Verify HubSpot migration accuracy with checksums and deltas

TL;DR

Before switching from Salesforce to HubSpot, run early automated validation to prevent rework. Use record counts, checksum validation, and sampling to detect missing or mismatched data. Reconcile records using unique IDs and review error logs for unresolved issues. Always secure stakeholder sign-off once data accuracy is confirmed.

CRM migrations demand precision. Capture pre-migration snapshots and hashed checksums of key fields for exact comparison. After migration, run automated reconciliations, sampling, and relationship checks to surface issues. Prioritise top accounts and random sample checks to cover critical and edge cases.

What is Validation For?

Validation confirms that records, fields and relationships have moved correctly from Salesforce to HubSpot. Success is matching counts, required field parity and no orphaned child records. It prevents silent data loss that harms revenue and experience.

Why Validate Now?

Validation stops errors cascading into broken forecasts and failed automations tied to service level agreements. Missing records damage revenue and trust. Fixing issues later costs more.

How Can You Validate Migrations?

Define authoritative keys and success criteria

Pick single-source keys such as Salesforce Id (Salesforce Identifier) or email and map to HubSpot external ID (external identifier). Set duplication thresholds and remediation steps. Clear criteria speed reconciliation.

Create a pre-migration snapshot

Export counts by object (Contacts, Accounts, Deals) and store securely. Generate checksums on concatenated fields like email|last_modified|owner. These snapshots are the baseline.

Run automated counts and reconciliation

Use scripts or business intelligence tools to compare object totals after migration. Flag differences above 0.5–1% and list missing IDs. Reconcile by joining on external IDs.

Perform field-level sampling and checksums

Sample high-risk fields across top accounts and a 1% random sample. Use checksums to spot subtle mismatches and drift. Prioritise fixes by business impact.

Validate child objects and relationships

Verify child objects retained parent links (contacts on accounts, contacts on deals). Compare child counts and spot-check timeline events. Repair broken relationships and log affected records.

Review error logs and reprocess failures

Collect import and API logs and classify errors (validation, missing lookup, rate limit). Reprocess retriable failures and document non-retriable items. Track outcomes and remaining failures.

Build dashboards and obtain sign-off

Create HubSpot dashboards showing pre and post counts and mismatch metrics. Require stakeholder sign-off after remediation and a 48–72 hour delta check. Archive reports for audit.

Takeaways

Export snapshots, reconcile by unique key, sample strategically, reprocess errors, and require sign-off. Make validation repeatable to protect revenue.

FAQs

1. How do checksum validation and delta tests work together?
   Checksum validation verifies field-level integrity. Delta tests show new, changed, or missing records since the snapshot. Together, they detect drift.
2. What's the best way to monitor ongoing data accuracy in HubSpot?
   Use HubSpot dashboards for counts, mismatch percentages, and checksum results. Automate alerts for variances over 1% and schedule delta checks.
3. How often should I run validation tests during CRM migration?
   Run tests before migration, immediately after migration, and again 48–72 hours later. This cadence ensures final assurance.
4. What should I do if record counts don't match after migrating to HubSpot?
   If counts differ by >0.5–1%, investigate totals and cross-check by unique IDs. Reprocess failed imports and document persistent mismatches for manual remediation.