Export Data from ActiveCampaign for Bento

Step-by-step guide for exporting contacts, tags, segments, and custom fields from ActiveCampaign for import into Bento.

This guide walks you through exporting the contacts, tags, segments, and supporting context you need from ActiveCampaign before migrating to Bento.

Exporting data does not interrupt your live ActiveCampaign automations or broadcasts. Keep campaigns running while you prepare the move.

Prerequisites

Admin access to your ActiveCampaign account
Permission to export data for every list
Somewhere to store CSV exports (local folder or shared drive)
Optional: spreadsheet software for cleanup (Sheets, Excel, Numbers)

What you will export

Active contacts (everyone you email today)
Suppressed contacts (unsubscribed + bounced)
Tags (for segmentation logic)
Segments / saved searches
Custom fields tied to each contact
Automations & forms for reference screenshots

Step 1

Log in to ActiveCampaign

Head to activecampaign.com/login and sign in. From the sidebar, open Contacts to work from the primary list view.

ActiveCampaign contacts dashboard highlighting the export menu — Contacts dashboard with export controls.

Step 2

Export active contacts

In Contacts, click the … menu in the upper-right corner and choose Export. Name the file something like active.csv, select every available field, and begin the export. ActiveCampaign emails you a download link when it finishes processing.

Export dialog inside ActiveCampaign contacts — Export contacts with every checkbox enabled.

Step 3

Export unsubscribed & bounced contacts

Still in Contacts, change the Status filter to Unsubscribed, then repeat the export process (name the file unsubscribed.csv). Switch the filter to Bounced and export again if you have bounces.

Keep suppression CSVs separate from your active list. Bento imports them as do-not-contact lists so you stay compliant.

Status filter set to Unsubscribed in ActiveCampaign — Filter contacts by status before exporting.

Step 4

Document your tags

Tags applied to a contact ship inside the CSV. Make a note of any unused tags you still rely on so you can recreate them in Bento.

Tags with zero contacts will not appear in the CSV export. Record them manually if they matter for future flows.

Consider standardising tag names now (namespaces, lowercase, underscores). Cleanup today saves you from rework after import.

Tag usage list inside ActiveCampaign — Snapshot tag usage before you switch platforms.

Step 5

Export saved segments

Open Advanced Search, load each saved segment, and export the results. Name the files after the segment so you can map them later.

Export segments one at a time. The CSV gives you a snapshot and ensures you capture ad-hoc lists that do not exist elsewhere.

Segment membership is also embedded inside the contacts CSV. Use the dedicated exports as extra insurance and for documentation.

Advanced search segment export options in ActiveCampaign — Load a segment, export its contacts, repeat.

Step 6

Confirm custom fields

Custom fields ride along with the contact export. Open the CSV and verify every column you expect is present. If something is missing, expose the column inside ActiveCampaign and run the export again.

Custom fields do not need separate exports—just confirm the columns exist before moving on.

Step 7

Capture forms (optional)

Navigate to Site → Forms and take screenshots or export HTML for any forms you need to rebuild in Bento.

ActiveCampaign form editor highlighting export options — Archive key forms so you can recreate them in Bento.

Step 8

Document automations (optional)

Open Automations, capture screenshots of each flow, and note critical triggers or wait conditions. Bento Flows will use those references during rebuild.

Automation diagram export from ActiveCampaign — Screenshot automation paths so nothing gets lost.

Merge & Clean Your CSVs

Open every export in your spreadsheet tool.
Rename columns to Bento-friendly names (email, first_name, tags, etc.) so imports map cleanly.
Combine multiple tags into comma-separated lists (vip,customer).
Remove blank, duplicate, or irrelevant columns.
Save each CSV independently—active, unsubscribed, bounced, and any segments.

Column Map Example

Email	Tags	Remove Tags	First Name	Last Name
jesse@bentonow.com	customer, mql	lead	Jesse	Hanley

After Exporting

Verify every required CSV exists (active, unsubscribed, bounced, segments).
Make sure tags and custom fields look correct before moving on.
File screenshots and documentation for automations in a shared folder.

Troubleshooting

Missing data?

Confirm you exported from the correct section (Contacts, Segments, Lists).
Check your downloads folder—exports arrive via email links.
Open the CSV in a spreadsheet to confirm columns are populated.
Very large lists (100k+) may arrive in multiple parts. Download and merge all of them.

Export button missing?

Ensure your user role has export permissions.
Try another browser or clear cached data.
If the menu stays disabled, contact ActiveCampaign support to enable exports.

ActiveCampaign → Bento Terminology

ActiveCampaign Term	Bento Term	What It Means
Contact	Person	A human with an email address
List	—	Bento uses one people table—segment instead of siloed lists
Tag	Tag	Labels for categorisation and segmentation
Segment / Saved search	Segment	Dynamic groupings based on rules
Custom field	Field	Additional attributes stored on a person
Campaign	Broadcast	One-off email to a specific audience
Automation	Flow	Triggered sequences with delays, branching, and conditions
Goal	Event + Flow logic	Construct events and flow conditions to advance subscribers
Site / Event tracking	Event	Bento records events directly for segmentation and automation
Personalisation tag	Liquid	Dynamic content rendered with Bento's Liquid templating

Automation & tracking notes

Bento automatically tracks visits and clicks after you install the site script—no manual link triggers required.

Final Checks

Take reference screenshots before changing anything.
Test imports with your own email first.
Keep ActiveCampaign live until Bento shows the same tags, segments, automations, and suppression lists.
Document what you change so future teammates understand the migration story.

Time estimate

Most migrations take 2–4 focused hours. Work deliberately, keep tidy backups, and reach out if anything looks off—we are happy to help.

Quick Reference

During migration

Monitor Bento dashboards after each import.
Check deliverability metrics to confirm everything is healthy.
Test forms, automations, and broadcasts end-to-end.

Before cancelling ActiveCampaign

Confirm all contacts (active + suppressed) are in Bento.
Rebuild core automations inside Bento Flows.
Warm up the list with smaller broadcasts.
Validate every capture point (forms, integrations, webhooks).

Need help?

Ask questions in the Bento Discord.
Email support@bentonow.com for import troubleshooting.
Monitor status.bentonow.com for platform updates.

You have everything you need—ship it. If anything breaks, you still have the original exports ready to re-import.

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