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

Migrating from Zoho to HubSpot can be a complex but rewarding process. This guide breaks down each step to ensure a seamless transition, helping your business harness the full power of HubSpot's capabilities.

Step 1: Plan your migration

Define the migration scope: What data do you need to migrate? (Leads, Contacts, Accounts, Deals, Notes, Tasks, Custom Modules). Will you rebuild workflows, automations, or reports in HubSpot?

Audit your Zoho CRM: Identify and clean: duplicate records, obsolete or inactive leads/deals, incomplete or irrelevant fields

Map modules and fields: document how Zoho CRM modules (e.g., “Leads”, “Potentials”) will map to HubSpot objects (e.g., “Contacts”, “Deals”).

Identify and plan for custom fields and custom modules.

Step 2: Backup and export data from Zoho

Use Zoho CRM's export tool: navigate to each module (Leads, Contacts, etc.) and export as CSV. Export modules: leads, contacts, accounts, potentials (deals), activities (tasks, events, calls), notes, custom modules

Export field metadata if possible to help with mapping.

Step 3: Set up HubSpot for migration

Create custom properties: go to Settings → Properties → Create custom properties for Contacts, Companies, Deals, etc.

Set up Pipelines: configure your Deal and Ticket pipelines in HubSpot.

Align deal stages and ticket statuses with what you had in Zoho.

Create users and permissions: set up your team with appropriate roles in HubSpot.

Step 4: Clean and format your exported CSVs

Standardise: date formats (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD), name fields (e.g., first name / last name split). Ensure consistent email and phone formatting. Maintain record relationships using: email for contact linking, company domain or name for account/company linking, custom ID fields to help associate records (Deals ↔ Contacts, Notes ↔ Deals, etc.)

Step 5: Import data into HubSpot

Option A: Manual CSV import

Use HubSpot’s native import tool: go to Contacts/Companies/Deals → Import → Start an import. Use “multiple files with associations” if needed.

Import in this order: contacts, companies, deals, notes & activities (calls, emails, tasks). Map fields manually during the import process.

Option B: Third-party tools

For complex migrations with large data or custom modules, consider tools like: Trujay, Import2, Data2CRM, HubSpot Partner Migration Services.

These handle: custom module mapping, activity associations, automation and relationship rebuilding.

Option C: Custom API migration (Advanced)

Use the Zoho CRM API to extract data and the HubSpot API to import it. Ideal for: very large datasets, recurring syncs, deep custom module and activity associations

Step 6: Validate your data

Spot-check records: are contacts properly linked to companies? Do deals have correct stages and amounts? Are notes, calls, and tasks associated correctly?

Create custom views and reports to verify totals and key properties.

Step 7: Rebuild automation and workflows

Recreate: Lead assignment rules, email sequences, lifecycle stage transitions, workflows for deal creation, follow-up tasks, and notifications

Use HubSpot workflows (Professional and Enterprise tiers).

Step 8: Train your team

Train users on: Navigating HubSpot CRM, managing deals and contacts, using the new pipelines, automation, and reports, provide updated documentation or cheat sheets if needed.

Step 9: Monitor & optimise

Monitor: CRM adoption, reporting accuracy, workflow performance. Gather feedback and make necessary tweaks to: custom properties, automations, reports and dashboards.

Pro tips

Use a “Source CRM” tag on imported records for traceability. Keep your Zoho CRM in read-only mode for at least 30–60 days. Schedule migration during off-hours or weekends to reduce disruption.

If using HubSpot Enterprise, leverage a sandbox environment for testing.