Replace your CRM
Replacing your CRM means mapping your data, keeping consent records, and reconnecting every form and integration that feeds it. Here's the safe order.
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Your plan so far
11things this change touches
- critical1
- high5
- moderate3
- low2
Updates as you answer. Every item will explain why it’s there.
What could break
In a typical crm plan, these are the most serious things to get right.
Export a complete copy of Pipedrive
Critical · Data & files
Anything you don't export is lost when the old subscription ends.
Update website forms and chat that feed the old CRM
Critical · Website & DNS
New leads keep flowing into a system nobody is watching, or are lost entirely once it's cancelled.
Map objects, fields and picklists
High · Data & files
Data lands in the wrong fields or is dropped during import, and fixing it afterwards means editing records one at a time.
Check the new CRM can hold your custom fields and objects
High · Data & files
Data lands in the wrong fields or is dropped during import, and fixing it afterwards means editing records one at a time.
Marketing consent, unsubscribes and bounces
High · Legal & records
Contacts imported without their opt-out status can be emailed after they unsubscribed, which can breach anti-spam law and hurt your sender reputation.
Create users and map record owners
High · Sign-in & recovery
Records import unassigned or to the wrong person, and people lose track of their accounts and deals.
Recreate pipelines, stages and deal fields
High · Business operations
Open deals land in the wrong stage, and forecasts and win rates are wrong from day one.
Rebuild workflows, sequences and assignment rules
High · Integrations & APIs
Leads go unassigned, follow-up emails stop, or both CRMs send the same email during the overlap.
Run a test import with a small sample
High · Data & files
Errors spread across thousands of records and are discovered after the team has started working in the new CRM.
Freeze the old CRM during cutover
High · Business operations
New leads, notes and deal updates made during the cutover window are lost.
Before and after the change
Before you change it
- Map objects, fields and picklists
- Check the new CRM can hold your custom fields and objects
- Clean up and de-duplicate before you import
- Export a complete copy of Pipedrive
- Marketing consent, unsubscribes and bounces
- Files and attachments on records
- Create users and map record owners
- Recreate pipelines, stages and deal fields
- Rebuild workflows, sequences and assignment rules
- Recreate lists, segments and email templates
- Run a test import with a small sample
After the change
- Freeze the old CRM during cutover
- Import in order and keep the old record IDs
- Bring over notes, calls, meetings and tasks
- Logged emails and email tracking
- Update website forms and chat that feed the old CRM
- Reconnect billing, accounting and other integrations
- Repoint Zapier and other automation tools
- Reconnect inbox and calendar sync
- Train the team and switch their tools over
- Rebuild key reports and keep historical snapshots
- Update your privacy notice and vendor records
- Compare record counts and spot-check key accounts
Your own plan adds or removes items based on your answers, and explains why each one is there.
The safe order
Doing things in the right sequence is what keeps you from getting locked out halfway through.
Before the change
Step 1: Map your data and plan the cutover
Decide where every field goes and clean up before you move anything.
- Map objects, fields and picklists (high risk)
- Check the new CRM can hold your custom fields and objects (high risk)
- Clean up and de-duplicate before you import (moderate risk)
Step 2: Export everything from the old CRM
Records, files and consent records, with the IDs that link them.
- Export a complete copy of Pipedrive (critical risk)
- Marketing consent, unsubscribes and bounces (high risk)
- Files and attachments on records (moderate risk)
Step 3: Build the new CRM
Users, pipelines, automations and lists, ready before the data arrives.
- Create users and map record owners (high risk)
- Recreate pipelines, stages and deal fields (high risk)
- Rebuild workflows, sequences and assignment rules (high risk)
- Recreate lists, segments and email templates (moderate risk)
Step 4: Run a test import
Prove the mapping with a small sample, then fix and repeat.
- Run a test import with a small sample (high risk)
During the change
Step 5: Freeze the old CRM and import
Stop edits, take the final export and import in order.
