Migrate from Alongside to Crelate

Alongside's Candidate object maps 1:1 to Crelate's Contact Core Record. Crelate Contacts use FirstName, LastName, and Email as primary fields. If Alongside stores a candidate without a last name (e.g., a mononym), FlitStack AI writes it to FirstName and flags the record for review after migration.

Candidates linked to a company in Alongside map via Crelate's Company lookup field on Contact. Crelate uses the _Id suffix for lookups: if the Company Id exists, it links directly; if blank, a new Company is created from the AdditionalContact_Billing_FirstName and LastName fields per Crelate's API rules.

Crelate has no native candidate status field on Contact. Alongside status values (Active, Placed, On Hold, etc.) migrate as a custom picklist field created under Settings > Core Records > Contacts. We map the Alongside status label to each picklist value value-by-value before the migration run.

Crelate supports Tags on Contact records via its Tags object. The Tags object uses category keys — the Default tag category maps from Alongside's flat tag list. Tags with no category in Alongside are assigned to the Default category in Crelate. Tag values migrate exactly as strings preserving case.

Alongside tracks every job submission a candidate has been placed into. Crelate does not have a native submissions-history object on Contact. We preserve submission history as a Crelate Tag string (e.g., 'Submitted: Acme Corp — Senior Engineer, Mar 2025') and as a custom text field listing all submission references.

Alongside's ClientOrganization maps directly to Crelate's Company Core Record. Standard fields such as Name, Website, Phone, Industry, and NumberOfEmployees transfer straightforwardly. Parent-child hierarchies stored via parent_company_id in Alongside translate to Crelate's Parent Company lookup, preserving organizational structure. Any extra company attributes beyond Crelate's standard fields are flagged for custom-field creation or JSON fallback.

Alongside JobOrders map to Crelate's Job object. Job Name maps to the required Name field, status maps to a custom picklist (Open, Closed, On Hold, etc.), and job description maps to a Crelate custom text field since the native Job object does not have a rich-description field in the base schema.

Alongside stores a recruiter user reference on JobOrder. FlitStack AI resolves the recruiter by email match against Crelate users. Unmatched recruiters are flagged before migration — you either invite them to Crelate first or assign their records to a fallback Crelate user. The owner resolution is critical because Crelate enforces owner presence on Job records.

Alongside Submission records link a Candidate to a JobOrder with status, submitted date, and source channel. Crelate has no native Submission object. We preserve submission data as a Crelate Tag (e.g., 'Applied: Senior Engineer at Acme, Jan 2025') and as a JSON string in a custom text field capturing the full submission record for reference and rebuild.

Alongside Notes with Body, CreatedDate, and owner link map directly to Crelate Notes. Crelate's Note object requires a Body field — if Alongside notes are empty, FlitStack flags them as invalid records before import per Crelate's API requirement. Notes linked to both a candidate and a job use Crelate's Multiple Tags approach for association.

Alongside activity records — calls, emails, meetings — migrate as Crelate Tasks with Type set to Call, Email, or Meeting respectively. Event records with start/end times migrate as Crelate Events. Original timestamps and owner links are preserved. Crelate's Activities feature may require an add-on on lower tiers — we verify your Crelate plan includes it before the migration run.

Alongside Placement records (candidate accepted a role) map to Crelate's Placement object. Crelate Placement records store fee percentage, pay rate, start date, and client link — these fields map directly from Alongside placement data. If Alongside stores a placement but Crelate's Placement feature is not active on your plan, the record migrates as a Contact Tag and custom text field.