HubSpot ↔ Marketo Migration Guide
Everything you need to plan and execute a B2B marketing automation platform migration — without losing data, breaking campaigns, or going dark on pipeline for 3 months.
When switching platforms is the right call
Migrate from Marketo to HubSpot when: you’re under $20M ARR and don’t have a dedicated Marketo admin, your sales team isn’t using the CRM, or reporting requires too much manual work. Marketo’s power comes with complexity — if you don’t have the ops resource to maintain it, you’re paying for a Ferrari and driving it like a bicycle.
Migrate from HubSpot to Marketo when: you’ve hit HubSpot’s ceiling on enterprise features (advanced scoring, complex nurture logic, granular API access), you’re managing multiple business units with complex segmentation requirements, or your Salesforce integration needs are beyond HubSpot’s native capability.
Before you start the project
- Audit your current database: total contacts, active vs. inactive, unsubscribes, bounces
- Document all active workflows/smart campaigns — name, trigger, actions, audience
- Export all lists, segments, and suppression lists
- Document your lead scoring model (criteria, thresholds, MQL score)
- Screenshot/export all form configurations and landing pages
- List all CRM sync fields and custom properties
- Identify your 5 most critical reports — confirm they can be rebuilt in the new platform
- Set migration go-live date at least 6 weeks out from kickoff
Platform setup
- Configure domain authentication (DKIM, DMARC, SPF)
- Set up CRM integration and field mapping
- Create lifecycle stage structure
- Import contact database (clean first)
- Configure user access and permissions
Rebuild core workflows
- Recreate lead scoring model
- Rebuild top 10 nurture workflows
- Migrate active forms + landing pages
- Set up attribution tracking + UTM structure
- QA all trigger conditions
Parallel run + testing
- Run both platforms simultaneously for 1 week
- Compare lead flow volumes in old vs. new
- Test all form submissions end-to-end
- Validate CRM sync with 10 test contacts
- Confirm unsubscribe lists are synced
Cutover + decommission
- Redirect all forms to new platform
- Update all website tracking pixels
- Pause (don’t delete) old platform workflows
- 30-day monitoring period before cancelling old contract
- Document new platform configuration for handoff
What kills migrations
- Migrating dirty data. Clean your contact database before importing. Bounced emails, duplicates, and contacts with no activity in 24+ months should be excluded or suppressed.
- Cancelling the old platform too early. Keep it active for 30 days post-cutover. You will find something you forgot to migrate.
- Not documenting the new setup. Every workflow, property, and integration should be documented the moment it’s built. Not after. Institutional knowledge should not live only in one person’s head.
- Underestimating the CRM sync complexity. This is typically where 80% of migration problems live. Start with the CRM integration before touching any marketing configuration.