Three ways to connect your CRM, and how to export a safe CSV today

Why it matters

Every method trades convenience against control. A CSV is a snapshot you choose and can delete; a live connection is always current but can see (and sometimes change) whatever its permissions allow. Starting with a CSV shows you what useful output looks like before you hand any tool a key to your CRM.

Step by step

1. 01

   Compare the three methods and pick one

   	1. CSV export	2. Official connector	3. Your own API or MCP integration
   Freshness	Snapshot at export time	Live	Live
   Can it change your CRM?	No	Yes, if you grant write scopes	Only if you build it to
   Setup	Minutes, no code	Minutes, if one exists for your pair of tools	Hours to days; developer skills
   HighLevel + Grok today	Works	No documented HighLevel connector for Grok	Possible through the xAI API (chapter 02.06)
   Follow Up Boss + Grok today	Works	None documented by either company	Possible through the Follow Up Boss API (chapter 02.06)
   Main risk	Forgetting to delete old files	Over-broad scopes	Leaked keys, write bugs

   Pick CSV unless you already have a developer and a reason the daily list must be live.

   Check: You have written your method and the reason in your setup record.

2. 02

   Know what "official connector" means for your CRM today

   • HighLevel publishes an official MCP server ("LeadConnector MCP") with OAuth sign-in, a choice of sub-account, and scopes you approve. Its setup pages cover Claude, ChatGPT and other OpenAI-compatible clients, Codex and Muse. Grok is not listed as a documented client.
   • Follow Up Boss documents an API with per-user keys and OAuth for registered integrations. Its API docs do not list an official MCP server. Third-party MCP servers exist; they are separate companies' products and need your API key, which carries your full user permissions.
   • Grok documents built-in connectors for Google, Microsoft and Salesforce tools, a catalog, and custom MCP servers. Search grok.com/connectors for your CRM before deciding.

   Check: You know whether method 2 exists for your exact CRM and AI tool pair.

3. 03

   HighLevel: choose the columns, then export

   1. Open Contacts → Smart Lists in the sub-account.
   2. Click Manage Fields and show only the columns you need (see the column list in the next step). The CSV contains only columns visible in the table.
   3. Filter if you want (for example, exclude a Trash tag), then tick the checkbox beside the filter fields and choose Select All Contacts.
   4. Click More → Export (or the three dots beside + Add Contact → Export) and confirm.
   5. Open Contacts → Bulk Actions, find the row with Operation Export and Status Complete, and click the download arrow.

   Check: A .csv file is in your Downloads folder and its header row shows only the columns you chose.

4. 04

   Follow Up Boss: export all columns, then trim

   1. Go to People and open All People (or a Smart List you trust).
   2. Tick the box next to Name, then choose Select All.
   3. Click Export. Tick All Columns (otherwise only the columns on screen are exported) and confirm. The file downloads to your computer.

   Check: A .csv file is downloaded and opens in your spreadsheet app.

5. 05

   Trim and rename the columns before uploading

   Open the file in a spreadsheet. Keep only these columns and rename them to match the sample export (so the neglected-lead finder and the prompts work unchanged):

   Keep (rename to)	Why
   Contact ID	Lets you find the record again without names
   First Name, Last Name	Readable list
   Email, Phone	Duplicate detection and channel checks
   Source, Stage, Tags, Assigned To	Ranking context and team routing
   Created, Last Activity, Last Inbound, Last Outbound, Next Task Due	Neglect is about dates
   Timeframe, Price Range	Urgency
   SMS Opt-Out, Email Opt-Out, Consent Source	Permitted channels (never delete these)
   Last Note	The context the AI reads

   Delete everything else: street address, date of birth, Social Security or tax numbers, bank or loan details, lender notes about credit, and any field you would not show a stranger. Format dates as YYYY-MM-DD. Save as CSV.

   Check: Your file's header row matches the sample's 20 headers (or you have written down which ones are missing), and no address, birth date or financial column remains.

6. 06

   Upload to your CRM Manager project and confirm the read

   In a new chat in the project, click + next to the message box and attach the trimmed CSV (files up to 150 MB are supported; CSV and XLSX are both accepted). Send: "Confirm the file name, the number of rows, the export date you infer, and any of the 20 expected columns that are missing. Do not analyze yet."

   Check: Grok's row count equals your spreadsheet's row count minus the header.

Copyable templates

Contact ID,First Name,Last Name,Email,Phone,Source,Stage,Tags,Assigned To,Created,Last Activity,Last Inbound,Last Outbound,Next Task Due,Timeframe,Price Range,SMS Opt-Out,Email Opt-Out,Consent Source,Last Note

I just uploaded this week's CRM export. Before any analysis: (1) confirm the file name, (2) count the rows, (3) tell me the newest date in Last Activity, (4) list any of the 20 expected columns that are missing or empty in more than half the rows. Do not analyze or rank yet.

Try it

How to test it

Open your trimmed CSV and search for one contact you know opted out of texts. Confirm the SMS Opt-Out (or DND) column says Y for them. If it is blank, your export dropped the field: go back to Manage Fields (HighLevel) or All Columns (Follow Up Boss) and export again. An export without opt-outs is not safe to use.

Troubleshooting

Advanced technical details

Optional. You can follow every step above without these.