---
title: How to sync personal data with Optigem?
description: "In this article, we'll show you what you need to keep in mind when syncing personal data with Optigem and which actions to select in *the Sync module*. We explain in detail—including the exact steps and order—how to sync data…"
url: "https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/churchtools-modules/import-from-optigem/how-to-sync-personal-data-with-optigem/"
updated: "2026-07-06"
category: Finances / Import and export / Import from Optigem
---

# How to sync personal data with Optigem?

In this article, we'll show you what you need to keep in mind when syncing personal data with Optigem and which actions to select in *the Sync module*.

We explain in detail—including the exact steps and order—how to sync data from your ChurchTools system with another system using our *Sync module* in [the tutorial on syncing data](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/churchtools-modules/basics-sync/how-to-synchronize-my-data/).

## 1. Prepare Optigem

Before you sync data with Optigem, you should clean up your database by removing Donor 0 from all fiscal years and reassigning the donations to an anonymous donor. We explain this in more detail [here](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/churchtools-modules/import-from-optigem/cleaning-up-data-in-optigem/).

## 2. Establish a sync connection and create a job

Once you have set up Optigem accordingly and [connected it to your ChurchTools](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/churchtools-modules/configure-connections/10-how-do-i-connect-my-churchtools-to-another-churchtools-installation/) in *the Sync module*, create a [task](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/churchtools-modules/configure-jobs/10-configure-connection/) with the following actions to synchronize the personal data in this connection.

### 2.1 Select Actions

#### Link people and unify properties

The " *Link People and standardise Attributes* " action creates pairs of people from the corresponding records in ChurchTools and Optigem, and then synchronizes and standardises their attributes.

#### Import People

The second action, " *Import People*," finally synchronizes the person data. You decide whether to synchronize in one direction or both when you select the action. You also have the option to overwrite older data or have empty fields filled in.

**Tip**

Here, you could create an "Optigem" *person status* or an "Optigem" *department* in ChurchTools in advance and have the data assigned to that status or department initially. This makes sense if the congregation list is visible to others and you don't want the synchronized data to be visible right away.

### 2.2 Specify any conditions

For donor data that you want to synchronize, it might be helpful [to set conditions](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/churchtools-modules/configure-jobs/how-to-set-conditions-for-my-job/) that determine which data should actually be synchronized.

## 3. Execute the task and update the data in ChurchTools

After [simulating and running the job](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/churchtools-modules/configure-jobs/how-to-execute-a-sync-job/), we recommend that you continue editing the married couple records imported from Optigem in the *Persons module* of your 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.