Migrate from HaloCRM to Zoho Desk

HaloCRM Agent records map to Zoho Desk Agents using email as the dedupe key. First Name, Last Name, and email migrate directly. Role and team assignments require manual reconfiguration in Zoho Desk because the two platforms use different permission models. We extract the complete agent roster and role list during discovery so that the customer can configure permissions in advance of the main migration.

HaloCRM Organization records map to Zoho Desk Accounts. Organization name becomes Account Name, phone and email map to standard fields, and the industry classification maps to the Account Industry picklist where values overlap. Account is the first data object imported in Zoho Desk to satisfy the referential integrity that Contacts and Tickets require.

HaloCRM Client records map to Zoho Desk Contacts. Client name splits into First Name and Last Name where available; single-field names map to Last Name with First Name left blank. Email and phone migrate directly. If the client has an associated Organization in HaloCRM, we cross-reference the Account ID and set the Account Lookup on the Contact. Client-scoped custom fields on the client record map to Contact-scoped custom fields in Zoho Desk.

HaloCRM Tickets map to Zoho Desk Tickets 1:1. Status, priority, assignee, requester, created_at, and modified_at migrate directly. Ticket-scoped custom fields map to Zoho Desk Ticket custom fields. We disable HaloCRM automations before export to prevent notification floods and SLA timer triggers during migration. Created_at timestamps are preserved explicitly in Zoho Desk rather than allowing them to default to the migration end date.

HaloCRM ticket comments and email replies map to Zoho Desk Ticket Threads. Thread type (public reply vs internal note) maps from HaloCRM's visibility flag. We note commenter names in a migration comment record because Zoho Desk does not preserve the original comment author as a linked Contact or Agent reference for all thread types.

File attachments associated with HaloCRM tickets download and re-attach at the corresponding Zoho Desk Ticket. We chunk large attachment batches to avoid API timeouts. Inline images embedded in ticket body HTML are extracted and re-hosted as file attachments linked to the ticket.

HaloCRM KB articles migrate as Zoho Desk Knowledge Base articles with title, content, category, and publication status preserved. Article-to-category relationships map from HaloCRM's category structure to Zoho Desk's category hierarchy. Note that KB article file attachments do not migrate per Zoho Desk's platform limitation; we flag each affected article during discovery so the customer can plan for manual re-attachment post-migration.

HaloCRM SLA definitions (response time, resolution time, breach actions) map to Zoho Desk SLA Plans where the platform's rule structure supports them. Response time and resolution time targets transfer directly. Custom breach-action logic such as escalation chains or notification triggers may not map 1:1; we flag the gaps in the SLA inventory document for manual recreation in Zoho Desk's SLA rule builder.

HaloCRM Service Contract records with dates, values, and linked entities migrate to a Zoho Desk custom object named Contracts. The destination schema for contract fields requires pre-creation before migration. We map contract dates, monetary values, and linked ticket references explicitly, noting any HaloCRM-specific fields that do not have a direct Zoho Desk equivalent.

HaloCRM Device and Asset records with serial numbers, asset types, and custom info fields export and map to Zoho Desk Assets. Serial number becomes the asset identifier; type and status map to Zoho Asset type and status picklists where values align. Relationships to tickets and clients are preserved via ID cross-referencing during import.

Tags applied to HaloCRM tickets and KB articles export as flat label arrays and re-apply to the corresponding Zoho Desk records as Tags. Tag names are preserved verbatim. Zoho Desk Tags are a separate object type linked to tickets, contacts, accounts, and articles via junction records.

HaloCRM canned text entries migrate as plain-text macro content in Zoho Desk. Variable substitution syntax differs between platforms; we flag any dynamic placeholders such as customer name, ticket ID, or agent name for manual review and conversion to Zoho Desk's macro variable format. The macro structure (subject, body, actions) maps where possible but may require adjustment in the Zoho Desk macro editor.