# Import Your Book of Business (/docs/guides/getting-set-up/import-your-book-of-business)
Your book of business is the customer and policy data your AI employees work
from. Once it's in, your Receptionist can greet members by first name, answer
questions about their plan, and mention their agent on every call. It also
powers your campaigns, because campaigns call the customers and policies in
your book.
Most agencies start with a CSV export from their current CRM, policy
management system, or carrier portals. Whatever shape your file's in, the
[Import Contacts](https://app.carecycle.ai/settings/crm-settings/data-upload)
page (**Settings > CRM Settings > Import Contacts**) can handle it.
If you use [customer
assignments](/docs/guides/getting-set-up/assign-customers-to-agents), set your
rules up before you import. careCycle assigns everyone in the file right
after the import runs, so the rules need to be in place first.
Reach out to your careCycle representative or
[support@carecycle.ai](mailto:support@carecycle.ai) before your first import.
We'll look over your file and flag anything to fix.
Run the Import [#run-the-import]
When you open Import Contacts, pick **Let the assistant do it**. The import
assistant takes your file as it is (CSV, TSV, TXT, or Excel, up to 100MB) and
works through it with you in a chat:
Upload your file [#upload-your-file]
Drop in an export from your CRM, carrier, or HealthSherpa. You can upload
several files at once.
Let it assess the file [#let-it-assess-the-file]
Click **Assess for import**. The assistant profiles every column, flags
problems like missing phone numbers or Excel-mangled dates, and asks you
what it can't tell on its own.
Approve the mapping [#approve-the-mapping]
It proposes how each column maps to a careCycle field and how to clean the
data. Nothing changes until you agree.
Review and run [#review-and-run]
You get a **Run this import?** card with exactly how many customers and
policies will be created or updated, the status they'll import as, and any
campaign or tags. Press and hold **Hold to run import** to start it.
Results show up right in the conversation, and you get an email when it's
done. See [Use the Import
Assistant](/docs/guides/getting-set-up/use-the-import-assistant) for
everything it can do, with example requests.
Customers are matched on **phone number**, so re-running an import updates the
people already there instead of making duplicates.
Adding Everyone to a Campaign [#adding-everyone-to-a-campaign]
The import assistant can add the people in your file to a campaign as it
imports them. Just tell it which campaign. It can also tag everyone, or split
the file into groups that each go to a different campaign.
Imports line up each person's first call or text right away. If the campaign
is still a **Draft** when that step comes due, it's dropped and they're marked
**Skipped** ("Campaign was not active"), and turning the campaign on later
doesn't bring them back. So turn the campaign on first, or import without a
campaign and add people from the **Customers** page afterward.
People who already finished that campaign don't get restarted by an import.
See [Add Customers to a
Campaign](/docs/guides/campaign-toolkit/add-customers-to-a-campaign) for every
way to add, restart, and remove people.
How Matching Works [#how-matching-works]
* **Customers** are matched by **phone number**. If someone with that number
is already in careCycle, their record gets updated. If not, a new customer
is created. So re-imports only work cleanly if phone numbers stay the same.
* **Policies** are matched by IDs first (like the carrier's policy ID, policy
number, application ID, HealthSherpa policy ID, or SunFire enrollment
code), then by policy type plus plan code and effective date.
The [API sync](/docs/guides/getting-set-up/connect-your-crm) matches a little
differently (by MBI for Medicare, for example). The full rules for both live
in the [Book of Business Field
Reference](/docs/guides/reference/book-of-business-fields#how-matching-works).
Include `externalId` (your system's customer ID) wherever you can. It links
careCycle records back to your system for future policy and commission
tracking.
How This Data Gets Used [#how-this-data-gets-used]
The more complete your records, the more your AI employees can do:
* **Your CRM.** It fills in the Customers and Policies pages your team works
from.
* **Your AI.** Cora uses `planCode` to look up the member's plan benefits and
`firstName` to greet them.
* **Your automations.** Fields like policy status and dates drive [campaign
automations](/docs/guides/concepts/automations-explained), customer
assignments, and [task automations](/docs/guides/run-your-team/tasks).
* **Your integrations.** The data can also feed enrollment platforms, CMS
databases, and carrier reporting.
Import Tips [#import-tips]
* **Dates can be `MM/DD/YYYY`, `MM-DD-YYYY`, or `YYYY-MM-DD`.** Pick one and
stick with it.
* **Every record needs a ZIP code, state, or time zone.** Without one, we
can't tell what time it is for the member, so campaigns skip them.
* **Pre-suppress the people you shouldn't contact.** Include do-not-call and
do-not-text columns, and tell the assistant what they mean.
* **HealthSherpa users:** include `healthSherpaPolicyId`. Or skip the CSV and
[connect HealthSherpa](/docs/guides/getting-set-up/connect-healthsherpa)
directly.
Every field, format, and matching rule.
Add, restart, and remove people from campaigns.
Keep your data current after the first import.