---
title: Import persons
description: "With the structure you have developed so far, you are now able to import the personal data of the people in your congregation. There are two ways to do this: If you have the data in Optigem, DaviP or another…"
url: "https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/administration/first-steps/import-persons/"
updated: "2026-08-24"
category: Basics / First Steps
tags:
  - Content outdated
---

# Import persons

With the structure you have developed so far, you are now able to import the personal data of the people in your congregation. There are two ways to do this: If you have the data in Optigem, DaviP or another ChurchTools system, then you can easily do this via our Sync module. Or you can import your personal data as a CSV file.

## Importing persons via our Sync

With our Sync module, you can connect your ChurchTools system to any number of other systems to exchange data between them. You decide which data, from which people and when the data is synchronized. You can find out exactly how to do this in our [sync help pages](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/churchtools-modules/sync-en/what-can-i-do-with-the-sync/).

## Import via a CSV file

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a file format that can be read by ChurchTools. Many systems support the export to this format so that data can be transferred from existing systems in this way.

If you have the data as a list in Excel format, this also works well, as Excel allows you to save the table data in CSV format.

**Note**

If the people in your congregation have already given their consent to data storage, you can enter this information in your file and import it directly. To do this, the fields in the file to be imported must be filled in: *Consent given on, Declaration of consent whereby* and *Declaration of consent by whom* must be entered as columns **and** filled in.

### Import persons per person status, campus and department

**Warnung**

An import process assigns the same *person status*, *campus* and *department* in ChurchTools to all imported persons. For example, if you want to import persons with the status *Member* and the status *Friend*, you must perform two imports.
We therefore advise you to create several CSV files per combination *person status*/*campus*/*department*.

**Note**

It is also possible to import all persons at once and change their status, campus and department later using the *person functions*. However, depending on the number of people, it can be time-consuming for you to find all the people in the persons list.

### Preparing the CSV file(s)

If you import external data into ChurchTools, you must of course tell ChurchTools exactly what the information is and it must be readable for ChurchTools. In ChurchTools, information is saved as text or data. You can find out how to do this in detail in our instructions for [preparing the CSV file](https://staging.churchtools.academy/de/help/churchtools-modules/import-export-personen/0-wie-bereite-ich-eine-csv-datei-fur-den-import-vor/).

### Import person data

Once you have prepared the data, upload the file(s) to ChurchTools and use them to create the data records for the persons in your congregation, which you can then continue to work with. In our instructions for [Importing the person data](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/churchtools-modules/import-export-people-en/how-do-i-import-personal-data-from-a-file/)you can find out exactly how to do this.

### Help

Our service team is there to help you if you can't or don't want to do it yourself. [Write to us](https://contact.church.tools/contact) and let us help you.

## Next step

Once all the persons have been imported, the next step is to map your congregation organization chart in ChurchTools.

**Note**

When implementing your church structure, there is no claim to completeness at this stage! Start with the departments and structures that come to mind first, for example with the Roles in your congregation (such as technique or worship leadership) or with your small groups. Gradually, you will then map your structures completely in ChurchTools. ChurchTools grows with you!

Once you have imported all the persons and created groups according to your congregation structure, you can fill the groups with life by adding persons to them.
You can find out exactly how to do this in our guide [Adding people to groups](https://staging.churchtools.academy/de/help/churchtools-modules/grundlagen-personen/53-wie-fuge-ich-personen-zu-gruppen-hinzu/).