Getting Started with ActBlue CRM

In this article:

1. Who’s eligible?
2. Accessing ActBlue CRM
3. Viewing unified contact profiles
4. Voter file matching
5. Viewing and importing lists
6. Building and saving filters
7. Exporting lists
8. Analyzing lists
9. Data indexing
10. Troubleshooting

ActBlue CRM connects your fundraising history, field activity, and national voter file data into a single contact record for every person in your campaign's universe. This article covers everything you need to know to get started, from accessing ActBlue CRM for the first time to building and exporting your first list.

---

Who’s eligible?

ActBlue CRM is available at no additional cost to all eligible ActBlue and Raise entities. Enterprise accounts are excluded from the standard CRM experience. If you have questions about your account type, please contact our support team using the email address you use to access your ActBlue account.

---

Accessing ActBlue CRM

ActBlue CRM is available directly inside Atlas, ActBlue's unified navigation system. There’s no separate login and nothing needed to install.

To access ActBlue CRM:

1. Log in to your ActBlue account.
2. In the top navigation bar, click the grid icon (⠿) to open the tools menu.
3. Select CRM from the dropdown menu.

Upon opening ActBlue CRM, your contact data is already there and ready to use — no migration or setup required. You can always return to your full contact list by clicking All Contacts in the left sidebar.

What you see in ActBlue CRM depends on your account setup:

---

Viewing unified contact profiles

The unified contact profile is the centerpiece of ActBlue CRM. Every individual in your campaign's universe has a single record showing their complete history across every channel on one chronological timeline.

To open a contact profile:

1. From the All Contacts view, click any contact's name.
2. The profile opens with the contact's summary information at the top — name, contact details, and total donated.
3. The timeline displayed below will show all activity in chronological order, with the most recent activity at the top.

What's included in a contact profile?

A note on real-time sync: ActBlue CRM syncs data in real time, so your team is always working from the most current picture of every supporter. Activity recorded this morning — a donation, a canvassing result, a text response — will appear on the contact profile today, not in a nightly batch update.

---

Voter file matching

Voter file matching is one of ActBlue CRM's core features. Every donor record in your account is automatically matched against the national voter file — no vendor relationship to manage, no file to upload, and no setup required.

What matching adds to a contact record:

• Voter registration status
• Party affiliation
• Gender, race, and age
• Congressional district and other political geography
• Primary and general election voting history for the past ten years

Voter file data is sourced from a licensed third-party national voter file. Match rates vary by record, so not every donor will have a confirmed match.

Match statuses:

What affects match rates:

Match success depends on the quality and completeness of the donor data in your account. Records with a full name, current address, and date of birth are most likely to match. Records with incomplete or outdated information may return no match.

If a record shows "No match found":

• This doesn’t mean the donor is unregistered — it means ActBlue was unable to confirm a match with the data available.
• Voter file data is not available to add manually. Match status reflects what the system was able to confirm automatically.
• If you believe a match should exist, check whether the donor's name, address, or contact information in your account is current and complete.

---

Viewing and importing lists

Click Lists in the left sidebar to see all of your contact lists. Each list displays its name, number of contacts, number of unique phones, source, and date created.

To import a new list:

1. Click + Import List in the top left.
2. Enter a name for your list in the Name field.
3. Choose your import method — Import as CSV or Import via Integration.
4. If importing as CSV, upload your file by clicking or dragging it into the upload area. Your file must be in .csv or .txt format.
5. Click to complete the import.

Note on importing lists: If you have a large list (250K+ contacts), consider uploading during non-peak hours (10 pm – 11 am ET) for faster processing.

---

Building and saving filters

Filters let you build precise lists from your contact data across fundraising history, field activity, and voter file attributes simultaneously.

To build a filter:

1. From the All Contacts view, click the Filter button near the top left of the contacts table.
2. In the Filters panel, select a Filter Type from the dropdown menu. Hover over a filter category to reveal a second dropdown with more specific filter options (see below).
3. To add another condition, click + OR to add an alternative condition within the same filter group, or + AND to add a separate filter group that contacts must also match.
4. When finished, click Save Filter to save the filter for future use, or View Filtered Contacts to see results immediately.

