Step-by-step guide: Pipedrive to HubSpot migration guide

Transitioning from Pipedrive to HubSpot is a complex process that demands structured planning to safeguard your data, maintain workflow consistency, and minimise disruption. This comprehensive, step-by-step walkthrough guides you from initial preparation through to post-migration optimisation.

AUDIO- step by step - pipedrive to Hubspot

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Step 1: Pre-migration planning

Define your objectives: What data must be migrated? (Contacts, Companies, Deals, Notes, Activities, Custom Fields) What processes/workflows need to be recreated in HubSpot?

Audit your Pipedrive data: Remove duplicates, merge similar records. Archive or delete outdated deals, contacts, and activities.

Create a field mapping cocument: Document how Pipedrive fields (e.g. “Organisation Name”) map to HubSpot fields (e.g. “Company Name”). Include custom fields in the mapping.

Step 2: Export data from Pipedrive

Use Pipedrive’s Data Export feature:

Go to Tools & Apps → Export Data or use the individual export options in each section.

Export data sets such as: people (contacts), organisations (companies), deals, activities (calls, emails, tasks, meetings), notes, products (if used). Export in .csv format, one file per object.

Step 3: Prepare HubSpot for import

Set up HubSpot CRM: Create necessary custom properties in Contacts, Companies, Deals. Set up pipelines with appropriate stages. Configure users, roles, and permissions.

Create your import plan: Order of import: Contacts → Companies → Deals → Notes → Activities.

Prepare to use Object ID matching for linking associated records (e.g., contact-to-deal).

Step 4: Clean and format your CSV files

Ensure: Emails, phone numbers, and names are in the correct format. Dates use a standard format (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD). Field names match HubSpot properties.

Maintain object relationships by including unique identifiers: Use email for contacts. Company domain name for companies. Deal name or custom ID for deals.

Step 5: Import data into HubSpot

Option A: Manual import via CSV

Go to HubSpot → Contacts/Companies/Deals → Import. Choose “Multiple files with associations” for linked objects. Upload files: Map fields during import Use matching fields to create associations

Option B: Third-party migration tools

Tools like: Trujay, Import2, Data2CRM, HubSpot Migration Services, These streamline object relationships and activity imports (emails, notes, meetings, etc.).

Option C: Custom API integration (Advanced)

Use the Pipedrive and HubSpot APIs to write a script for complex or ongoing migrations. Best for developers or when automation is needed.

Step 6: Validate and test

After import, verify: Contacts, companies, and deals are correctly associated.
Notes, activities, and custom properties imported accurately.

Check workflows, email templates, and automation if rebuilt in HubSpot.

Step 7: Recreate workflows and automations

Set up: Deal automation, lead rotation, task queues, email nurturing workflows.

Review HubSpot equivalents for Pipedrive features like: Smart Contact Data, email sync and tracking, lead scoring (manual or predictive).

Step 8: User training and rollout

Train your team on: Navigating HubSpot CRM, creating and managing contacts/deals, using pipelines and tasks, leveraging reporting and dashboards

Step 9: Post-migration monitoring

Monitor adoption and performance. Collect user feedback. Adjust properties, workflows, and reports as needed.

Pro Tips

Tag migrated records (e.g. “Source: Pipedrive”) for traceability. Keep your Pipedrive data available/read-only for a few weeks. Use HubSpot’s sandbox account (if on Enterprise) for testing.