Help, Migrations
Migrate from Notebird to FlockConnect, step by step
Moving from Notebird to FlockConnect takes two exports out of Notebird and one self-serve import into FlockConnect that brings both your people and your full notes history across (with a concierge option if you'd rather we do it). This guide walks each step in order. The single most important thing to get right is the date range on the notes export, so read that step carefully before you click.
Before you begin: export in the right order
You will pull two files out of Notebird: your people and your care notes. Notebird calls its pastoral notes Updates. Export both before you cancel anything, because after a Notebird subscription ends your access is limited and the data is removed within a couple of months. Export first, cancel later.
The steps below are quick, but one of them has a trap that silently drops your older notes. It is called out in bold-clear language and listed first in the checklist so you cannot miss it.
- Important: on the Updates export, change the date range from Last 90 Days to All Time, or older notes are silently dropped.
- Export from Notebird before you cancel; access and data go away after the subscription ends.
- Step 1: Reports, People, export as CSV.
- Step 2: Reports, Updates, set the range to All Time, run it as an Org Owner or Admin, export as CSV.
- Restricted notes are excluded unless an Owner or Admin runs the export, and attachments cannot be exported at all.
- Step 3: Milestones and Tasks exports are optional reference files today.
- Step 4: import the People CSV in FlockConnect; map columns, preview, review duplicates, approve.
- Step 5: drop both files into the Notebird importer; your notes become backdated care history, matched to each person, with an All-Time safety check and an Undo button. Prefer concierge? One tap emails your files to us.
Step 1: export your People from Notebird
In Notebird, open Reports, choose People, and export the report as a CSV. This file carries names, the contact details Notebird shows in the export, birthday and anniversary, relationship status, groups, and the Custom ID. Addresses come out as one combined field rather than separate street, city, and state columns, which is fine, the FlockConnect importer handles that.
Step 2: export your Updates, and set the range to All Time
In Notebird, open Reports and choose Updates. This is the crown jewel: the full text of your pastoral notes with their dates and types. Before you export, look at the date range picker. It defaults to Last 90 Days. You must change it from Last 90 Days to All Time, or every note older than 90 days is silently left out of the file. This is the one step people get wrong, so do it first and confirm it before you export.
Two more things to know. Run this export as an Org Owner, Admin, or Care Admin, because restricted or confidential notes are silently excluded when a lower-permission user runs it. And attachments cannot be exported from Notebird at all, so any files attached to a note stay in Notebird and do not come across. Once the range says All Time and you are running it with the right role, export the report as a CSV.
Step 3: export Milestones and Tasks, if you use them
These two are optional. If you rely on Notebird Milestones, export that report too, and set its range to All Time the same way. Birthdays and anniversaries will land on your people records in FlockConnect; other milestone types do not have a home yet, since FlockConnect has no milestones feature today, so hold onto that file.
If you use Notebird Tasks, you can export those as well. Task history does not import cleanly today because of how assignments work, so treat the Tasks export as a reference file for now rather than something that comes across automatically.
Step 4: import your People into FlockConnect
In FlockConnect, open the CSV importer and upload the People file from Step 1. The importer reads your columns, lets you map each one to a FlockConnect field, shows a preview, and flags likely duplicates. Nothing is added until you approve it. The combined address field maps to a single address line, and the Custom ID is preserved so you can trace a record back to Notebird.
How the importer works in detail, including mapping and duplicate review, is in the CSV import guide.
Step 5: bring your notes history across, yourself, in the app
Your pastoral notes history now imports itself. Open the Notebird importer in FlockConnect, drop in both files from Steps 1 and 2, and it recognizes which is which for you. Your people land first, then your Updates become backdated care history: each note is matched to the right person by name and email and keeps its original date and type. Nothing is written until you confirm, and there is an Undo button if you want to reverse an import.
The importer also watches for the date-range trap: if your Updates file looks like it only covers a few weeks, it stops and asks whether you chose All Time before you commit, so you do not quietly lose older notes. If any note can't be matched to a person, it is listed for you rather than dropped silently.
Prefer we do it for you? The importer has a one-tap option to email us your two files and we'll bring your history over for you. Either way, keep the Updates file safe until the migration is confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my notes when I move from Notebird?
Not if you export correctly. The one risk is the date range on the Updates report, which defaults to Last 90 Days. Set it to All Time before exporting and every note comes with you. The Notebird importer then places that history into FlockConnect, keeping each note's original date and type — and it makes you confirm the All Time setting before anything is written.
What about restricted notes and attachments?
Restricted or confidential notes are only included in the export when an Org Owner, Admin, or Care Admin runs it, so use one of those roles. Attachments are a harder limit: Notebird does not let you export attachments in bulk, so files attached to notes stay in Notebird and do not transfer. Download any critical attachments by hand before you cancel.
How long does the migration take?
Usually one sitting. The exports, the People import, and the notes import are all self-serve — most churches finish the same day they start. If you choose the concierge option instead, the timing depends on the size of your history and our back-and-forth to confirm it landed right.
Can I import the notes myself instead of using concierge?
Yes. FlockConnect has a self-serve Notebird importer for both your people and your pastoral notes. You drop in the two files, it recognizes which is which, matches each note to the right person by name and email, keeps the original date and type, and warns you if your Updates file looks like it's missing older history. Anything it can't match is listed rather than dropped, and you can undo an import. Concierge migration is still available as a one-tap fallback if you'd rather we handle it.
Still have a question?
FlockConnect is built and supported by a real person. Email support, or see how FlockConnect is priced.