Export Data from Mailchimp for Bento

Export subscribers, suppression lists, and segments from Mailchimp so you can import them into Bento without losing context.

This playbook helps you export the right CSVs from Mailchimp—subscribers, suppression lists, and reference segments—so migrating to Bento stays tidy.

Exporting from Mailchimp does not pause campaigns or automations. Keep everything running while you prepare the switch.

What you need

Admin access to the Mailchimp audience(s) you are migrating
Separate folders to store exported ZIP/CSV files
Spreadsheet software (Google Sheets, Excel, Numbers) for quick cleanup

Step 1

Open the audience

Step 2

Export every subscription status

In the audience view, use the Subscription Status filter for each status (Subscribed, Unsubscribed, Non-subscribed, Cleaned) and click Export Segment. Mailchimp emails a ZIP containing a CSV per status.

Importing unsubscribed and cleaned contacts into Bento as suppressed is critical for compliance.

Repeat the export for every audience you maintain in Mailchimp.

Step 3

Document segments

Under Audience → Segments, export any segments you depend on. These CSVs act as reference snapshots when rebuilding logic in Bento.

Bento segments via tags and behavioural rules. Use the Mailchimp exports for verification, not direct import.

Merge & clean

Extract the ZIP and rename files clearly (for example mailchimp-subscribed.csv, mailchimp-unsubscribed.csv).
Open each CSV, rename headers to Bento-friendly names (email, first_name, tags, etc.).
Combine multiple tags using comma-separated values without spaces (vip,customer).
Remove columns you do not need and strip trailing blank rows.
Save each CSV separately so you can import suppression lists before active contacts.

Column map example

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

After exporting

Confirm you have CSVs for each subscription status (at minimum subscribed + unsubscribed).
Store segment exports and automation screenshots with your migration folder.
Plan to import unsubscribed contacts into Bento first, followed by active subscribers.

Troubleshooting

Missing data?

Ensure you exported from the correct audience.
Check the emailed ZIP and your download history.
Large audiences may split into multiple ZIPs—download them all.

Cannot export?

Only account owners/admins can export audience data.
Try another browser or clear cached sessions.
Contact Mailchimp support if export links remain disabled.

Mailchimp → Bento terminology

Mailchimp term	Bento equivalent	What it means
Contact	Person	A contact record with full history
Audience	—	Bento uses one People table—segment with tags instead of multiple audiences
Tag	Tag	Labels used for segmenting and automation
Group	Tag or Segment	Rebuild groups as static tags or dynamic segments in Bento
Merge field	Field	Additional columns (first_name, plan, etc.)
Campaign	Broadcast	One-off email sends
Automation	Flow	Bento Flows handle triggers, waits, and branching
Event tracking	Event	Bento automatically tracks clicks/visits once the script is installed

Audience consolidation

No more juggling multiple audiences—Bento consolidates everyone into one People table powered by tags.

Final checklist

Screenshot automations and key settings before making changes.
Import unsubscribed contacts into Bento first, then active subscribers.
Validate counts, fields, and tags after each import.
Keep original ZIP/CSVs until you are confident everything matches.

Migration support

Expect 2–4 hours of focused migration work. If you hit a snag, ping the team in Discord or email support—migrations are something we help with every day.

Keep your original exports archived until you have verified counts, tags, and flows inside Bento. Re-imports are easy when your data is tidy.

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