- Freeze the old CRM during cutover (high risk)
- Import in order and keep the old record IDs (high risk)
- Bring over notes, calls, meetings and tasks (moderate risk)
- Logged emails and email tracking (moderate risk)
Step 6: Reconnect forms, inboxes and integrations
Repoint everything that writes to the old CRM, and disconnect it there.
- Update website forms and chat that feed the old CRM (critical risk)
- Reconnect billing, accounting and other integrations (high risk)
- Repoint Zapier and other automation tools (high risk)
- Reconnect inbox and calendar sync (moderate risk)
Immediately after
Step 7: Switch the team and reporting over
Training, reports and the records you keep about where customer data lives.
- Train the team and switch their tools over (moderate risk)
- Rebuild key reports and keep historical snapshots (moderate risk)
- Update your privacy notice and vendor records (low risk)
Verify
Step 8: Check counts, records and forms
Make sure nothing went missing before the old CRM goes away.
- Compare record counts and spot-check key accounts (high risk)
Clean up
Step 9: Retire the old CRM
Keep it read-only for a while, then remove its code and cancel.
- Keep the old CRM read-only for a while (moderate risk)
- Cancel the old CRM and remove its tracking code (moderate risk)
Later
Step 10: Watch for stragglers
Forgotten inputs usually show up within a few weeks.
- Watch for leads still reaching the old CRM (low risk)
Why this change needs a plan
A CRM holds more than contacts. It's your deal history, the notes behind every customer relationship, your marketing consent records, and the hub that website forms, inboxes and billing tools write to.
Most CRM migrations go wrong in two places: data that doesn't come across with its links (contacts without their companies, deals without their history), and inputs that keep feeding the old system after the switch. Website forms and automation tools like Zapier are the usual culprits.
The safe approach is to map the data model first, test with a small sample, freeze the old CRM during cutover, and keep it read-only until you've confirmed nothing is missing.
Why it matters
Lost leads and missing history cost revenue quietly. And if unsubscribe and consent records don't move with your contacts, you could email people who asked you not to.
What makes it risky
Risk is highest when website forms or automations post straight to the old CRM, when you send marketing email from it, and when notes, emails and attachments need separate exports.
Common mistakes
- Importing contacts without their unsubscribe status, then emailing people who had opted out.
- Forgetting website forms and ad lead forms that still post to the old CRM.
- Importing deals before companies and contacts exist, so the links between records are lost.
- Leaving old Zapier automations running, so new leads keep landing in the old CRM.
- Cancelling the old CRM before checking record counts and exporting notes and attachments.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a CRM migration take?
It depends on how much data and customization you have. Most of the time goes into mapping fields, test imports and rebuilding automations. Once you've tested, the cutover itself can usually be a short window.
Will my notes and email history come across?
Often, but not always automatically. Notes, logged emails, calls and attachments are frequently separate exports or need a migration tool. Check what the old CRM can export before you set a cutover date.
Do I need new consent when I move contacts to a new CRM?
Moving contacts to a new tool doesn't usually change what they agreed to, but you do need to carry over their consent and unsubscribe records so you can keep honouring them and show consent later. Rules vary by country, so check with the regulator or a lawyer if you're unsure.
Can I run both CRMs at the same time?
Briefly, but keep the overlap short. Two live CRMs split new data between them. Use a freeze window: stop edits in the old CRM, bring across recent changes, and switch everyone over together.
What should I do with the old CRM after switching?
Keep it read-only, or keep a full export, until you've checked record counts and the team has worked in the new CRM for a while. Then remove its tracking code from your website, revoke its integrations and cancel.
Regional notes
General information, not legal advice. Check the official source where you live.
- Canada
- Canada's anti-spam legislation (CASL) sets rules for commercial electronic messages, including consent. Keep your consent records when you move contacts.
- United States
- The FTC's CAN-SPAM guidance requires businesses to honour opt-out requests promptly. Import unsubscribes before the first send from the new CRM.
- United Kingdom
- The ICO's direct marketing guidance explains the UK rules for marketing email. Bring over consent and opt-out records with your contacts.