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Importing Data

The B1 Transfer tool makes it easy to bring your existing data into B1, whether you are starting fresh from a spreadsheet or migrating from another church management platform like Breeze or Planning Center. It can also be used to export or back up your data at any time.

Before You Begin

  • You need an active B1 Admin account with access to Settings.
  • Have your data ready in the appropriate format for your import source (see the sections below).
  • This tool is intended for initial data migration. If you have already been using B1 for a while, importing again may create duplicate records.

Accessing the Transfer Tool​

  1. Log in to B1 Admin.
  2. Go to Settings in the left sidebar.
  3. Click the Import/Export button in the top right of the page header.
  4. This will open the B1 Transfer tool in a new tab at transfer.b1.church.

The transfer tool walks you through four steps: Source, Preview, Destination, and Run.

Step 1 - Choose Your Source​

Select where your data is coming from. There are four options:

  • B1 Database — Pulls data directly from your existing B1 church. Useful for making a backup or converting your data to another format. You must be logged in to use this option.
  • B1 Import Zip — A zip file containing CSV files in B1's format. Use this if you are loading data from a spreadsheet or a system not listed below.
  • Breeze Import Zip — A zip file containing exported files from Breeze ChMS.
  • Planning Center Zip — A zip or CSV file exported from Planning Center.

If you select a file-based option, you will be prompted to upload your zip file after choosing the source.

Step 2 - Preview Your Data​

After uploading, the tool displays a preview of everything that will be imported. Use the tabs to review each data type:

  • People — Listed by household, with photos if included.
  • Groups — Organized by campus, service, time, and category.
  • Attendance — Session dates, groups, and visit counts.
  • Donations — Batches, funds, donors, and amounts.
  • Forms — Form names and content types.

Review this carefully before proceeding. If something looks wrong, start over and correct your source file.

Step 3 - Choose Your Destination​

Select where you want the data to go:

  • B1 Database — Imports directly into your church's B1 database. After selecting this, the tool will show a final count of records to be added. Click Start Transfer to confirm.
  • B1 Export Zip — Downloads your data as a B1-format zip file. Good for backups.
  • Breeze Export Zip — Converts your data to Breeze format.
  • Planning Center Zip — Converts your data to Planning Center format.
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The source and destination cannot be the same format. If they match, the tool will warn you to prevent accidental duplication.

Step 4 - Run​

The tool processes the transfer and shows progress for each step:

  • Campuses, Services, and Times
  • People
  • Photos
  • Groups and Group Members
  • Donations
  • Attendance
  • Forms, Questions, Answers, and Form Submissions
  • Compressing (for zip file destinations only)
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Do not close your browser while the transfer is running. Wait until all steps show as complete.

Preparing a B1 Import Zip​

If you are importing from a spreadsheet or a system other than Breeze or Planning Center, use the B1 Import Zip format.

  1. On the Step 1 screen, select B1 Import Zip as your source.
  2. Click the link to download sample files to see the required column format.
  3. Edit the CSV files with your data, keeping the header rows intact. Only people.csv is required. All other files are optional.
  4. If you have member photos, include them in the zip file and reference their filenames in the photo column of people.csv.
  5. Compress everything into a single zip file and upload it.

The zip file may contain any combination of these files:

FileContents
people.csvNames, contact info, and household assignments
services.csvCampuses, services, and service times
groups.csvGroup names, categories, and settings
groupmembers.csvWhich people belong to which groups
attendance.csvAttendance records by person, group, and date
donations.csvGiving records by person, fund, batch, and date
forms.csvForm definitions
questions.csvQuestions for each form
formSubmissions.csvSubmissions linked to people and forms
answers.csvAnswers to form questions

Preparing a Breeze Import Zip​

  1. In Breeze, go to Settings and click Export in the left sidebar.
  2. Export three separate files: People, Tags, and Contributions.
  3. Select all three files, right-click, and compress them into a single zip file.
    • On a Mac: select the files, right-click, and choose Compress.
    • On a PC: select the files, right-click, choose Send to, then Compressed (zipped) folder.
  4. Upload the zip file using the Breeze Import Zip option in Step 1.

The Breeze import transfers people, groups (tags), and donation records automatically.

Preparing a Planning Center Export​

  1. In Planning Center, export your people data as a CSV or zip file.
  2. Upload it using the Planning Center Zip option in Step 1.

The Planning Center import transfers people and contact information.

After Importing​

Once the transfer is complete, take a few minutes to verify your data:

  1. Browse the People page and spot-check a few profiles.
  2. Confirm that names, emails, phone numbers, and addresses came through correctly.
  3. Check that household connections are intact.
  4. Review any imported groups and giving records.

If you notice issues, you can edit individual profiles from the People page. You can also run the transfer tool again to export your data as a backup.