Getting started
CRM migration checklist: what to export before you switch
By SourceX Editorial · Updated
Short answer
A CRM migration checklist starts with a full export of the old CRM before any field mapping: every standard and custom object, activity history, attachments, logged emails, users and configuration. Migrate only what the new team will use, and keep the rest in an indexed archive copy. Review that archive for value before the old CRM is switched off.
Key takeaways
- Take a complete export of the old CRM before mapping starts, and keep it unchanged.
- Activities, logged emails and attachments are the items most often missing from a standard export.
- Verify the export with record counts, relationships and spot checks while the old CRM is still live.
- Migrate what sales and service teams will act on; archive the rest with an index.
- An archived CRM can hold years of deal reasoning that deserves a value review before deletion.
What should a CRM migration checklist cover?#
A CRM migration checklist should cover every object the old CRM holds, the history attached to those objects, the files and emails linked to them, and the configuration that explains them. It should also produce an archive copy that survives after the old CRM is switched off.
Most migration plans focus on mapping fields into the new system. That work is necessary but not enough. The new CRM will receive a cleaned subset of records; the archive is the only place the full original history remains.
The checklist applies to moves between mainstream platforms such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics or Zoho, and to companies leaving a CRM module bundled with their ERP.
Platform export tools differ in what they include by default. Salesforce's Data Export Service has separate options to include images, documents and attachments and to include Salesforce Files, which add processing time, and it delivers zip files of CSVs. HubSpot lets users restore deleted records and activities for up to 90 days, after which they are permanently deleted, so cleanup before export can quietly remove history. Pipedrive says a closed paid account is scheduled for permanent deletion within 180 days. Confirm the current options for your own platform and plan before the freeze.
Object-by-object export checklist#
An object-by-object export checklist makes gaps visible before they turn into losses. List every standard and custom object, then confirm that each export includes the parts that commonly go missing.
| Object | What to export | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts and contacts | All records, including inactive ones, with IDs and parent links | Inactive or merged records dropped by filters |
| Leads | Open and converted leads with source and status history | Converted leads left out because they look like duplicates |
| Opportunities or deals | Stages, amounts, close dates, loss reasons and stage history | Stage history missing from record-level exports |
| Activities | Calls, meetings, tasks and notes with original dates and owners | Completed or archived activities excluded |
| Logged emails | Email bodies, senders, recipients and the related record | Only subject lines, or links to a mail server |
| Attachments and files | The files themselves and the record each belongs to | Exports that list file names but not the files |
| Custom objects | Every custom object and its relationships | Objects built by a former admin nobody remembers |
| Quotes, products and price books | Line items, discounts and approval notes | Quote documents held in a separate tool |
| Users and owners | Active and inactive users with role and team | Owner fields that break when users are deactivated |
| Configuration | Field definitions, picklists, workflows and stage definitions | Retired picklist values that explain old records |
The export sequence#
The export sequence matters because a CRM keeps changing while people use it. Taking the archive at a known point, with changes frozen, gives one clean baseline that both the migration and the archive can be checked against.
- Name a business owner for sales records, one for service records and the admin who will run exports.
- Read the contract and admin documentation for export tools, API limits and post-termination data handling.
- Inventory objects, integrations and tools that write into the CRM, such as marketing automation or quoting.
- Announce a change freeze and take a full export of every object, with files.
- Export activity, field and stage history through reports or the API where record exports omit it.
- Store the full export, unchanged, on storage the company controls, alongside an index of objects and files.
- Build the migration from a copy of that export, never from the archive itself.
What to migrate and what to archive#
Migrate the records the new team will act on, and archive everything else. Open opportunities, active accounts and current contacts belong in the new CRM; long-closed deals, dormant accounts and old activity often serve better in an archive that can be searched when needed.
Moving everything into the new CRM looks safe but carries costs: duplicate cleanup, storage-based pricing tiers and reps searching through history they do not need. Moving too little loses context account managers rely on, so agree on the line with sales and service leaders before mapping.
Whatever is left behind still belongs in the archive copy, unchanged. If a customer, auditor or court later asks what a record originally showed, the archive is the answer.
