The Import & Export Hub is one page where you bring data into Argenta or take your data out of it. Every record type sits on the same page, imports all follow the same five steps, and every run is logged so you can see what happened.

Where to find it

Click Settings in the top bar, then Import & Export. You need to be a Master Admin or a Subscription Manager to open the hub. What you can do once you are inside depends on your other permissions, which are covered further down.

How the page is laid out

• Import / Export toggle. Top right of the page header. Import mode lists only the record types you can bring in. Export mode lists everything you can take out.
• Search and category pills. Search record types by name, or filter to People, Giving, Membership, Events, Volunteers, Finance, Operations, or Organization.
• Record type cards. Each card shows what that record type holds, how many you have today, and when you last imported or exported it. The buttons on the card take you straight into an import or open the export options.
• The five-step strip. In Import mode, a reminder that every import walks the same path: Upload File, Resolve Duplicates, Map Fields, Review, Import.
• Recent Activity. Your last 25 imports and exports, with the date, the record type, how many rows, who ran it, and how it finished.

What you can import and export

There are 77 record types in the hub, covering constituents and donors, gifts and pledges, grants, memberships, events, volunteers, your whole finance side (accounts, funds, budgets, invoices, payments, expenses), operations records like documents, notebooks and email templates, and your organization structure.

Six of them are export only, so they appear in Export mode but not in Import mode:

• Recurring Donations. Recurring gift schedules are managed by the payment processor, so a schedule cannot be created by importing a row.
• Account Transactions. These are produced by the entries you post, so you build them through your accounting screens rather than a file.
• Event Ticket Sales. Created when someone buys a ticket through your event forms.
• Payroll Distributions. Export only.
• Users and Portal Users. Logins are created in Settings > System Users, not through a file.

Step 1: Upload your file

Export your records out of your current system as a CSV or Excel file, then drop it on the upload box (or click to browse). Argenta accepts CSV, XLSX, and XLS files up to 25 MB, and reads the first worksheet of a workbook.

• Where is this data coming from? This dropdown is optional and it helps the auto-mapping. Pick your old system if it is listed (Blackbaud / Raiser's Edge, Little Green Light, Bloomerang, DonorPerfect, Neon CRM, Salesforce NPSP, or Other), or leave it on CSV / Spreadsheet.
• No file yet? Click Download the full import template. The template has a column for every field Argenta can import for that record type, plus one sample row. Fill in what you have and delete the columns you do not.
• Picked the wrong file? Click Remove and choose another.

Click Continue to Duplicate Check when your file is loaded.

Step 2: Resolve duplicates inside your file

This step looks at your file only, not at what is already in Argenta. It flags rows that look like the same person listed more than once, which is common in a file stitched together from several sources.

1. Each group shows the rows it thinks are the same, with name, email, phone, and address so you can judge.
2. Pick which row to keep with the radio button. The one marked Keep This One is the row that survives.
3. Click Merge to combine the group, or Keep Separate if they really are different people.

Merging fills in the gaps: any field that is blank on the row you kept is filled from the other rows in the group, and those extra rows drop out. Merge All Duplicates and Keep All Rows Separate handle every group at once. The three counters at the top show your total rows, how many duplicate groups were found, and how many unique rows you will end up with.

Some record types have no duplicate check because repeats are normal there. A donations file should have ten rows from the same donor if that donor gave ten times.

Step 3: Map your fields

This is where you tell Argenta what each column in your file means. Argenta auto-maps everything it recognizes first, using the column name, common variations of it, and the source system you picked in step 1. Auto-mapped columns are marked with a small wand icon.

• Change any mapping by clicking the field dropdown. You can search it by field name or by description, and the fields are grouped so related ones sit together.
• Leave a column out by choosing Do Not Import. Columns you never map are simply ignored.
• Show only unmapped fields hides everything Argenta already matched so you can work through what is left.
• Re-run Auto-Map starts the matching over, and Clear All Mappings empties every one so you can map by hand.
• Sample Data shows a real value from your first row next to each column, which is the fastest way to catch a column whose header lies about its contents.

You need at least one mapped column to continue.

Step 4: Review before anything is written

Nothing has been saved at this point. This screen shows exactly what will happen.

• Four counters across the top: how many rows will be imported, how many will be skipped because they match a record you already have, how many are being skipped for errors, and how many carry warnings.
• The match panel lists rows that match records already in Argenta, and what will happen to each. If a match is wrong, flip that single row to Add Anyway, or use Skip All and Add All Anyway for the whole set.
• Unmatched values get their own warning. If your file has a type, state, or category that does not exist in Argenta, the import tells you how many values did not match, shows examples, and leaves that field blank on those rows rather than guessing.
• Validation issues lists the first 50 problems, each with its row number and field.
• Data preview shows your rows 25 at a time with a status on each: Ready, Warning, Skip, or Error. Use Errors Only to jump to the problems.

