Direct answer: Treat “import complete” as a file-processing result. Accept the migration only when sampled records retain the right identities, relationships, owners, business states, and relevant history; review rejected rows and repeat the check after corrections. A matching total row count alone cannot prove that staff will find the right customer or next action.
HubSpot's multi-object import guide shows that contacts, companies, deals, and activities can be created or associated through file imports, with requirements for shared columns and unique identifiers. Its error guide lists cases where records can import while associations fail, or values can be missing because an owner or option was not recognized. The exact behavior depends on the CRM and import mode; those examples illustrate why a completion banner is only one piece of evidence.
Reconcile five kinds of evidence
Before the move, preserve a restricted source export and a mapping sheet that names which source field becomes which destination field. Include stable IDs where the platform supports them; names alone may not distinguish two customers with the same name. Use a sample that contains ordinary and difficult cases, not just the clean first rows.
| Check | Source example to include | Destination acceptance |
|---|---|---|
| Identity and duplicates | Two people with the same surname, one changed email, one company with multiple contacts. | Each real entity has the intended record and identifier; duplicates and merged records are explained. |
| Relationships | Contact linked to a company and a deal or ticket; one contact linked to more than one account if your business allows it. | The correct records are connected, not merely present as separate rows. |
| Ownership and permissions | A live lead owned by a named staff member and one assigned to an inactive user. | The new owner is deliberate, staff see only what their role should allow, and no active lead is orphaned. |
| Business state | Open quote, closed work, unpaid invoice reference, and a customer who opted out of marketing. | Stage, dates, and relevant restrictions match the approved source and destination model. |
| History and attachments | One recent note, one task, and one file that staff genuinely need. | The new location is findable, complete under the agreed scope, and accessible to the intended role. |
This is a sample plan. The project must define which history and fields are in scope and how consent or opt-out data is migrated and checked. Never assume that a contact existing in the destination means every related record, communication preference, or attachment came across. HubSpot's file-format guidance explains how associations depend on unique identifiers or common columns; your selected system may use different keys.
Track every exception to a decision
Create a small reconciliation log: source ID, destination ID, expected relationship/state, observed result, discrepancy, owner, correction, and retest result. Separate missing record, wrong field, wrong relationship, and intentional exclusion. A row excluded by design should be signed off as such; otherwise it can look like a silent import failure later.
Review the import tool's error file or job log, then correct and re-import only with a documented deduplication rule. A failed association can leave both records present, while a duplicate identifier can change which row is updated. HubSpot documents these different error cases; the exact remedy must follow the chosen CRM's current instructions. Test a corrected case and a previously correct case so the repair does not break an existing link.
Let staff prove the migrated data works
Have a salesperson or support worker find a customer without being told the new record ID. Ask them to identify the current owner, the open work, the last relevant interaction, and the next permitted action. If they cannot, the import may be technically valid but operationally incomplete. Record the failure before the old system is retired, and keep a rollback or read-only reference period agreed in the project plan.
The website handover inventory covers accounts, code, and other site assets; this check is specifically for the meaning and relationships of CRM records. The subscription portal handoff guide shows why customer-visible state must also survive a change. Keep the reconciliation log with the migration handover. ARCHV's website offer does not include a standard CRM migration; data mapping, access, and acceptance need separate scoping.