Salesforce to HubSpot Migration: Complete Guide for 2026

Decide which data will move to HubSpot and which data will be archived. 

Identify the objects to migrate, such as Leads, Contacts, Accounts, Deals, Activities, and required custom objects. 

Exclude outdated records and unused objects.

Review Salesforce data before export.

Remove duplicate records, delete unused fields, and remove empty objects. 

Standardize picklist values and validate email formats, phone numbers, and location fields.

Create all required HubSpot properties before import. 

Map Salesforce fields to the correct HubSpot properties and confirm field types and validation rules.

Align sales and marketing teams on process changes in HubSpot. 

Review sales stages, lifecycle stages, lead routing rules, and ownership logic. 

Share documentation so teams understand the changes.

Audit Salesforce automation, including Flows, Process Builder logic, Apex triggers, and third-party tools. 

Pause automation during migration. 

Plan the shutdown of the Salesforce–HubSpot sync carefully.

Many data issues occur during sync shutdown, not during import, so confirm timing, ownership, and workflow dependencies before disabling it.

Create a complete Salesforce data backup before making changes.

Store the backup securely and keep it until post-migration validation is complete.

Select migration tools based on data volume and object complexity. Options include HubSpot imports, CSV files, or third-party tools.

Confirm that the selected tool supports field mapping, error handling, and validation.

List sales stages, lifecycle definitions, lead routing rules, and handoff points between marketing and sales. Focus on actual usage, not original Salesforce design.

Export an inventory of Salesforce fields, validation rules, lead sources, and field dependencies. This helps identify required fields, constraints, and unused elements.

Create a diagram that reflects the real sales and marketing flow. A visual map highlights gaps, ownership issues, and manual workarounds early.

Create users and assign HubSpot owners based on current responsibilities. Ownership affects reporting, automation, and access.

Set up pipelines, lifecycle stages, and deal statuses based on current business needs rather than copying Salesforce stages.

Create required custom properties with correct data types and validation rules. Use clear naming conventions.

Design the structure to support future needs rather than carrying forward Salesforce complexity created by unused configuration.

Migrate core CRM records such as Companies, Contacts, Deals, owners, and business-critical fields.

Leave behind outdated leads, unused custom fields, old workflows, and legacy structures that no longer add value.

Standardize picklist values. Align Salesforce field types with HubSpot equivalents, including boolean, multi-select, and text fields.

Fix invalid email formats and confirm company domain values. HubSpot relies on email and domain data for deduplication and associations.

Manage duplicates before export.

Deactivate Salesforce automation that updates records during export. Automation can overwrite values, leading to inconsistencies.

Map each Salesforce field to a HubSpot property and confirm that the data types match. Prepare transformation tables for picklists where values differ.

Document which Salesforce fields will be dropped, merged, or renamed to avoid confusion during validation.

Run a pilot migration covering roughly 10 percent of real production data to validate assumptions before cutover.

Verify field values, formats, and data types after import.

Confirm record ownership to prevent unassigned Companies, Contacts, or Deals. Review associations to ensure relationships remain intact across objects.

Validate pipeline stages and confirm alignment with HubSpot’s structure.

Check lifecycle stage mapping to confirm correct stage progression.

Compare Salesforce and HubSpot data using Excel lookups to validate record counts, fields, and associations.

Perform daily spot checks during phased migrations to catch issues early.

Test workflows on a limited segment and enable them globally only after successful validation.

Treating the migration as a simple sync and underestimating data mapping, process logic, and automation dependencies.

Migrating outdated, inconsistent, or duplicate data instead of cleaning and normalizing it first.

Attempting to replicate complex Salesforce logic rather than redesigning processes for HubSpot.

Skipping pipeline and lifecycle redesign, which leads to inaccurate reporting and routing.

Importing CRM objects in the wrong sequence, such as Contacts or Deals before Companies, which breaks associations.

Overlooking owner mapping, resulting in unassigned records and failed automation.

Disabling the Salesforce–HubSpot sync too early without validating ownership, workflows, and field behavior during cutover.

Running a full migration without testing with real data samples.

Underestimating limitations around activity history, including emails, calls, and notes.

Assuming files and attachments migrate with standard CRM data.

• Files and attachments follow a separate migration path and are not part of standard Salesforce to HubSpot imports.
• Salesforce stores files using a separate data model, which cannot be exported or imported like Contacts, Companies, or Deals.
• HubSpot does not support native bulk import of attachments.
• File migration often requires custom API workflows, manual handling, or specialized migration services and should be planned as a separate workstream.

Review Salesforce data structures, object relationships, and automation logic before migration. Redesign them to fit HubSpot’s properties, pipelines, and lifecycle stages, rather than copying configurations directly.

Prioritize migrating structured CRM data such as contacts, companies, deals, and activities. Plan file and attachment migration as a separate activity.

Audit how files are stored in Salesforce, including classic attachments, Salesforce Files, and notes. Document these relationships to support accurate re-association in HubSpot.

Avoid migrating attachments through CSV imports, as CSV files cannot handle binary data. Import CRM records first and get HubSpot record IDs before associating files.

Account for HubSpot’s attachment handling limitations early. HubSpot does not offer native Salesforce attachment migration, so treat file migration as an independent workstream and set expectations upfront.

Migrate only files that remain relevant to active business processes. Excluding outdated documents reduces effort and complexity.

Execute migrations in controlled batches and validate each batch before proceeding. Keep Salesforce and HubSpot running in parallel during validation to verify data accuracy and associations.

Rebuild business processes in HubSpot rather than replicating Salesforce automation. Legacy workflows and custom logic often reflect outdated practices and do not translate cleanly.

Use Excel as a staging layer to validate mappings, normalize values, and identify issues before import. Tools such as XL-Connector 365 support structured extraction and controlled data preparation.

Involve experienced migration specialists if the Salesforce org includes heavy customization, unmanaged packages, or long-term technical debt.

Activate workflows for routing, automation, and notifications.

Rebuild lead scoring models based on current qualification criteria.

Recreate email templates and sales or marketing sequences.

Review dashboards and confirm reports align with HubSpot’s data structure.

Operate Salesforce and HubSpot in parallel for 30–60 days to validate accuracy.

Enter a hypercare phase to resolve issues, correct associations, and monitor adoption.

Retire Salesforce only after HubSpot remains stable and fully adopted.