Migrating from Other CRMs

Overview

This guide walks you through migrating your data from any CRM to Twenty. The process involves auditing your data, preparing your Twenty workspace, exporting from your current system, and importing into Twenty.

<Note>Views, workflows, and permissions must be recreated manually after migration. Plan time for this configuration work.</Note>

Step 1: Audit Your Current Data

Migration is an opportunity for a fresh start. Don't bring over clutter.

What to keep:

• Active contacts and companies
• Open opportunities and deals
• Important notes and activities
• Custom fields you actually use

What to leave behind:

• Outdated contacts (no activity in 2+ years)
• Duplicate records
• Test data
• Unused custom fields

Step 2: Map Your Data Model

Create a mapping document between your current CRM and Twenty:

For each field, document:

• The source field name
• The target Twenty field
• Any format transformations needed (dates, phone numbers, etc.)

<Note>Keep this mapping document handy during import—you'll reference it when mapping columns.</Note>

Step 3: Set Up Your Twenty Workspace

Before importing data, prepare your Twenty workspace:

Create Custom Objects and Fields

1. Go to Settings → Data Model
2. Create any custom objects you need
3. Add custom fields to standard and custom objects
4. Configure field settings (unique, required, select options, etc.)

The CSV import creates records, not fields. Create all custom fields in Settings → Data Model before importing. </Warning>

Invite Your Team

If your data includes user references (Account Owner, Assignee, etc.), those users must exist in Twenty before import. Otherwise, those relations cannot be mapped. </Warning>

1. Go to Settings → Members
2. Invite all team members
3. Wait for everyone to accept their invitation
4. Verify all users appear in your Members list

Step 4: Export from Your Current CRM

Export your data from your current CRM:

1. Look for an Export function (usually under Settings, Data Management, or Admin)
2. Export to CSV format when possible
3. Export each object type separately (Companies, Contacts, Deals, etc.)
4. Include all fields you want to migrate

Export these objects (in this order for reference):

1. Companies / Accounts / Organizations
2. Contacts / People
3. Deals / Opportunities
4. Notes and Activities
5. Custom objects

Step 5: Clean and Format Your Data

Open each exported CSV in a spreadsheet application and prepare it for Twenty.

Remove Duplicates

1. Sort by the unique field (email for People, domain for Companies)
2. Remove or merge duplicate rows
3. Verify no duplicates exist in Twenty already

Format Fields Correctly

Use https://domain.com (not domain.com or www.domain.com). This matches Twenty's format and prevents duplicates when you connect email/calendar sync. </Warning>

See How to Prepare Your CSV Files for complete formatting requirements for all field types.

Add Relation Columns

To link records (e.g., People to Companies), add a column with the parent's unique identifier.

Example: People CSV with Company link

firstName,lastName,email,companyDomain
John,Smith,[email protected],https://acme.com
Jane,Doe,[email protected],https://widgets.co

See How to Import Relations for detailed instructions on linking records.

Update User References

If your data includes user assignments (Owner, Assignee):

1. Add a column with the user's email (not just their ID from the old system)
2. Use the same email addresses that users used to join your Twenty workspace

See How to Prepare Your CSV Files for complete formatting guide.

Step 6: Import to Twenty

Always import in this order:

1. Companies first (no dependencies)
2. People second (link to Companies)
3. Opportunities third (link to Companies/People)
4. Notes and Tasks (link to records)
5. Custom objects following their dependencies

The parent record must exist before you can reference it. </Warning>

Import Each Object

For each CSV file, in order:

1. Navigate to the object in Twenty
2. Click ⋮ → Import records
3. Upload the CSV file
4. Map columns to fields:
   • Map user email columns to the appropriate relation fields
   • Map relation columns (like companyDomain) to relation fields
5. Review and fix any errors in the UI
6. Confirm the import
7. Verify a few records before proceeding to the next file

Detailed guides:

• How to Import Companies
• How to Import Contacts
• How to Import Relations

Step 7: Large Migrations (50,000+ Records)

For large migrations:

For API imports:

• Faster and more reliable for large datasets
• Supports batch operations (up to 60 records per call)
• See How to Import Data via API

Step 8: Post-Migration Setup

After importing data, complete your workspace configuration:

Recreate Views

• Set up saved views with filters, sorts, and column configurations
• Create any kanban or calendar views you need

Recreate Workflows

• Rebuild your automations in Settings → Workflows
• Start with the most critical workflows
• Test each one before relying on it

Configure Roles and Permissions

• Set up roles in Settings → Roles
• Assign users to appropriate roles

Connect Email and Calendar

• Each user connects their own account in Settings → Accounts
• Twenty will start syncing emails to contact records
• See Email & Calendar

Train Your Team

• Walk through the new interface together
• Document any team-specific processes

Common Issues and Solutions

See How to Fix Import Errors for detailed troubleshooting steps.

Post-Migration Checklist

Data Integrity

<Check>All records imported (compare counts with source system)</Check> <Check>Relations working correctly (People linked to Companies)</Check> <Check>User assignments mapped correctly (Owner, Assignee)</Check> <Check>Custom fields populated</Check> <Check>No unexpected duplicates</Check>

Configuration

<Check>Views recreated</Check> <Check>Workflows recreated and tested</Check> <Check>Roles and permissions configured</Check> <Check>Email/calendar sync connected</Check>

Team Readiness

<Check>Team trained on new system</Check> <Check>Old CRM access plan decided (keep for reference? When to disable?)</Check>

FAQ

Need Help?

For complex migrations or large datasets:

• Guided setup: Book a 4-hour onboarding pack
• Full migration service: Our partners can handle the entire migration

Contact [email protected] or explore our Implementation Services.