Bring your members, channels, posts, and comments from Circle into Heartbeat so you're not starting from an empty community.
Run the import before you invite your members. That way you can tidy up your Channels first, and members arrive to a community that already feels lived in.
The Circle import works by uploading four CSV files you export from Circle. Heartbeat doesn't connect to your Circle account directly, so nothing changes on the Circle side, and you can run the import as many times as you need.
What your Circle import will migrate to Heartbeat
- Members – name, email, headline, and bio. Your Circle bio is kept and prefixed with a note that the profile was migrated.
- Spaces – each Circle space becomes a discussion Channel in Heartbeat.
- Posts – with the original author and post date.
- Comments – including replies to replies.
This means that you aren't able to migrate:
- Images and attachments in posts and comments. The text comes across; each image is replaced with an
[Image]placeholder. - Emoji reactions. Posts and comments arrive with a clean slate.
- Deeply nested replies. Heartbeat supports one level of replies, so a reply to a reply attaches to the original comment. Nothing is lost – the conversation is just flatter.
- Direct messages, courses, events, and paid subscriptions. To move paying members' billing across, use the subscription import (a separate tool).
Before you start
You'll need:
- Admin access to your Heartbeat community
- Four CSV files exported from Circle: members, spaces, posts, and comments
Step 1: Export your data from Circle
Export your members, spaces, posts, and comments from Circle as CSV files. Circle sends these to you as a download once the export is ready.
Step 2: Upload your files to Heartbeat
Go to Settings > Integrations, find the Circle card, and press Import.
Upload your four files in order:
- Users
- Channels (your Circle spaces)
- Posts
- Comments
Each file is checked as you upload it. If you see "File does not match the expected schema," the file is either the wrong export or has had its column headers edited. Re-export it from Circle and upload the original without changing it.
You can reupload any file before you run the import.
Step 3: Run the import
Once all four files are uploaded, press Import Data. This usually takes a couple of minutes.
The import runs quietly – your members aren't emailed, and no notifications are sent for the posts and comments that come across.
Your imported Channels are grouped under a section called Circle Channels, visible to everyone by default. Once the import finishes, you can rename, move, reorder, or set any of them to private.
FAQ
Are my members notified or emailed when I run the import? No. The import creates their profiles silently. They only hear from you when you choose to invite them.
Can my members log in right after the import? Their profiles exist so posts and comments show the right author, but they aren't active members until they join themselves. When they sign up with the same email, they pick up their imported profile and history.
I forgot that I had just created more content in my Circle community after importing. Can I get this new content imported? If you keep posting in Circle while you set up, upload fresh exports and press Resync Data. Heartbeat remembers what it has already imported and only brings across what's new, so you won't get duplicates.
Some of my posts or comments are missing. Why? A post is skipped when it has no text, or when its author or space isn't in the files you uploaded. The usual cause is a partial export – for example, a members file that doesn't include everyone who has posted. Re-export the full files from Circle and press Resync Data.
Are my original post dates kept? Yes. Posts keep the date they were published in Circle, so your history reads in the right order.
I have paying members in Circle. Does this move their subscriptions? No – this import covers people and content only. To move active subscriptions without your members re-subscribing, use the subscription import.
Can I undo this process, is there a way to remove everything? Press Revert Import to remove everything the import created – imported Channels, posts, comments, groups, and member profiles. Members who signed up to your Heartbeat community themselves are never deleted, and neither is anything you created directly in Heartbeat.