If something is wrong, click Back, fix the mapping, or start over with a corrected file. The circular arrow at the top right of the page restarts the wizard at any point.

Step 5: Run the import

The last screen tells you how many records will be added and how many will be skipped. Click the import button and Argenta works through the rows, showing live progress with running counts of added, skipped, and failed.

• Keep the tab open until it finishes.
• Cancel Import stops the run. Rows that were already imported are kept, so you can fix your file and import the rest.
• The summary gives you the final counts plus a list of any rows that could not be saved, each with its row number, name, and the reason.
• Each row is saved on its own. A row that fails is rolled back completely, so a failure never leaves you with half a record.

From there you can go straight to your records or click Start Another Import.

Errors, warnings, and skips

• Errors keep a row out. A missing required value (a donation with no amount) or a date Argenta cannot read will exclude that row from the import.
• Warnings still import. A value longer than the field allows is saved but trimmed to fit. A value that should be a number or a dollar amount but is not gets flagged so you can check it.
• Skips are on purpose. Depending on the record type, a row is skipped because it matches something you already have, or because it has nothing to attach to.

How Argenta avoids creating duplicates

Before importing, Argenta checks your rows against records you already have. It matches on your source system's own ID if you mapped one, then on email address, then on name plus zip code. Record types behave in one of three ways:

• Skip what you already have. Constituents work this way. A row that matches an existing person is skipped by default so a re-import does not duplicate anybody. You can override any single row.
• Link only, never orphan. Donations and pledges work this way. A row imports only if it matches the constituent it belongs to. Rows with no match are skipped rather than saved with nobody attached, so import your constituents first and then bring in the gifts.
• Attach or create. Memberships work this way. A row that matches an existing constituent attaches to that person, and a row with no match creates the constituent and then attaches, so nobody in your file is left out.

Exporting your data

Click Export on any card and choose what you want:

• Which records. All records, Active only (offered on record types that have an active or inactive state), or a date range. The date range uses that record's own main date, so donations filter on the gift date and most other types filter on when the record was created.
• Fields. All fields gives you every field on the record, with readable names filled in for things stored as codes (state and country names, type and category names). Grid columns only gives you the shorter set of columns you see on that record's list page.

The file downloads as a CSV named for the record type and today's date, and every export is written to the activity log. Large exports stream as they are built, so a big file starts downloading right away. If you are moving contacts into email or calendar tools, see Import A CSV File from Argenta into Outlook 365.

Sensitive data in exports

A full export contains everything on the record. For your saved credentials that includes usernames and passwords in readable form, and for staff records it includes pay and identifying details. That is deliberate, because your data belongs to you and you should be able to take it with you, but it does mean an export file deserves care. Store it somewhere safe, and delete it when you are done with it.

Who can do what

• Opening the hub requires Master Admin or Subscription Manager.
• Exporting requires Master Admin or the Exporter permission. Without it the Export buttons do not appear.
• Importing a record type requires the manager permission for that area (constituents, donations, and so on) or Master Admin.
• View-only accounts see a message on the import page explaining that importing is not available to them.

Import some things before others

A few record types point at other records by name, so the order you import in decides whether those links land:

• Import Chapters and Divisions before Departments.
• Import Districts before Precincts.
• Import Constituents before donations, pledges, and memberships.

Getting the order wrong does not break anything. The link is simply left blank, and you can set it later or re-import.

Keeping track of what ran

The Recent Activity table at the bottom of the hub lists your last 25 runs with the date, whether it was an import or an export, the record type, the row count, who ran it, and the outcome (Completed, a count of rows skipped, Failed, or Running).

Every record an import creates is also stamped with a batch label for that run. Open Settings > Activity Logs and go to the Activity Log tab, then search that label to see everything a single import added.

Tips for a clean import

• Test with a small file first. Ten rows will surface a mapping problem in two minutes and cost you nothing to clean up.
• Export before you import. Exporting the record type you are about to import shows you exactly which fields Argenta keeps and what its values look like.
• Use the template when you are building a file by hand rather than exporting one.
• Write dates as dates (4/12/1985 or 1985-04-12). Anything Argenta cannot read as a date is an error.
• Put your data on the first sheet of a workbook, with your headers on the first row.
• Read the unmatched-value warnings on the review screen. They are the usual reason a field comes through blank.