Migrate from Helpy to Freshdesk

Discovery and Helpy CSV template audit

We audit the source Helpy instance's CSV import templates by downloading the official template pack from the Helpy Google Drive resources and comparing it against the target Helpy installation's actual CSV column headers. We inventory all active Customers, Tickets, Replies, KB Categories, and KB Articles, plus any custom fields present in the ticket CSV. We also confirm the destination Freshdesk plan (Sprout, Blossom, Growth, or Pro) to determine API access availability and feature parity. The discovery output is a written migration scope with record counts, object mapping table, and a recommendation to upgrade to Blossom or above if the destination is on Sprout.

Freshdesk schema pre-configuration

We pre-configure the Freshdesk destination before any data import begins. This includes creating custom Contact fields (for Helpy locale and timezone metadata), creating custom Ticket fields (for Helpy custom fields and the source Helpy ticket ID), defining KB Category and Section hierarchy in Freshdesk, and provisioning agent accounts via the Freshdesk agents API for every Helpy agent email identified in discovery. The Freshdesk API key is obtained from Profile Settings, and we verify API connectivity before proceeding.

CSV extraction from Helpy and data transformation

We export all records from Helpy via its CSV import interface for each object type: Customers first, then Categories, then KB Articles, then Tickets, then Replies. Each CSV is validated against Helpy's expected column headers before transformation. We convert Helpy field types to Freshdesk API-compatible payloads, apply deduping logic on email for Contacts, and sort Replies by created_at for chronological threading. Custom field values that do not map to Freshdesk typed fields are written to custom text fields for later cleanup.

Staged write to Freshdesk API with reconciliation

We write data to Freshdesk in dependency order: Categories and Sections first (KB hierarchy required for article assignment), then Contacts, then Tickets, then Replies, then Articles. Each phase writes to the Freshdesk REST API, emits a row-count reconciliation report, and waits for validation before the next phase begins. For the Replies phase, we batch requests to stay within Freshdesk API rate limits (variable by plan) and verify each parent ticket exists before posting. Any record rejected by the Freshdesk API is logged with the error response for correction and retry.

Attachment extraction and reference table delivery

We scan all Helpy ticket bodies and KB article bodies for attachment references, extract files to a managed CDN bucket, and validate download accessibility. We deliver a post-migration reference table (CSV) mapping each source Helpy attachment URL to its CDN URL, associated ticket or article ID, and file metadata. The customer or their admin pastes CDN URLs into Freshdesk ticket notes or article bodies as a post-migration step, since Helpy's CSV import does not carry binary attachment data.

Cutover, validation, and automation inventory handoff

We freeze Helpy writes during cutover, run a final delta migration of any records modified during the migration window, then deliver a full reconciliation report comparing source counts against Freshdesk destination counts for every object type. We deliver the automation inventory document (listing every Helpy trigger, routing rule, and SLA rule with Freshdesk Scenario Automation equivalent) to the customer's admin team. We do not rebuild Helpy automations as Freshdesk automations inside the migration scope; that work requires a separate engagement or an internal admin task.