Best practices for exporting prospect data from Crunchbase to your CRM

So you’ve got a list of promising leads in Crunchbase and now you want to actually do something with them—like, say, get them into your CRM so you can start working those deals. Sounds simple, but if you’ve tried this before, you know that “exporting data” is never as easy as it should be. Between weird CSV formats, duplicate records, and missing fields, it’s easy to end up with a CRM messier than a teenager’s bedroom.

This guide is for anyone—sales, marketing, or ops—who wants to get their Crunchbase prospect data into their CRM without headaches or wasted hours. You’ll learn the most reliable ways to export, the pitfalls to dodge, and some honest advice on what’s worth your time (and what isn’t).

1. Understand What Crunchbase Exports (and What It Doesn’t)

Before you start clicking “Export,” get clear on what data Crunchbase actually gives you—and what you’ll need to fill in yourself.

  • Crunchbase Pro is required for any serious exports. Free accounts are very limited.
  • You can export lists of organizations, people, or funding rounds—mostly as CSV files.
  • The export usually includes: company name, website, industry, location, key people, funding details, and sometimes social links.
  • You won’t get phone numbers, verified emails, or deep contact info—Crunchbase isn’t ZoomInfo.

Pro tip: Don’t expect a “one click to CRM” button. Most CRMs can’t just gobble up Crunchbase CSVs without tweaking.

2. Clean Up Your Crunchbase List Before Exporting

Garbage in, garbage out. If you haven’t already, do a quick sanity check of your Crunchbase list:

  • Remove obvious junk: Outdated companies, duplicates, or irrelevant industries.
  • Tag or add notes: If Crunchbase lets you, add tags or notes so you remember why each company is on your list.
  • Narrow your filters: The more specific your list, the less cleanup you’ll have to do later.

What to skip: Don’t waste time trying to get every last detail in Crunchbase perfect. You’ll do most of the real enrichment once the data’s in your CRM.

3. Export from Crunchbase: The Right Way

Here’s the typical export flow:

  1. Go to your Crunchbase list (Organizations, People, or Funding Rounds).
  2. Click “Export to CSV”—you may need to upgrade if you haven’t already.
  3. Download the file and open it in Excel or Google Sheets.

What can go wrong:
- Sometimes columns are missing or named weirdly. - Special characters (like ampersands or commas) can mess up the CSV formatting. - Large lists can time out or get truncated. Export in smaller batches if you hit a wall.

Tip: Always open your CSV and scan the first few rows. If the data looks off, fix it before importing to your CRM—trust me, it’s easier this way.

4. Prep the Data for Your CRM

Every CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, you name it) has its own quirks for importing data. Here’s how to keep things sane:

  • Map Crunchbase columns to your CRM fields. For example, “Organization Name” in Crunchbase might be “Account Name” in Salesforce.
  • Standardize formats: Dates, phone numbers, and website URLs should match your CRM’s expectations.
  • Add missing info: Now’s the time to fill in blanks (like primary contact or custom tags) if you have it.
  • Watch for duplicates: Most CRMs will happily create duplicate records unless you tell them not to. Clean up company names and domains so they match existing records.

Skip this? Only if you love manual cleanup later. Otherwise, invest 15 minutes now to save hours later.

5. Import into Your CRM (Without Breaking Anything)

Now for the moment of truth. Here’s a step-by-step approach that won’t trash your CRM:

  1. Back up your CRM (if possible). This is mostly for big teams, but if you’re worried about messing up, it’s worth the two minutes.
  2. Import a small test batch (10-20 records). See what sticks, what breaks, and what fields go missing.
  3. Fix errors and re-map fields as needed. Don’t be shocked if something looks weird—this is normal.
  4. Import the full list once you’re confident things work.

What not to do: Don’t just slam 5,000 records in and hope for the best. CRMs rarely forgive that kind of optimism.

6. Fill in the Gaps: Data Enrichment Essentials

Crunchbase won’t give you everything you want. That’s just the reality. Here’s how to fill in the holes:

  • Find verified emails and direct dials: Tools like Apollo, Hunter.io, or LinkedIn Sales Navigator are better for this.
  • Research key contacts: Use LinkedIn or company websites to find decision-makers.
  • Enrich with extra data: Some CRMs have built-in enrichment (HubSpot, for example), or you can use third-party services to add industry codes, social profiles, or revenue estimates.

Don’t waste time: Trying to automate 100% of enrichment is a fool’s errand. Do the minimum that lets you start outreach, then fill in gaps as you go.

7. Keep Your Data Fresh—Without Going Crazy

Prospect data gets stale fast. Don’t treat this as a “set it and forget it” project.

  • Schedule regular cleanups: Quarterly is usually enough for most teams.
  • Update key fields: If you notice a lot of bounced emails, revisit the company’s website or LinkedIn page.
  • Use CRM workflows: Some CRMs can alert you to duplicates or missing data. Set these up early.

Ignore: Any vendor promising “real-time, fully automated enrichment.” It’s never as magical as it sounds.

8. Automation: Worth It?

Everyone wants to automate this process, but here’s the honest truth: unless you’ve got a huge budget or a technical team, “full automation” is usually more trouble than it’s worth.

  • Zapier or Make can help with simple moves (like new Crunchbase entries → CRM), but you’ll still hit data mapping and enrichment snags.
  • Custom scripts/API integrations are great if you have an ops or engineering team, but overkill for most.
  • Manual review is still the gold standard for quality control, especially if you care about data accuracy.

Bottom line: Automate what’s easy, but don’t lose sleep over the rest.

Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate as You Go

Exporting prospect data from Crunchbase to your CRM isn’t rocket science, but it’s also not “one click and done.” The best results come from keeping your workflow simple, cleaning up your data before it hits your CRM, and being realistic about what automation can and can’t do. Don’t get bogged down chasing perfection—get your list in, start reaching out, and improve the process as you go.

The less time you spend wrestling with CSVs, the more time you can actually spend selling. And that’s what really matters.