Act! to Zoho CRM Migration: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide for 2027

How does an Act! to Zoho CRM migration work?

The short version: export, convert, map, test, then switch. Zoho CRM's Import page includes an Act! CRM option. Zoho's help article on migrating from Act! says Act! data usually comes out as a .BAK backup file, while Zoho CRM accepts only CSV files for this migration. Zoho offers to help with the conversion: you can request it from Setup > Data Administration > Import > Act! CRM, or by emailing Zoho's migration team, and Zoho says an expert will contact you within two or three business days.

Once you have CSV files, you upload them as separate files or as one zip file. Zoho reads the files, suggests which module each file belongs to, and suggests field matches. You then review the module and field mapping, fill gaps, and start the migration. Zoho lists Company, Contacts, Case, Opportunity, Users, Tasks, Notes, History and Meetings among the data it can migrate. You need administrator rights in Zoho CRM to run it.

What are the ways to get data out of Act!?

Act! gives you more than one route, and the right one depends on how much history you want to keep. Act!'s own quick-start guide describes exporting list views, such as the Contacts list, straight to Excel. The columns and their order in the list view carry over to the spreadsheet, so customize columns first. That works well for contacts and companies, but it does not bring notes and history with their links to each contact.

For a full move, most teams use a database backup or a third-party export tool. Act! keeps attached documents in a supplemental file store that is backed up with the database, so check whether your attachments are files or shortcuts before you plan. Export menus differ between Act! desktop, Act! cloud and older versions, so check Act!'s help for your exact version.

How do Act! records map to Zoho CRM modules?

Act! and Zoho CRM organize data in a similar way, but the names differ. Plan the mapping on paper before you import anything. The most common decisions are where Act! groups go, which Act! custom fields deserve a Zoho field, and whether old opportunities should become closed deals or notes.

What steps should you follow to migrate from Act! to Zoho CRM?

Follow this order. It keeps links between records intact and makes every step easy to check.

1. 1Freeze the Act! design. Stop adding fields and note which fields people actually use.
2. 2Build Zoho CRM first: modules, fields, picklists, pipeline stages, users and roles.
3. 3Export or convert your Act! data to CSV, one file per record type.
4. 4Clean the files: remove duplicates, fix email and phone formats, and standardize country and state values.
5. 5Import in order: Users, Accounts, Contacts, Deals, then Notes, History and Activities.
6. 6Run a test import of a few hundred records into a Zoho sandbox (on editions that include it) or a trial account, and check links between records.
7. 7Run the full import, then compare record counts per module against Act!.
8. 8Switch over on a quiet day, set Act! to read-only, and keep it available for a few weeks for lookups.

Zoho's import tool will not import a record if a mandatory field is empty. Its Replace Empty Values option lets you set a fallback value instead. You also cannot create autonumber or formula fields during the migration itself, so set those up beforehand. Our CRM data migration checklist covers the pre-import checks in more detail.

What usually goes wrong in an Act! migration?

Most problems come from data that has grown for ten years or more without rules. The same company is often spelled three ways. Contacts sit under no company. Custom fields hold free text where a picklist was intended.

The other common problem is history volume. Act! databases often hold many years of notes and email history. Bringing all of it can slow the project and clutter records. Many teams bring the last few years into Zoho and keep a read-only archive of the rest. Decide this with the people who use the history, not only IT.

Custom fields need the same care. Act! databases often collect dozens of user fields over the years, many half empty. Export a fill-rate count per field, keep the ones that are used, and merge or drop the rest. Fewer, cleaner fields make Zoho easier to adopt.

• Duplicates: merge them before import. Zoho's import lets you choose how to handle duplicates, so pick a reliable field such as email.
• Owners: an Act! record manager with no matching Zoho user will fall back to whoever runs the import.
• Dates: confirm the date format in your CSV matches the format you select in Zoho's import.
• Attachments: check file sizes and decide whether to move them into Zoho or a shared drive.

How long does an Act! to Zoho CRM migration take?

It depends on data size, cleanliness and how much history you keep. A clean contact-and-company move can take days. A database with years of history, custom fields and several users needs more time, mainly for mapping, cleanup and testing rather than the import itself. Allow time for Zoho's backup conversion if you use it.

Most Zoho CRM setups we deliver go live within two weeks. Integrations, complex workflows and Blueprints add time. You can check how ready your data is with our migration readiness tool before you ask anyone for a quote.

How can Flowpeak help with your Act! migration?

Flowpeak is a registered Zoho partner based in Chennai, India, and our consultants hold Zoho certifications. We work remotely with clients worldwide, including in US business hours. For an Act! move, we map your fields, clean and import your data in the right order, rebuild your pipeline in Zoho CRM and train your team. Zoho CRM setup starts from USD 500. You get a fixed price in writing, milestone payments and 30 days of free fixes after go-live. See our data migration service for what is included.

Frequently asked questions