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

Step 1. Pre-migration planning

Define Objectives and Stakeholders

• Identify key reasons for migrating (cost, usability, marketing needs, etc.)

• Appoint a migration lead and team from sales, marketing, and IT

Audit Existing Salesforce Data

• Assess data types: Leads, Contacts, Accounts, Opportunities, Activities, Custom Fields

• Identify obsolete, duplicate, or unused data to clean up

• Document all Salesforce customisations (objects, workflows, reports)

Map Data Structure

• Match Salesforce objects to HubSpot equivalents:

  • Contacts → Contacts

  • Accounts → Companies

  • Opportunities → Deals

  • Tasks/Events → Activities

• Note custom fields and plan their recreation in HubSpot

Evaluate HubSpot Licenses and Features

• Ensure chosen HubSpot plan (CRM Suite, Sales Hub, etc.) covers necessary features

• Understand limitations on API usage, record limits, and workflows

Step 2. Salesforce data cleanup

Remove Redundancies

• Deduplicate contacts, companies, and deals using Salesforce tools or third-party apps

Standardise Fields

• Normalise values in picklists (e.g., Country, Industry)

• Rename fields if needed for clearer mapping

Export Cleaned Data

• Use Salesforce's Data Export or Data Loader to extract CSVs

• Export each object separately (Contacts.csv, Companies.csv, etc.)

Step 3. Prepare HubSpot for import

Customise HubSpot Properties

• Create custom properties in HubSpot to match Salesforce fields

• Setup custom deal pipelines if necessary

Define Import Order

1. Users (invite users and assign roles)

2. Companies

3. Contacts (with Company ID mapping)

4. Deals (linked to Contacts/Companies)

5. Activities (calls, tasks, notes, emails – if using third-party tools)

Setup Integrations

• Decide whether to use:

  • HubSpot's Salesforce Integration (for parallel running)

  • Third-party migration tools: Trujay, Import2, Data2CRM

  • Manual CSV Import

Step 4. Migrate the data

Option 1: Manual CSV Import

• Use HubSpot’s guided CSV import wizard

• Import in batches respecting order:

  • Companies → Contacts (with Company Domain) → Deals

• Match fields manually during import

• Use unique identifiers (e.g., Salesforce ID stored in a custom field) to maintain relationships

Option 2: Use a Migration Tool (Recommended for complex setups)

• Tools like Syncmatters:

  • Automate field mapping

  • Maintain record relationships

  • Offer rollback options

Migrate Activities and Attachments (Optional)

• Use APIs or tools like ShuttleCloud or HubLynx to transfer:

  • Emails, Notes, Tasks

  • File attachments

• HubSpot API may be needed for historical email logging

Step 5. Validate data post-migration

Spot Check Critical Records

• Confirm data integrity in sample records (contacts, deals)

• Ensure associations (Contacts ↔ Companies ↔ Deals) are correct

Review Custom Properties

• Verify dropdown values, required fields, and formatting

Confirm Workflows and Lists

• Recreate Salesforce workflows in HubSpot using Automation

• Rebuild segmented lists for marketing or reporting

Step 6. Go live and enable users

Training and Documentation

• Provide team training on HubSpot’s navigation, tools, and reports

• Share quick-start guides for common actions

Decommission Salesforce

• After 1-2 weeks of dual-system validation, turn off Salesforce access

• Cancel licenses to avoid billing

Step 7. Post-migration optimisation

Rebuild Reports and Dashboards

• Use HubSpot’s report builder to recreate essential sales and marketing dashboards

Integrate Third-Party Apps

• Reconnect calendar, email, Slack, and other tools to HubSpot

Monitor Performance

• Use HubSpot analytics to monitor adoption and performance

• Set regular review cycles for data cleanliness

Tips for Success

• Back up everything before migration

• Test imports in a sandbox environment

• Keep Salesforce IDs in HubSpot for traceability

• Have a rollback plan in case of major issues

• Use HubSpot support and community forums for guidance