on — review which fields exist before exporting large lists |
Get the Most Out Of Contact Export
Make exports a regular part of your workflow, not just a one-time migration task. Running a monthly backup export to your own storage gives you an independent copy of your subscriber list that doesn't depend on UniLink's servers. Store these files in Google Drive or Dropbox with a date in the filename so you can recover to any point in time if something goes wrong.
Use filtered exports to power campaigns in external tools without duplicating your entire list. If you run a flash sale for VIP subscribers, export just the "VIP" tag, import it into your email tool, run the campaign, then delete the import. This keeps your external platforms clean and avoids paying for duplicate contacts.
When exporting for compliance purposes — such as a GDPR data access request — always export the full unfiltered list with all status types included. This gives you a complete picture of every contact record, including those who unsubscribed, and the timestamps associated with each action. Having this on hand before a data request arrives saves significant time.
If you're running UniLink alongside a CRM like HubSpot or a marketing automation tool, schedule a regular export-and-sync process. UniLink captures new subscribers from your link-in-bio page; periodically exporting and importing into your CRM ensures those contacts flow into your broader sales and marketing pipeline without manual effort.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Export doesn't download immediately | List is large enough to require background processing | Wait a few minutes and check the email address on your account for a download link |
| Custom fields missing from export | Custom fields were added after contacts were collected, so older contacts have no data | The columns will still appear in the file — they'll just be empty for contacts who predate the field. This is expected behavior. |
| Export shows fewer contacts than expected | An active filter is applied to the contacts table | Clear all filters before exporting to get the full list |
| Large list times out during export | Very large exports (tens of thousands of contacts) hit a processing limit | Export in segments using date range filters to break the list into smaller batches |
Pros
- Full data portability — you own your contact list and can export it at any time
- Flexible filtering means you can target exact segments without exporting noise
- Both CSV and XLSX formats supported, covering virtually every downstream tool
- Custom fields are included automatically, so exported data is complete
Cons
- Very large lists require waiting for an email delivery rather than instant download
- No scheduled or automated exports — each export is a manual action
- Exported file is a point-in-time snapshot; it won't update if contacts change after download
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I export contacts on the free plan?
Yes, contact export is available on all UniLink plans including the free tier. There is no plan restriction on downloading your own subscriber data.
Does exporting contacts remove them from UniLink?
No. Exporting is a read-only operation. Your contacts remain in UniLink exactly as they were before the export. Nothing is deleted or modified.
What fields are included in the export file?
The export includes email address, first name, last name, phone number (if collected), subscription status, sign-up date, tags, and any custom fields configured in your account.
How long does it take to receive the export email for large lists?
For most accounts, the email arrives within 2–5 minutes. If your list is very large (50,000+ contacts), allow up to 15 minutes. Check your spam folder if you don't see it.
Can I export contacts from a specific form or block, rather than the whole CRM?
Currently, the export covers all contacts in your CRM. To isolate contacts from a specific form, tag those contacts at the form level and then filter by that tag when exporting.
Key Takeaways
- Export contacts via Dashboard → Contacts → Export button, choosing CSV or XLSX format.
- Use tag, date, and status filters before exporting to get only the segment you need.
- Large list exports are delivered by email — check your inbox if the download doesn't start.
- Custom fields are always included in exports; they'll show empty columns for contacts collected before the field existed.
- Exporting does not modify or delete contacts — it's a safe, non-destructive operation.
Ready to Export Your Contacts?
Head to your UniLink dashboard to download your subscriber list. Need more powerful CRM tools? Upgrade to a paid plan starting at $9/month for advanced segmentation and automation features.
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