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Salesforce Data Migration in 7 Steps

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Author

Anastasia Belyh

Last Update

Feb 14, 2025

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Salesforce data migration is a critical step in CRM implementation, but it comes with challenges like data loss, duplication, and formatting issues. A well-planned approach ensures clean, accurate, and fully functional data in Salesforce. This guide covers best practices, tools, and a step-by-step strategy to help businesses migrate data efficiently and error-free.

  • Best CRM Software

Key Benefits of a Successful Salesforce Data Migration

  1. Improved Data Accuracy – Businesses that clean and deduplicate data before migration see a 25% improvement in reporting accuracy.
  2. Seamless Business Continuity – Well-planned migrations reduce downtime, with 73% of successful implementations experiencing zero workflow disruptions.
  3. Better Decision-Making – Companies with clean CRM data make decisions 46% faster and increase revenue by 29%.
  4. Higher User Adoption – CRMs with properly structured data see a 32% increase in user adoption, leading to better productivity.

Salesforce Data Migration in 7 Steps

1. Define Your Data Migration Strategy

Before transferring data, clearly outline your migration goals, scope, and requirements.

Key Questions to Consider:

  1. What data needs to be migrated? (Leads, contacts, opportunities, accounts, cases, custom objects)
  2. What data can be archived instead of migrated?
  3. What tools and methods will be used for migration?
  4. How will we validate and clean data before import?

👉 Example: A SaaS company may migrate active customer data but archive old contracts to reduce clutter.

2. Audit and Clean Your Data

Data migration is an opportunity to remove outdated, duplicate, or irrelevant records before importing them into Salesforce.

Best Practices for Data Cleanup:

  1. Deduplicate records – Merge duplicate contacts and accounts.
  2. Remove outdated data – Archive or delete old and irrelevant entries.
  3. Standardize formats – Ensure consistency in phone numbers, addresses, and naming conventions.
  4. Fix missing fields – Complete incomplete records before importing.

👉 Example: A retail company can standardize customer addresses to ensure uniformity across its CRM.

3. Map Data Fields & Structure

Data in your legacy system may have a different structure than Salesforce. Proper field mapping ensures records match correctly.

Key Considerations for Field Mapping:

  1. Align old CRM fields with Salesforce standard/custom objects.
  2. Ensure data types match (e.g., text fields vs. numeric fields).
  3. Check relationships between objects (e.g., linking contacts to accounts).
  4. Plan for custom fields if your Salesforce setup requires them.

👉 Example: A healthcare provider must map patient records from its old CRM to Salesforce’s custom objects for medical history tracking.

4. Choose the Right Salesforce Data Migration Tools

Salesforce offers various data import tools depending on the volume and complexity of migration.

Popular Salesforce Data Migration Tools:

  1. Salesforce Data Import Wizard – Best for small-scale imports (up to 50,000 records).
  2. Salesforce Data Loader – Handles large datasets and allows bulk operations.
  3. Third-Party ETL Tools (Extract, Transform, Load) – Use MuleSoft, Talend, Informatica for complex migrations.
  4. API-Based Custom Integrations – Best for real-time or large-scale data transfers.

👉 Example: A financial institution may use Informatica to migrate millions of customer records with complex relationships.

5. Test Migration with a Sample Dataset

Before performing a full data migration, conduct a test run with a small dataset to identify errors or inconsistencies.

How to Test Your Migration:

  1. Import a subset of records (e.g., 500–1,000 records).
  2. Verify data integrity – Check for missing or mismatched fields.
  3. Validate relationships – Ensure contacts, accounts, and transactions link correctly.
  4. Identify and resolve errors before proceeding with full migration.

👉 Example: A B2B company may test 100 customer records before migrating its full database of 50,000+ records.

6. Perform Full Data Migration

Once test migration is successful, proceed with the full-scale transfer.

Key Steps in Full Migration:

  1. Backup your old CRM data before migration.
  2. Migrate data in phases to avoid disruptions.
  3. Monitor for errors, slowdowns, or system crashes.
  4. Validate post-migration reports to confirm successful transfer.

👉 Example: A multinational enterprise may migrate one department’s data at a time instead of transferring everything at once.

7. Validate, Test & Optimize Data in Salesforce

After migration, thoroughly review data accuracy and functionality before full deployment.

Post-Migration Best Practices:

  1. Verify record counts – Ensure no data is missing.
  2. Check for duplicate or orphaned records.
  3. Test search functions, reports, and automation workflows.
  4. Get user feedback from sales and support teams to address issues.

👉 Example: A customer support team may check whether old service tickets and case histories transferred correctly.

Common Salesforce Data Migration Challenges & How to Avoid Them

1. Data Loss or Corruption

  1. Always back up your data before migration.
  2. Use data validation tools to catch errors before importing.

2. Duplicate Records

  1. Implement data deduplication before and after migration.
  2. Use Salesforce’s duplicate management rules.

3. Field Mapping Errors

  1. Conduct a field mapping workshop before migration.
  2. Test mapping on a small dataset first.

4. Poor User Adoption Post-Migration

  1. Provide training on how to use Salesforce with migrated data.
  2. Ensure teams understand new data structures and workflows.

Salesforce Data Migration Checklist

Define Your Migration Strategy – Set goals, scope, and key requirements.

Audit & Clean Data – Remove duplicates, standardize formats, and fix missing values.

Map Data Fields – Align source fields with Salesforce objects.

Choose the Right Migration Tool – Select Data Loader, Import Wizard, or ETL tools.

Test with a Sample Dataset – Identify and fix errors before full migration.

Perform Full Migration – Transfer data in phases while monitoring errors.

Validate & Optimize Post-Migration – Ensure accuracy, test reports, and get user feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Author

Anastasia Belyh

Anastasia Belyh is a senior tech writer with over 15 years of experience in marketing, sales, and business software. Having worked in investment banking, management consulting, and founded multiple companies, her in-depth knowledge and hands-on expertise make her software reviews authoritative, trustworthy, and highly practical for business decision-makers.