Act! to HubSpot
Act! is a horizontal CRM sold as desktop/on-premises SQL editions and Act! Premium Web. It is relational: contacts link to notes, history, activities, opportunities, groups and secondary contacts.
Act! data can move into HubSpot, landing mainly in Sales Hub. 2 of 10 mapped objects move directly (Contacts and Companies); 4 items need manual work and 1 do not move. Plan roughly 1-3 weeks for a small move and 8-20 weeks for a large one.
Migration checklist for Act!
Three phases, specific to this system. Tick steps off as you go.
Before
0 of 5 doneDuring
0 of 5 doneAfter
0 of 5 doneWhat will it take?
No price list: cost follows volume, custom objects and how much logic must be rebuilt. Answer four quick questions for a planning range.
The three scenarios
Small migration
<10k contacts
Contacts and companies via CSV.
Mid migration
10k-100k contacts
Includes history, deals and activities.
Large migration
>100k contacts with years of history
Custom tables, staged cutover.
What moves the number
Timeline ranges are planning estimates, not a quote. A partner confirms scope after discovery.
Access, mapping and limits
Start with how data leaves Act!: what you need to get in, what lands in HubSpot, and what will not.
Not verified from vendor docs. A third-party unified API (Apideck) exposes Act contacts, companies, opportunities and users.
Premium Web edition credentials are needed to connect migration tools. On-premises needs a database backup or a file export.
Choose your route
How will you move the data?
No native connector was found.
- You need: Premium Web edition credentials are needed to connect migration tools. On-premises needs a database backup or a file export.
- Permission: To confirm
Native imports often bring over only some data, so check coverage per object in the mapping below.
Export each object, clean it, then import it into HubSpot.
- Built-in File > Export of contacts, companies and groups to text-delimited/Excel. It excludes notes, history and saved emails.
- Third-party table exporters (Exporter, Exporter4Act!, itExport) that read the database and write per-table CSVs with unique IDs.
- Consultant export services working from a database backup.
- Premium Web connection via migration platforms; legacy on-premises versions cannot connect directly and use CSV.
Limits: To confirm
Migration and sync tools can move more than a plain import. Confirm which objects each one supports before you choose.
Best when volume is high, custom objects are many or automation is heavy. That is the Large scenario: 8-20 weeks, usually phased.
Talk to a partnerWhere each object lands
In Act!
In HubSpot
Hover or tap anything on the left to see where it lands.
| Source object | In HubSpot | Moves | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Contacts | yes | Built-in export covers standard and custom fields. |
| Companies | Companies | yes | Exports as a separate file. Exporter tools can build companies from contact data if Act! companies were unused. |
| Opportunities | Deals | partial | Needs a table-level exporter. Sales stages must be mapped to HubSpot pipelines manually. |
| Notes | Notes | partial | Not in the built-in export. Exporter tools output notes with linking IDs. HTML notes are converted to text. |
| History | Calls | partial | History is a mix of types and has to be split into Emails, Calls and Notes. Filter out system entries such as Field Changed. |
| Activities (tasks, meetings) | Tasks | partial | Exportable via tools. Activities can be imported against contacts per a HubSpot Community answer. |
| Users | Contacts | manual | Users are exported by tools, but owners must be recreated as HubSpot users and mapped. |
| Secondary contacts | Contacts | partial | Exported by tools. They need to be imported as contacts and associated. |
| Custom tables | Custom objects | manual | Exporter tools output custom tables and join tables. |
| Documents/attachments | Files | manual | itExport lists linked documents. |
What to expect
No evidence of an export. These need to be rebuilt in HubSpot.
The built-in export leaves them out.
History types such as Field Changed and blast notices should be excluded.
Analyst scope; these items are not exported.
HubSpot domain matching can mis-group companies. A manufacturer case used a parent/child structure.
Audit coverage per table before cutover.
Use exporters that include ContactID/CompanyID and linking tables.
Run a sample import first.
Staged migration with a final delta import.
Export to CSV or consider a custom project.
Data governance and compliance
Decide what is allowed to move before anything is exported. Tick each gate once it is agreed.
How we researched this page
How much to trust each section, and where it comes from.
Export paths and object coverage rest on third-party and reseller sources. I found no vendor API or help-centre pages or HubSpot import docs, so API auth, rate limits and certifications are unverified.
Sources
Related migrations
Frequently asked questions
How do I migrate Act! to HubSpot?
1. Identify the edition (Premium Web or on-premises SQL) and the Act! version. 2. Back up the database and run the Problem_Summary-style audit for blank contacts and invalid emails. 3. Inventory custom fields, custom tables, groups, secondary contacts and history types. 4. List users and map them to HubSpot owners.
What data can move from Act! to HubSpot?
These objects move directly: Contacts and Companies. Check the mapping table for partial and manual items.
What does not move from Act! to HubSpot?
Act! automation, workflows, reports and permissions. Plan to rebuild or retire these.
How long does a Act! to HubSpot migration take?
Small (<10k contacts): 1-3 weeks. Mid (10k-100k contacts): 4-8 weeks. Large (>100k contacts with years of history): 8-20 weeks. These are planning estimates, not a quote.
What access do I need to export from Act!?
Premium Web edition credentials are needed to connect migration tools. On-premises needs a database backup or a file export.
What compliance issues apply when moving Act! data?
Check: Notes may contain sensitive data depending on usage.. Agree consent, retention and access rules before exporting.
Moving Act! into HubSpot?
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