ppl resources · Moving your contacts

Move selected Dex contacts to ppl without losing your history

Export Dex contacts, preserve timeline files, map supported CSV fields and check birthdays and duplicate behavior in ppl.

Updated October 10, 2026 · ppl team

Moving contacts from Dex is different from moving your full relationship history. Start by saving the source files. Then decide which contact details to import and which history to preserve separately.

Save the exports first

Dex documents exports under Settings → Workflow → Import / Export, on the Export tab. Contacts, Timeline and Network Updates download as separate CSV files. Save the files you need before making changes to the original account. Follow Dex’s export guide.

ppl’s CSV contact importer does not reconstruct Dex’s timeline events, network updates or reminder schedule. Keep those files with the backup. An import that successfully adds names is not evidence that the entire account history moved.

Prepare the contacts CSV

ppl maps first name, last name, email, phone, birthday, organization and notes. In the preview, match Dex’s first_name and last_name to the corresponding name fields, dex_email to email, dex_phone to phone, company to organization and description to notes. Choose one useful email and phone value per person; collections such as dex_emails do not map to multiple contact fields automatically.

Use the full birth date only when you know the year. Dex documents yearless birthdays as --MM-DD and a separate birthday_year column. ppl’s CSV importer expects a full date; leave uncertain values unmapped and add the correct birthday details after the import instead of inventing a year.

Keep the long notes intact

The CSV import combines notes, organization and an import label in a 255-character description. A longer biography or note can be shortened. Preserve the source text separately and add the important history as notes after the contact record is checked.

Test before moving the rest

Make a small copy containing five or ten contacts and upload it through ppl’s contact import screen. Confirm the column mapping, run the import and review imported, skipped and error results. A matching email skips the incoming row rather than updating an existing ppl record. A shared email can therefore need manual attention.

Open the resulting records and compare names, phone numbers and birthdays with Dex. Include someone with several contact methods in that check. Then plan the remaining transfer within ppl’s free hosted beta limit of 1,000 contacts. Check current limits.

Keep Dex available until you are satisfied that the information you use has a home. Compare the daily workflow before committing to a full move.

Before uploading, use the free contact CSV checker to review names, repeated email addresses and dates. The file stays in your browser.