Switching CRMs is a project most teams put off until they can’t anymore. But migrating to HubSpot is more straightforward than it sounds once you know what to prepare. This guide walks through the actual steps — from cleaning your data to completing your first import — so your team hits the ground running.
What does migrating to HubSpot actually involve?
A HubSpot migration has three parts: exporting your data from the old system, preparing it in the right format, and importing it into HubSpot.
Most of the time is spent on preparation. CRM data tends to accumulate years of inconsistency — duplicate contacts, incomplete records, mismatched field names. Dealing with that before the import saves significant cleanup work after.
The import itself runs through HubSpot’s built-in import tool, which is available on all plans. You do not need a third-party connector or a developer to run a standard migration. For more complex moves, HubSpot’s data migration service options cover scenarios where a structured handoff makes sense.
Which records can you import into HubSpot?
HubSpot’s import tool covers the core CRM objects:
- Contacts
- Companies
- Deals
- Tickets
- Activities (notes, calls, tasks, emails, meetings)
- Custom objects (Professional and Enterprise plans)
You can import multiple object types in a single session, and HubSpot lets you set associations between them during the import — linking deals to their relevant contacts and companies in one go.
How do you prepare your data before the import?
The import file needs to be a CSV, XLSX, or XLS file with a single sheet. A few rules that save time:
Required fields by object type:
- Contacts: at least one of First name, Last name, or Email
- Companies: Name or Company domain name
- Deals: Deal name, Pipeline, and Deal stage
- Tickets: Ticket name, Pipeline, and Ticket status
Formatting notes:
- Dates: HubSpot accepts multiple formats (10/28/2023, 2023-10-28, 28/10/23). Pick one and use it consistently across the file.
- Multiple values in one field: separate with semicolons and no spaces, for example Bangkok;Singapore;Kuala Lumpur.
- Phone numbers: use international format with the country code (e.g. +66891234567 for a Thai mobile). This lets HubSpot format and dial correctly.
- Text encoding: save as UTF-8, especially if your contacts have Thai, Chinese, Bahasa, or Vietnamese names.
Deduplicate before you import. HubSpot’s import tool has a “create and update records” mode that catches exact duplicates on Email or Company Domain, but partial duplicates — slight name variations, different email addresses for the same person — can still slip through. Running a deduplication pass on your source file before the import produces a cleaner result.
Custom properties first. If your old CRM had fields that don’t map to HubSpot defaults, create those custom properties in HubSpot before running the import. A column with no matching property gets skipped. You can review the full property setup process as part of the HubSpot implementation checklist.
How does the import process work in HubSpot?
- Go to Contacts (or Deals, or Companies) and click Import in the top right.
- Choose Import from file and upload your CSV or XLSX.
- Select the object types in your file (one or multiple).
- Map each column to a HubSpot property. HubSpot suggests matches based on column headers, but you review and confirm each one.
- Set a unique identifier. For contacts, this is usually Email. For companies, it is Company domain name. This tells HubSpot whether to create a new record or update an existing one.
- Choose your import behavior:
- Create and update records — creates new records and updates existing ones where the identifier matches.
- Create new records only — skips records where a match already exists.
- Update existing records only — skips records with no existing match.
- Review and fix any errors flagged by the tool, then complete the import.
Import capacity depends on your plan. Free accounts support files up to 20MB and 500,000 rows per day. Paid plans support files up to 512MB and 10,000,000 rows per day, which covers most migrations comfortably.
What about workflows, pipelines, and team settings?
Data imports bring over your records. They do not replicate your configuration from the old CRM. Pipelines, deal stages, lead statuses, and automation workflows need to be set up separately in HubSpot.
For most teams, this is a useful forcing function. It is a good moment to review whether your old pipeline structure and lead stages still reflect how your team actually sells, rather than carrying over outdated logic from a system you were already ready to leave.
If you are moving from Salesforce, HubSpot has a native Salesforce integration that can sync records bidirectionally during the transition, keeping both systems in sync while your team fully cuts over. Similar connectors exist for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and NetSuite.
For teams in Southeast Asia using LINE as a customer channel, connecting LINE OA after the migration ties all incoming conversations to the correct contact records in HubSpot. This is worth setting up early so no leads fall through the gap during the switchover. Once your records are in and your configuration is set, the HubSpot onboarding and training process helps get your team using the system consistently from day one.
How long does a migration typically take?
A small migration — under 10,000 contacts, a few deal pipelines, no complex custom objects — can often be completed in a single working day. Most of that time is data preparation, not the import itself.
Larger migrations, or those coming from a system like Salesforce with deep automation and custom object relationships, typically take one to several weeks when done carefully. The time goes into mapping fields, auditing data quality, building custom properties, and rebuilding automation logic in HubSpot’s format.
HubSpot’s marketplace includes certified Data Migration partners for migrations that require a managed approach.
FAQ
Can I undo an import if something goes wrong?
Yes. HubSpot lets you roll back an import from the Import History screen within a defined window. Rolling back deletes records that were created by that import. It does not restore property values that were overwritten on existing records. Running a small test import first — using “Create new records only” on a batch of 50 to 100 records — is a sensible first step before importing your full dataset.
Do I need a professional migration service?
Not for a standard migration. Teams with reasonably clean data and a straightforward object structure can run the full import themselves. Professional services make more sense when you have large volumes of historical activity data, complex custom object relationships, or need a parallel sync with Salesforce during the transition.
What happens to email history and past activity from the old CRM?
Historical emails, calls, and notes from your previous CRM do not automatically populate HubSpot contact timelines. Notes and calls can be imported as separate activity files through the import tool. Historical email records from another system are generally not portable into HubSpot’s email timeline directly. Most teams treat the migration date as the starting point for timeline activity and move forward from there.
Does imported data count against HubSpot’s contact limits?
Yes. Contacts imported via CSV count against your plan’s contact tier in the same way as manually created contacts.
Can I import contacts and their associated deals in the same file?
Yes. The multi-object import option lets you include both contacts and associated deals in a single spreadsheet session. You set the associations during the mapping step, and HubSpot uses the unique identifiers to link the records together.
HubSpot Asia is an independent informational resource produced by a HubSpot Platinum Partner. HubSpot is a trademark of HubSpot, Inc.
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