---
title: Cleaning Up Data in Optigem
description: Before you import your data from Optigem into ChurchTools, it’s always a good idea to consider which data you want to import and to clean up your data in Optigem accordingly. This will save you time later on, and you’ll…
url: "https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/churchtools-modules/import-from-optigem/cleaning-up-data-in-optigem/"
updated: "2026-07-06"
category: Finances / Import and export / Import from Optigem
---

# Cleaning Up Data in Optigem

Before you import your data from Optigem into ChurchTools, it’s always a good idea to consider which data you want to import and to clean up your data in Optigem accordingly. This will save you time later on, and you’ll only be working with the data you really need in ChurchTools. Below, we’ll provide some additional notes on “Donor 0,” which is relevant if you want to synchronize donor data, as well as on married couples in Optigem and how to handle these contact records.

## Donor 0

In Optigem, there is **Donor 0**. This is a separate donor in Optigem that will trigger an error when your sync jobs are executed later. This error does not yet occur in the simulation. You must remove Donor 0 from all fiscal years before synchronizing the personal data and reassign it to an anonymous donor.

## Married couples

In Optigem, married couples are often entered as a single person. In ChurchTools, however, each person is recorded individually and linked to their spouse through relationships. This allows donation receipts to be issued for married couples as well. You can leave these married-couple entries in Optigem as they are and import them into ChurchTools.

**Tip**

In ChurchTools, you create both spouses as [new individuals](https://staging.churchtools.academy/de/help/churchtools-module/grundlagen-personen/53-wie-lege-ich-eine-neue-person-an/), link the two records using the " *Spouse* " relationship, and then [archive](https://staging.churchtools.academy/de/help/churchtools-modules/weiteres-personen/0-personenarchiv/) the couple's profiles.

This has several advantages: The archived individuals do not count toward your ChurchTools license, and the transactions from previous fiscal years remain accurate and accessible.

In the future, always create married couples as two separate individuals and link them using the *“Spouse”* relationship.