HubSpot data migration checklist: moving records without losing history

Data migration is where CRM projects lose credibility. If reps open the new system and find broken histories or duplicate accounts, adoption never recovers. This checklist keeps history intact and gives you a defensible validation record.

Who asks this question

• Companies moving from Salesforce, Zoho, Pipedrive or spreadsheets
• RevOps teams consolidating multiple CRM instances
• IT leads accountable for migration sign-off

How to implement it

1. Freeze the schema: agree the target field list before exporting anything.
2. Export with record IDs so associations can be rebuilt reliably.
3. Deduplicate on email and normalised domain before import, not after.
4. Migrate in order: companies, contacts, deals, activities, then attachments.
5. Run a 200-record pilot import and have two sales users review it.
6. Reconcile counts and spot-check 30 records per object against the source.
7. Keep the old system read-only for 90 days as the audit fallback.

What to measure

• Record counts matched per object
• Duplicate rate after import
• Percentage of deals with correct company association
• Number of data issues reported in week one

Common mistakes

• Importing contacts before companies, which breaks associations
• Migrating every legacy field instead of the ones in use
• No pilot import, so errors appear at full scale
• Switching off the legacy system on day one

Frequently asked questions

How long does a HubSpot migration take?

Simple migrations run 2 to 3 weeks; multi-object migrations with activity history and custom objects usually take 4 to 8 weeks.

Should we migrate all historical activity?

Migrate activity for open accounts and the last 24 months. Archive the rest as an export rather than loading noise.

Who signs off the migration?

One named business owner, using a written reconciliation report, not the implementation partner alone.

Piceci Services is a HubSpot Solutions Partner and ISO 27001 certified consultancy operating from Milan and Dubai. If you want this reviewed against your current setup, book a call and we will walk through it with your data.