How do you verify the export is complete?#
Verifying a CRM export means comparing it against the live system before access ends, not after. Run the checks below for each object and record the results with the date of the export, so the archive carries its own proof of completeness.
| Check | How to run it |
|---|---|
| Record counts | Compare counts per object, including inactive and archived records |
| Relationships | Confirm contacts link to accounts and activities link to their records |
| Files | Count attachments and open a sample from different years |
| Dates and owners | Check that original created dates and owners survived |
| Long text | Open notes and email bodies to confirm nothing was cut off |
| Picklists | Confirm retired values still appear on the old records that used them |
Illustrative: a distributor leaves its ERP-bundled CRM#
Illustrative: a fictional industrial distributor has run sales through the CRM module of its ERP for many years and is moving to HubSpot. The sales team wants a clean start; the COO wants nothing lost.
The admin finds that the ERP's standard export covers accounts, contacts and quotes but not call notes or the reasons reps recorded when quotes were lost. A database extract, run with the ERP vendor's help, captures both. Attachments, mostly customer specifications and signed quotes, are exported with their record IDs, and customer specifications are tagged as customer-owned.
Only active accounts and open quotes move to HubSpot. The full extract goes to company storage with an index by customer and year, and the COO flags the lost-quote notes and call history for a value review before the ERP module is switched off.
Why review the archive copy for value?#
An archived CRM copy deserves a value review because it often holds the reasoning behind years of sales decisions: objections, loss reasons, negotiation notes and the links between a customer's request and the final quote. That history is easy to delete once nobody uses it day to day.
The review does not need to happen during the migration. Label the archive with its owner, years covered, objects and known restrictions, such as customer contract terms or contact data, so a later decision can be made without restoring the old CRM.
How SourceX looks at an old CRM archive#
SourceX treats a CRM archive as one possible source in the Supply step of the SourceX five-step transaction. The first look uses metadata only: platform, years covered, objects and restrictions. Because CRM records carry contact details, the Rights and Preparation steps check customer terms and remove personal and confidential details before the company approves any license. The archive stays in the company's own storage.
Frequently asked questions
How far back should we migrate CRM history?
Migrate the history your teams will actively use, which usually means open deals, active accounts and recent activity, and leave older history in the archive. Agree the cutoff with sales and service leaders before mapping, and make sure archived history stays searchable for anyone who needs it.
Should we migrate inactive users and their records?
Migrate the records, not necessarily the users. Assign records to a placeholder owner or store the original owner in a field so history stays accurate. Many CRMs expect an active user as owner, so settle the approach before import rather than fixing ownership afterward.
Can a migration vendor handle the archive too?
Yes, if the archive is written into the scope. Migration vendors focus on loading the new system, so specify the archive deliverable: a full, unmodified export of every object with files, an index and a verification report. Keep the archive in your own storage, not only the vendor's.
What if the old CRM's export tool is limited?
Use the API, a database extract or a third-party backup tool, and ask the vendor what full-export options exist for departing customers. Allow time for API limits on large accounts, and do not set a cancellation date until a complete export has been verified.
Do we need customer consent to keep a CRM archive?
Keeping records for the business purposes in your privacy notice and contracts usually does not depend on new consent, but privacy laws and customer terms may limit how long you keep personal details and how you use them. Any new use, such as licensing, needs its own rights and privacy review with counsel.
Sources
- Salesforce's Data Export Service has options to include images, documents and attachments and Salesforce Files; adding them increases processing time; the export arrives as zip files of CSVs. Source
- HubSpot lets users restore deleted records and activities for up to 90 days after deletion, after which they are permanently deleted. Source
- Pipedrive says a closed paid account and its data are scheduled for permanent deletion within 180 days of closure. Source
Related resources
- QuestionCan CRM data be licensed?
- QuestionDo AI labs buy CRM data?
- InsightTied-house rules and data: can beverage distributors share retailer sales data?
- SolutionEnterprise data: the records of how organizations actually work
- SolutionProprietary data: information only your company has
- IndustryBPO & contact centers data
See if your company qualifies
A short company assessment. No data uploads are needed.