How to Import Data into cStar

cStar Universal Importer brings in data from any support platform or spreadsheet. It lives in Settings > Team Tab > Import Data.

What You Can Import

  • Tickets - Full conversation history, statuses, priorities, tags, custom fields
  • Customers - Profiles with email, name, phone, sentiment, tags, metadata
  • Articles - Knowledge base content with categories, tags, publish status

Supported Formats

  • CSV - Comma-separated values from any spreadsheet
  • JSON - Structured exports from most platforms (nested objects handled)
  • XLSX - Excel and Google Sheets exports

Limits

  • File size: 50MB max
  • Records per import: 10,000 max
  • Larger datasets: Split your file into chunks of 10,000 or fewer and import each one. Save your import configuration after the first run so you can re-use field mappings, merge strategies, and match keys for every subsequent file. Map once, import many.

The 7-Step Process

Step 1: Upload

Drag and drop your file or click to browse.

Step 2: Detect

cStar reads the file structure and identifies the source platform. Built-in detection for Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom, Help Scout, HubSpot, Front, Crisp, LiveAgent, and Zoho Desk. Falls back to Generic mode if unrecognized.

Step 3: Map Fields

Two-column layout with auto-suggested mappings based on field names. Accept, change, or skip each field.

Step 4: Match and Merge

Choose how to handle existing records: match by email, short ID, external ID, slug, or custom field. Set per-field merge strategies.

Step 5: Preview

See creates, updates, and skips with sample data before anything changes.

Step 6: Execute

Real-time progress tracking with batch processing.

Step 7: Summary

Results with successful creates, updates, and any errors.

Large Migrations (10,000+ Records)

If your export has more than 10,000 records:

  1. Split your file into chunks of 10,000 or fewer
  2. Import the first chunk through the full wizard
  3. Save the configuration when prompted
  4. For each remaining chunk: load the saved config, upload the file, preview, execute

With saved configs, each subsequent import skips the detection and mapping steps entirely. A 50,000-record migration becomes 5 imports, each taking a couple of minutes.

Tips

  • Export from the old platform first. Most platforms have data export in settings.
  • Start with a small test file (10-50 records) to verify mappings.
  • Original timestamps are preserved, keeping analytics and SLA history accurate.
  • Use the match key (email, ID) to avoid duplicates across multiple import batches.