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How to import Mailchimp into Close

5 of the 13 columns in a Mailchimp export, mapped into 4 Close fields under Close's own names.

Download the Excel templateUse this template free

Free · 18 KB · Excel 365 or Google Sheets

Check your Mailchimp export first

Built on Mailchimp’s export columnsChecked against Close’s import rulesUpdated October 3, 2026

One Mailchimp row, through the templatecopied as it ischanged on the way1explained below
  • First Name, Last Name to Name1joinedPriya Nair
  • Email Address to Emaillowercasedpriya.nair@example.com
  • Phone Number to Phone+44 7700 900769
  • NOTES to DescriptionAsked about the annual plan.
Not imported: Address, City, State, Zip, Country, MEMBER_RATING, OPTIN_TIME and TAGS. The template leaves these out; map any to a custom field in Operelio.

Where Mailchimp and Close don’t line up

1

First Name and Last Name become one Name

Mailchimp keeps First Name and Last Name apart, and Close has one Name field.

The template joins them, leaving out any that are empty.

MailchimpFirst Name Priya
Last Name Nair
ClosePriya Nair

Check your Mailchimp export before you import it

Looks for the 5 columns this template reads, and what Close would skip.

Drop your Mailchimp CSV here

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and results are counts only.

Mailchimp to Close in three steps

Step 1Export from Mailchimp
  1. Click Audience, and choose the audience from the dropdown if you have more than one.
  2. Click Export audience.
  3. Click Export CSV and wait for the email saying the export is complete.
  4. Download the file. It may arrive as a ZIP with one CSV per contact status.

Only Owners and Admins can export audiences, and the files stay in your account for 30 days.

Mailchimp: View or export contacts
Step 2Paste into the template
  1. Paste the export at A1 of Paste Mailchimp export here.
  2. Start here checks all 5 columns were found.
  3. Save Close Contacts import as a CSV.

Works in Excel for Microsoft 365 and Google Sheets. Excel 2019 and older, Apple Numbers and LibreOffice can't run the formulas this file uses.

Just the 4 headers as a CSV

Step 3Import into Close
  1. Click your name at the top right and choose Import data.
  2. Upload a CSV or Excel file, or paste straight from a spreadsheet.
  3. Choose where each column goes, or check Skip to leave it out, and click Next.
  4. Choose a column to group rows into leads, such as Company.
  5. Set the duplicate matching and choose to add missing information, replace the lead or skip it, then start the import.
Close's importer, screen by screen

Operelio, with the same template

Fixes the capitals in names, formats phone numbers, removes duplicate and blank rows, which the Excel file leaves to you. On every plan. Email verification from Starter.

Use this template in Operelio

Questions

Where does Mailchimp's NOTES column go in Close?

To Description on the contact.

Does this create Leads or Contacts in Close?

Contacts, and Close keeps every contact inside a lead. When you import the file, Close asks for a column to group rows into leads, such as a company column if your file has one, and each contact lands on that lead. Contacts in the same group that share an email or phone are merged into one.

Duplicates and undoing an import: Close import questions.

How this page was checked

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Upload your Mailchimp export and download a file Close can import. No credit card needed.

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