If you are a current Intercom customer, you can import your users from the following sources:
Note:
If you just need to add a few users at a time, like people you met at an event you can create them directly from the people list.
It's not possible to import company attributes into Intercom.
All methods allow you to import username, email, userID and signup date in the format DD/MM/YYYY, ISO 8601, or a Unix time stamp. Please note that if you use DD/MM/YYYY you can't send us the time.
CSV imports also allow you to create custom user attributes (include a column for each).
Mixpanel includes last_seen.
MailChimp imports the user's IP.
Get started
First, log in to your Intercom account and click 'New users or leads' from the people list.
Then, select 'Import people':
Next, choose the method you want to use to import users and follow the import steps.
You can also access all of these options in Settings > Data > Imports & exports:
If you import users into Intercom and they immediately match the criteria for a message that you have live, they will get that message right away.
How to import users from a CSV
Step-by-step:
If you've selected the CSV import option, simply complete the following steps to import your users:
Complete steps 1 and 2 outlined above in the 'Import users any time section'. Make sure you click Open CSV Import tool.
Select Import users to import a list of logged-in users or customers of your product. Or choose ‘Import leads’ to import a list of leads into your Intercom workspace.
Drag and drop your CSV file and Click Upload. The maximum file size limit is 20 mb. You should break up the file if it's larger than that.
Important CSV Format Requirements:
The user ID column must be formatted as
user_id(lowercase with underscore)You can identify users using either:
user_id(recommended)Email column
If both are present,
user_idtakes priorityuser_idis required if no email is providedInconsistent use of user ID and email as identifiers can lead to the creation of duplicate users. For optimal results:
Ensure every record includes both a user ID and an email whenever possible.
Remember that the user ID is prioritized if both are supplied, which helps prevent duplicate accounts.
Best Practice: Include both user_id and Email columns in your CSV file for optimal user management.
4. Intercom will now prompt you to select the relevant columns that contain your users’ email addresses, IDs, full names and dates of sign-up. Click ‘Select this column’ for each and click ‘Confirm.
All users or leads in your CSV must have an email address. Duplicate entries may occur when leads and users with the same email are treated as separate entities. To prevent this, ensure synchronization of user and lead data during imports.
5. If you have added additional columns, Intercom will prompt you to give your custom attributes a specific name. Click 'Confirm' once you have named your custom attribute.
6. Tag your CSV list with a memorable term such as ‘New Sign-Ups 2015’
7. Once imported, you can search your Intercom User list for ‘tag: New Sign-Ups 2015.’ Now you’re ready to do things like send a one-off message to everyone on the list or create a segment for that group and send them a targeted Proactive support message.
You'll need to add the country calling code to the start of your phone numbers. For example, for US numbers you would add '+1' or '001'.
Can I update user data with a CSV import?
Yes. You can update values, and add new attributes for existing users. All CSV imports require you to have a column with user email addresses. A few things to note:
You can update the email of a user by sending the same user_id and different email address. We'll update the user with that user_id in Intercom to reflect the new email address.
You can't update the user_id by setting a new value for it and using the existing email address - that would create a new record.
If you use both user_id and email in Intercom, sending email in a CSV import is enough to match the user record in Intercom.
Import users via Rest API
It's possible to import users, along with custom user attributes, via the REST API. Once you've imported users, you can also add historical event data for your users via the Events API.
Check out this tutorial which covers how to import contact user and lead data from a JSON file using the Intercom APIs.
See your Data Import History
You can see your data Import history in settings section in Intercom.
What does the "Multiple records match" error mean?
The "multiple records matched" error typically occurs when there are multiple users in your system with the same email address. This creates a conflict because the system cannot determine which user to update. To resolve this, you'll need to ensure that each user has a unique email address or user ID.
Understanding the causes of duplicate users
Inconsistent User Identifiers:
If email and user ID are used inconsistently, duplicates may occur. Email serves as a unique identifier only if no user ID is provided. Therefore, two users can share the same email if they have different user IDs. This might happen after backend updates or changes in user ID generation.
Integration Behaviors:
App integrations such as Shopify may create users where no hard match exists, using the email ID as a unique identifier instead of reconciling user IDs.
Matching Logic During Uploads:
If only a user ID or email address is provided during imports, Intercom attempts to match on the provided field. However, discrepancies can occur when both fields are mismatched or inconsistently assigned.
Users and Leads Overlap:
Leads and users are treated as different objects, even when sharing the same email address, potentially leading to duplicates.
Prevention of duplicate users
Standardize User Identifiers:
Ensure that your setup consistently assigns both user ID and email values. For instance:
If only an email is provided, the system matches based on email.
If only a user ID is provided, the system matches based on the user ID.
When both are provided, user ID takes precedence; if no match exists by user ID, the system matches on the email.
Verify Lead Conversion Settings:
Use consistent user IDs during sign-ins to convert active leads into users without duplication. Refer to our user authentication guide for further steps.
Review Backend Processes:
Analyze your backend systems for updates or configurations that might generate unnecessary user IDs or fail to properly synchronize identifier fields.
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