Playbook · 9 steps · Updated July 2026

CRM Migration Playbook

Migrating between CRMs is where most projects lose 2-4 weeks of timeline and 5-15% of their data quality. The 9-step playbook below: built around what actually goes wrong, not what vendors tell you: keeps both losses small.

The 9-step playbook

Inventory what you have. List every entity (contacts, companies, deals, activities, custom fields, custom objects). Note row counts. Note which fields are actually used vs dead.
Decide what NOT to migrate. Don't migrate dead data. The migration is a chance to clean: contacts with no activity in 2+ years, deals stuck in early stages for 6+ months, custom fields no one uses.
Map source schema to target schema. Field-by-field. Pipedrive 'Person' → HubSpot 'Contact'. Custom fields require explicit decisions: keep, drop, rename, transform.
Export source data to CSV (or use migration tool). Most CRMs export to CSV at the paid tier. Migration tools (Trujay, Import2, Skyvia) automate complex transformations.
Run a test migration on 10% of data. Don't bulk-import all 50,000 contacts on first try. Migrate 5,000, validate, fix issues, then run the rest.
Re-build automations + workflows in the new CRM. Don't try to migrate automation rules: re-create them. Workflow logic rarely maps 1:1 between platforms.
Migrate activity history. The hardest part. Email logs, call logs, notes. Most teams accept that 90% migrates cleanly and 10% needs manual cleanup post-launch.
Run parallel for 1-2 weeks. Keep both CRMs live. Don't shut off the old one until the new one has proven itself with real users.
Cut over, but keep source data archived for 90 days. Snapshot the source database; keep it accessible for 90 days in case you find data you missed.

Common migration pitfalls

Trying to migrate workflows 1:1. Rebuild instead. Automation engines differ enough that direct mapping rarely works.
Forgetting integrations. Every integration to the old CRM needs to be rebuilt. Stripe, calendars, marketing tools, support tools.
Skipping the test migration. Find the data quality issues on 10% before discovering them on 100%.
Cutting over before parallel-run validation. Keep both alive for 1-2 weeks minimum.
Underestimating training. Reps slow down significantly for 2-4 weeks even with similar CRM UX.

Tools that help

Trujay. CRM-to-CRM migration; handles common pairs.
Import2: automated migration with field mapping.
Skyvia: broader ETL platform; handles complex transformations.
Native importers: most modern CRMs ship import tools for specific source CRMs (HubSpot Migration Center; Pipedrive Importer; Salesforce Data Loader).

Frequently asked

How long does CRM migration take?

SMB (under 5,000 contacts, simple data): 1-2 weeks. Mid-market (50,000 contacts, custom objects, integrations): 4-12 weeks. Enterprise (millions of records, deep customizations, regulatory): 3-9 months. Most teams underestimate timeline by 50-100%.

What's the most common migration mistake?

Migrating dead data. The migration is the perfect chance to clean inactive contacts, abandoned deals, stale custom fields. Most teams either migrate everything (slow + clutters the new CRM) or under-migrate (loses data they actually needed).

Should I hire a CRM migration consultant?

Depends on scale and complexity. Under 5k contacts + standard fields: DIY usually works. 5-50k contacts with custom objects: consider help ($2-$10k typical engagement). Over 50k contacts or complex automation: hire help. Migration consultants typically save 2-4× their cost by avoiding rebuild errors.