Best Practices for Salesforce Data Migration

Migrating your data into Salesforce might feel a little overwhelming at first—but with some thoughtful planning, the right tools, and a bit of cleanup, it becomes a whole lot more manageable. Think of it as setting the stage for clean, organized, and actionable data that powers your business in all the right ways.

Let’s walk through how to make that happen—step by step.

1.  Start with a Solid Plan

Understand Your Data and What You’re Trying to Do

Before importing anything, take a good look at the data you already have. What’s worth keeping? What’s outdated or messy? Think of this as your digital decluttering moment—fix formatting, delete duplicates, and clean up inconsistent entries. This prep work pays off in a big way later.

Also, get clear on your goals. Are you consolidating systems? Launching Salesforce for the first time? Making reporting easier? Knowing what success looks like helps you make the right decisions throughout the project.

Set a Timeline and Work in Phases

Data migration is best tackled in stages. Start with discovery and cleanup, move into mapping and testing, and finally go live. Give yourself (and your team) enough time for each phase—especially for testing.

Stay Secure and Compliant

Salesforce is built with security in mind, but it’s still your responsibility to handle your data carefully. Use encryption, manage user access, and comply with relevant legal requirements like GDPR or HIPAA. And always back up your original data. It’s your safety net.

2. Prepare Your Data for the Move

Clean It Up and Get It Ready

This is where you get your data in shape. Fix typos, normalize formatting (like phone numbers or dates), and remove duplicates. Tools like DemandTools, Cloudingo, or Excel can help a lot here.

Map Your Fields to Salesforce

Next, figure out where everything goes in Salesforce. If your current system has a “Customer Name” field, for example, you might split that into “First Name” and “Last Name” in Salesforce. Documenting your mappings avoids confusion during import.

Here’s a quick example of what that could look like:

Use External IDs for Linking Records

If you're bringing over related records—like linking Contacts to their Accounts—you’ll want to use external IDs. These are special fields in Salesforce that act as a unique key to match records from your old system. They’re especially helpful when you're dealing with upserts (more on that later).

Set Up Validation Rules

In Salesforce, validation rules ensure your data meets certain standards. Want to require a phone number for every lead? Or make sure email addresses follow the correct format? Validation rules are your go-to for maintaining clean data long after migration.

3. Migrate Using the Right Tools and Approach

Pick the Tool That Fits Your Project

Salesforce offers a few options depending on your comfort level and the size of your data:

• Data Import Wizard – Ideal for beginners performing light imports (such as Contacts or Leads). It's built into Salesforce and walks you through the process.
• Data Loader – Perfect for admins and developers handling bulk data. It’s fast, flexible, and handles upserts.
• ETL Tools (like Informatica, MuleSoft, or Talend) – Best for large-scale, complex migrations. These tools provide automation, data transformation, and advanced error handling capabilities.

Take Advantage of Upserts

Rather than running separate insert and update jobs, use the upsert function (especially with Data Loader or ETL tools). This lets Salesforce figure out whether to create a new record or update an existing one—based on the external ID you provide. It saves time and prevents duplicates.

Automate Where You Can, Handle Errors Gracefully

Automation reduces errors and streamlines the process. Whether it’s writing scripts or using built-in ETL features, automate your data extraction, transformation, and loading whenever possible.

At the same time, build in safeguards. Set up logs, create alerts for failed records, and ensure you have rollback options in place in case something goes wrong. A few extra checks now can save hours later. And one other absolutely crucial piece of advice: always, always, always have a backup of your original data safely stowed away in a separate working space—it has saved this writer’s bacon more times than I can count. 

Maintain Relationships and Custom Fields

If you’ve got custom objects or fields in Salesforce, make sure your mappings account for those. And don’t forget to load related records in the correct order—for example, Accounts before Contacts. Using external IDs to keep those connections intact is a must.

4. Finish Strong with Testing and Training

Always Test in a Sandbox First

Before touching your live Salesforce org, test everything in a sandbox environment. It’s a safe place to run your complete migration—from data load to validation—without impacting real users or data.

Run User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Once your data is in, bring in real users to try out the system. Have them do their everyday tasks and give feedback. This is your opportunity to identify and address issues, adjust configurations, and ensure the system supports real-world workflows.

Validate and QA the Data

After the migration, verify everything made it over correctly. Compare a few records between the old and new systems. Look out for missing data, incorrect field formats, or broken links between records. Use both automated reports and manual checks for the best results.

Train and Support Your Users

Salesforce data migration doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With some upfront planning, a well-thought-out process, and a strong focus on data quality, you can create a seamless transition and provide your teams with the tools they need to work more efficiently. The more confident your team feels, the faster they’ll adopt—and the better your system will perform.

5. Final Thoughts

Salesforce data migration doesn’t have to be intimidating. With the proper preparation, a clear plan, and a focus on data quality, you can make the move with confidence. Clean data, smooth processes, and a well-trained team—that’s the recipe for a successful migration.