Migrate from FreeCRM to Nutshell

Discovery and template inventory

We audit the FreeCRM account for all active templates, export field lists per template, inventory pipeline stage names, list active workflows, and assess storage headroom. We confirm the FreeCRM account tier (Free or Pro) to determine whether invoice data, unlimited campaigns, or advanced reporting fields are present. The discovery output is a written migration scope including the full template inventory, per-template field maps, stage list, and a storage headroom assessment.

Nutshell account setup and schema design

We configure the Nutshell destination account: creating custom fields on Person, Account, and Lead to match any FreeCRM template fields that have no standard Nutshell equivalent; configuring pipeline columns to match the discovered FreeCRM stage list; and setting up the Nutshell user accounts corresponding to the FreeCRM owners extracted from the export. Nutshell's Settings > Data > Import tool supports custom field mapping, which we use alongside direct API writes for complex transformations.

CSV export coordination and data extraction

We coordinate the CSV export with the customer, requesting exports in manageable batches if the record count exceeds 50,000 rows per object. We extract Contacts, Companies, Leads, Deals, and Activities from FreeCRM's CSV export tooling. Any attachment URLs are extracted separately for reassembly in Nutshell if the export captures them. We flag any records that hit free-tier storage throttling and escalate to the customer for resolution before proceeding.

Transformation and field normalization

We apply the per-template field maps produced during discovery, splitting comma-separated tags into individual values, normalizing date formats to ISO 8601, resolving FreeCRM owner email addresses to Nutshell User lookups, and applying the stage-mapping worksheet to Deal records. Any custom object or template-specific fields that have no Nutshell equivalent are written to Nutshell custom fields with a naming convention that preserves the original FreeCRM field label for the customer's reference.

Sandbox import and reconciliation

We run a trial import into a Nutshell test account or sandbox equivalent using production-like data volume. The customer reconciles record counts across all objects, spot-checks 20-30 records for field-level accuracy, and validates that related-to links (Person-to-Account, Deal-to-Account) resolved correctly. Mapping corrections are documented and applied to the production import script before cutover.

Production migration and cutover

We run production migration in dependency order: Accounts first (from FreeCRM Companies), then Persons (with AccountId resolved), then Leads (with custom fields applied), then Deals (with stage mapping applied and AccountId resolved), then Activities (with related-to links resolved). Owner lookups that lack a matching Nutshell User are held until the customer provisions the missing accounts. We freeze FreeCRM writes during cutover and run a final delta migration for any records modified during the window.

Workflow inventory handoff and post-migration support

We deliver a written inventory of every active FreeCRM workflow and automation with its trigger conditions, actions, and a recommended Nutshell equivalent based on the destination tier. We support a one-week hypercare window where we resolve reconciliation issues raised by the customer's team. We do not rebuild FreeCRM workflows as Nutshell sales automation rules inside the migration scope; that work is handled by the customer's admin or a separate Nutshell implementation engagement.