Migrate from InStream to Zoho CRM

InStream Contact records split into Zoho CRM Leads and Contacts based on qualification status. Contacts with active Deals and associated Company records map to Zoho CRM Contacts linked to Accounts. Unqualified inbound leads from InStream Lists map to Zoho Leads. The split rule is defined during scoping using InStream's contact status field and deal association as criteria. We preserve the InStream contact ID in a custom field instream_id__c for cross-system audit.

InStream Company records map directly to Zoho CRM Accounts. The Company name becomes Account Name, and the domain field maps to Account Site or Website. Account is created before Contact import so that the Account-Contact lookup relationship is satisfied at the moment of Contact insert. Multiple InStream Contacts associated with a single Company resolve to multiple Contact records all linked to the same Account.

InStream Deals map to Zoho CRM Deals. The InStream pipeline stage name maps to Zoho Deal Stage, with the stage probability preserved as a custom field deal_probability__c. InStream allows free-text stage names without enforced taxonomy, so we capture the exact stage name-to-order mapping during discovery and configure Zoho's pipeline stages to match. Deal value, close date, and associated Contact and Company links migrate directly.

InStream's single Kanban pipeline maps to a Zoho CRM Pipeline. If the customer has configured multiple named pipelines in InStream (Business tier feature), each maps to a separate Zoho Pipeline. We configure the pipeline layout, stage names, and probability mapping during the Zoho schema setup phase before migration begins.

InStream Lists are segmentation groups used to organize Contacts. We migrate list membership as Zoho CRM Tags applied to the corresponding Contact or Lead records. Multiple InStream Lists that represent similar segmentation dimensions merge into a single tag taxonomy in Zoho; we document the merge mapping during scoping. List descriptions migrate as Tag descriptions for reference.

InStream pulls social profile data live from LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook at import time, storing the profile URLs in dedicated fields. The enriched social data (profile pictures, follower counts, recent posts) is not stored as independent fields and does not transfer. We preserve the social profile URLs as custom text fields on the Contact record (LinkedIn_URL__c, Twitter_URL__c, Facebook_URL__c) so that the profile links remain accessible in Zoho CRM.

InStream email history attached to Contacts migrates to Zoho CRM Tasks with Activity Type = Email. The email subject, body content, and timestamp transfer to the Task record. Attachments migrate as Files linked via the Zoho CRM Attachments module. The Contact or Lead WhoId and Deal WhatId are resolved at migration time using the contact-to-record lookup.

InStream call records map to Zoho CRM Tasks with Activity Type = Call. Call duration, disposition, and outcome notes transfer to custom Task fields. Activity timestamp preserves the original call time for timeline ordering. Call recordings do not transfer as InStream does not expose recording URLs via export.

InStream meeting records map to Zoho CRM Events. Start time, end time, location, and meeting title migrate directly. Attendees link to Zoho CRM Contacts or Leads via Event Relation records. Meeting notes and agenda content migrate as Event description.

InStream Notes attached to Contacts or Companies migrate to Zoho CRM Notes. Note content, creation date, and author preserve. Notes linked to Deals migrate as Notes attached to the corresponding Zoho Deal. We preserve the note hierarchy if InStream organizes notes in folders.

InStream Tasks (standalone tasks not attached to email, call, or meeting) map to Zoho CRM Tasks with the original due date, priority, status, and description preserved. Task assignment migrates by resolving the InStream owner email to a Zoho CRM User.

InStream custom fields exist but the schema is not publicly documented via API. We extract available field definitions from the UI export during discovery, cross-reference them against the destination, and create equivalent custom fields in Zoho CRM before migration. Any fields that cannot be mapped due to missing documentation are flagged for manual review. Field data types are inferred from the exported values (text, number, date, picklist).