Available filter types include:

• Fundraising: Donation amount, frequency, form attribution, refCodes, A/B testing variations
• Field: Action type (text, call, canvass), script name, action name, last messaged date
• Voter file: Voted in (by election year and type), political district, geography, party affiliation, registration status
• Demographics: Gender, race, age, political party, registration status, phone, email, address
• Data: Contact list, tag, custom field, voter file match status
• Engagement: Received, responded, needs attention, clicked link, submitted form, submitted form registration, donated
• Geography: Zip code, precinct, city, county, state house district, state senate district, congressional district, state

• Vote History

Saving and sharing filters:

Saved filter sets appear under Filters in the left sidebar and can be reapplied at any time by any staff member on the same account. To reapply a saved filter, click its name in the Filters list. The Contacts view will update to show only matching records.

---

Exporting lists

Once you've built and reviewed a filtered list, you can export it for use in phone banks, canvassing packets, or direct mail. Note that Export is optimized for high-volume lists, so large exports may take a moment to process.

To export a list:

1. Apply the filter set you want to export, or open a saved filter.
2. Review the summary count at the top of the Contacts view to confirm the list size.
3. Use the Analyze tool to review counts, crosstabs, and summary metrics for your filtered list to confirm the list looks right before you pull it (see the next section for more information on the Analyze tool).
4. Click Export in the top right of the Contacts view.
5. Select your export format and confirm.

If your export count doesn't match what you expected, check to see if any filters are still active. Active filters are indicated by a blue Filters button in the top right.

If a contact appears on the profile timeline but not in your filtered list, confirm that the filter criteria match the specific activity type recorded on that contact.

To view past exports, click Exports in the left sidebar.

---

Analyzing lists

Using the Analyze tool gives administrators the ability to analyze their full supporter universe before taking action.

Counts and crosstabs: From the Contacts view, click Analyze to generate summary counts and crosstabs for your current contact view or filtered list. Use this to understand the composition of a list before exporting — for example, how many contacts in a filtered list are registered in a specific district, or what percentage gave more than once last cycle.

Engagement metrics: Engagement data is tracked across all ActBlue and Field Tools products and surfaces on both the individual contact profile and in aggregate views. Tracked activity includes:

• Texts sent, responses received, opt-outs, follow-ups, and link clicks
• Calls made, connections made, and calls completed
• Donations made, average donation amount, and recurring gift status
• Relational messages sent and reports filled

Donor metrics: Filter and analyze contacts based on donor behavior and history, including:

• Donation amount (single gift or cumulative)
• Donation frequency
• Form attribution and refCodes
• A/B testing variation

---

Data indexing

The Data Index is a reference guide for how your contact data is structured in ActBlue CRM. It's especially useful when importing or exporting data, as the slug column shows the exact column header names your CSV needs to use for fields to map correctly. It's also where you manage tags and custom fields for tracking information specific to your organization. Clicking Data Index in the left sidebar will reveal three tabs:

• Basic Attributes lists the standard contact fields (such as First Name, Last Name, Phone Number, etc.) along with their corresponding slugs, which are used when importing or exporting data via CSV.
• Tags shows all available contact tags, including default opt-out and opt-in tags. You can also create new tags here by clicking + New Tag.
• Custom Fields lists additional data fields tracked by your organization, such as messaging timestamps, canvassing activity, voter registration status, and call outcomes. New custom fields can be created by clicking + New Custom Field.

---

Troubleshooting

A contact's timeline is missing recent activity.

ActBlue CRM syncs in real time via webhook. If recent activity isn't showing, wait a few minutes and refresh the profile. If the issue persists, contact support using your ActBlue account email.

A voter file match I expected isn't showing.

Match rates vary based on the completeness of donor data. Check that the contact's name, address, and date of birth are current in your account. If data is missing or outdated, the system may not have been able to confirm a match. Matches cannot be added or edited manually.

My filtered list is returning fewer results than expected.

Check whether multiple AND conditions are narrowing the list more than intended. Try removing one condition at a time to identify which filter is reducing the count. You can also use the Analyze tool to see a breakdown of your current filtered list before adjusting.

My export is taking longer than expected.

Large exports are optimized for high-volume performance but may take a moment to process. Do not close the window while an export is in progress.

I don't see CRM in my Atlas navigation.

Confirm that your account is an eligible ActBlue Core or Raise entity. Enterprise accounts and Field Tools-only accounts without an ActBlue fundraising account do not have access to ActBlue CRM. If you believe your account should be eligible, reach out to support using your ActBlue account email.

Still have questions?

Please contact our support team using the email address you use to access your ActBlue account.