Tool Migration Checklist: Salesforce to HubSpot

1. Overview

Risk Level: High (due to complex relational data models and custom objects).
Estimated Timeline: 8–12 weeks.
Recommended Team Size: 5–7 members (Project Lead, CRM Admin, Data Analyst, Sales Ops Lead, IT Security Officer).

Conduct a comprehensive audit of existing Salesforce custom objects and fields.
Identify redundant fields that are no longer utilised by the sales or marketing teams.
Document current workflow automation triggers and Apex classes.
Define clear objectives for the migration (e.g., improved reporting, better UX).
Establish a project governance framework with sign-off authorities.

Create a master data dictionary mapping Salesforce standard and custom objects to HubSpot objects.
Normalise data formats (e.g., date formats, currency symbols) to match HubSpot requirements.
Define the mapping strategy for multi-select picklists to ensure data integrity.
Verify the handling of Salesforce "Record Types" and map them to HubSpot "Lifecycle Stages".
Map Salesforce user roles and profiles to HubSpot permission sets.

Perform a full Salesforce Data Export Service (DES) extraction.
Store the full export in an encrypted, UK-based AWS S3 bucket.
Verify the integrity of the backup by attempting to restore a sample dataset.
Maintain a "read-only" instance of the Salesforce production environment for 90 days.
Document the file structure of the backup for audit trail purposes.

List all third-party applications currently connected to the Salesforce API.
Evaluate whether these integrations have native HubSpot connectors.
Document the authentication methods (OAuth, API keys) for all connected services.
Review webhooks and ensure they can be re-routed to HubSpot endpoints.
Identify any custom middleware (e.g., Zapier, MuleSoft) requiring configuration updates.

Cleanse data in Salesforce (e.g., deduplication, formatting phone numbers).
Configure HubSpot properties to mirror the validated Salesforce schema.
Set up HubSpot user accounts with appropriate access levels based on the finalised permission matrix.
Execute a dry-run migration with a subset of data (e.g., 5% of records).
Validate the dry-run results against the target KPIs.

Place Salesforce in "Read-Only" mode to prevent new record creation.
Initiate the final data export from Salesforce.
Import data into HubSpot, prioritising objects in the order of dependencies (Companies, then Contacts, then Deals).
Update DNS settings for email sending domains to ensure HubSpot DKIM/SPF compliance.
Re-authenticate all third-party integrations with HubSpot API credentials.

Perform a record count reconciliation between Salesforce export files and HubSpot.
Spot-check high-value customer accounts for data accuracy and activity history.
Verify that all custom workflows and triggers are firing correctly.
Confirm that lead routing rules are assigning contacts to the correct owners.
Test the integration between HubSpot and existing marketing channels.

Verify that the legal basis for processing (e.g., consent, legitimate interest) is mapped to HubSpot properties.
Configure HubSpot’s GDPR settings to enable compliance features (e.g., cookie banners, privacy policy links).
Ensure that marketing subscription preferences are correctly migrated to avoid unlawful email communication.
Implement data retention policies in HubSpot to automatically purge records beyond the statutory limit.
Audit the data processing agreement (DPA) with HubSpot to ensure it meets UK GDPR standards.
Conduct a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) if the CRM contains sensitive special category data.
Ensure that the "Right to be Forgotten" workflows are active and testable.
Review access logs to ensure that data access is restricted to authorised personnel only.

Resolve field mismatch errors by mapping Salesforce text fields to HubSpot single-line text properties.
Address "API limit exceeded" errors by staggering the import batches.
Fix broken associations by ensuring Record IDs are mapped correctly during the import.
Correct timezone discrepancies by normalising data to UTC before the import.
Rectify character encoding issues by ensuring all CSV files are saved in UTF-8 format.
Manage duplicate records by using HubSpot's "Deduplication by Record ID" feature.