Agency Migration Guide
Zendesk Sell to HubSpot Migration
What actually transfers, what quietly does not, and what has to be rebuilt by hand.
We mapped Zendesk Sell against HubSpot feature by feature: 43 features, 4 synced objects, 10 documented traps and 37 items that have to be rebuilt. The whole map is on this page, ungated.
The PDF is the same reference, formatted to send to a client.
Get The Guide And The Calculator
The full Zendesk Sell to HubSpot reference as a branded PDF you can send straight to a client, plus the Excel calculator we scope these migrations with: every one of the 43 features as a row, enter your counts, get hours.
Three files: the guide as a PDF, the same guide unbranded in Markdown for your AI tool, and the full Excel effort calculator.
Zendesk Sell to HubSpot is a medium migration, typically 3-6 weeks. Of 43 features we mapped, 33 carry across as they are and 9 land with something lost. The work is not moving records: it is the 37 items nothing moves for you.
Migration Scorecard
- Migration complexity
- Medium
- Typical timeline
- 3-6 weeks
- Recommended method
- Sync then migrate
- Native sync
- Data sync, two way
- Smart transfer
- Not supported
- HubSpot subscription
- Free for default mappings. Data Hub Starter (Data Hub Starter) or higher for custom field mappings. The original native Zendesk-built integration was deprecated Nov 29, 2022 and replaced with HubSpot's 'Data sync by HubSpot' app.
Feature parity across 43 capabilities
- Maps directly: 33 (77%)
- Maps partially: 9 (21%)
- No equivalent: 1 (2%)
4
Objects synced natively
10
Limitations and traps
37
Manual rebuild items
4
Source editions covered
Where this comes from: Our own research corpus, verified 2026-08-01, behind every number on this page.
The Four Objects That Sync Natively
What the connector moves for you, and which way each one flows.
Contacts (People)
Two wayBecomes Contacts
Email address is required - only contacts with email addresses can sync. Contact matching is done via email, which can create duplicates with shared inboxes or address changes.
Leads
Two wayBecomes Contacts
Zendesk Sell Leads sync to HubSpot as Contacts. Only leads with email addresses sync. The legacy integration limited sync to one list to avoid syncing unqualified leads.
Companies
Two wayBecomes Companies
Company contacts from Zendesk Sell could not be added to HubSpot via the legacy native integration. The newer Data Sync app has improved company sync.
Deals
Two wayBecomes Deals
Deal sync available through HubSpot's Data Sync platform. Requires accompanying contact/company sync for associations.
Ten Things the Sync Does Not Tell You
Each one is documented, and each one has ended a migration in a bad week.
Legacy Integration Synced Every 15 Minutes (not Real-time)
The original Zendesk-built native integration did not sync in real-time, instead running every 15 minutes. This was replaced by HubSpot's Data Sync app in late 2022.
Workaround: Use the newer 'Data sync by HubSpot' app from the Zendesk Marketplace, which provides near-real-time sync.
Email Address Required for All Synced Records
Only leads and contacts with valid email addresses can be synced to HubSpot, as email is a required field. Records without email addresses are excluded.
Workaround: Ensure all contacts/leads have email addresses before sync. Export records without emails separately and import via CSV.
Multi-select Fields Not Supported
Mapping multi-select fields is not supported in the integration. These field values will not sync between systems.
Workaround: Convert multi-select fields to single-select or text fields before syncing, or manually update these fields post-migration.
Cannot Create New HubSpot Fields From Sell Custom Fields
You cannot create new fields in HubSpot to store information from Sell custom fields during sync setup. Fields must be pre-created in HubSpot before they can be mapped.
Workaround: Create all necessary custom properties in HubSpot before configuring the integration mapping.
Legacy Integration Limited to One Synced List
The legacy Zendesk-built integration was limited to syncing from only one HubSpot list to avoid syncing unqualified leads. This created restrictions on which records could flow between systems.
Workaround: Use HubSpot's newer Data Sync app which has more flexible sync filtering options.
Activities, Notes, and Call Data Do Not Sync
Activity records including calls, meetings, notes, email correspondence, and task history do not transfer through the native data sync integration.
Workaround: Export activities from Zendesk Sell and import via HubSpot API or use a third-party migration tool.
Historical Ticket Visibility Lost During Migration
If using both Zendesk Sell and Zendesk Support, tickets migrated to HubSpot are not displayed in the helpdesk. Users lose the history of tickets and latest replies. Only new responses are displayed.
Workaround: Maintain read-only access to Zendesk for 30-90 days post-migration for historical ticket reference.
Tags Functionality Does Not Map Directly
HubSpot does not have a tags functionality that operates the same way as Zendesk. Tags must be converted to multiple checkbox property values or other HubSpot property types.
Workaround: Map Zendesk tags to HubSpot multi-select custom properties or convert to list memberships.
Custom Field Mappings Require Data Hub Starter
Advanced custom field mapping beyond default mappings requires HubSpot Data Hub Starter (Data Hub Starter) tier or higher.
Workaround: Subscribe to Data Hub Starter for custom mapping capability.
Contact Matching Relies Solely on Email - Duplicate Risk
Contact matching relies solely on email addresses, which can create duplicates when contacts use shared inboxes or change email addresses.
Workaround: Audit and deduplicate contacts before syncing. Establish matching rules and run regular deduplication checks.
One Zendesk Sell Feature HubSpot Cannot Replace
Not a workaround away. If a client depends on one of these, it belongs in the conversation before the contract.
Voicemail Drop
No native voicemail drop in HubSpot at any tier. Available through third-party dialers (Kixie, Orum, PhoneBurner).
One Thing a Migration Does Not Rebuild
This is Zendesk Sell's own code or product. A HubSpot migration does not port it, so it carries no hours in any estimate. It still needs a decision, because the client is giving something up.
Zendesk Support Integration
If migrating from Zendesk Support too, all ticket data needs migration to HubSpot Service Hub. If keeping Zendesk Support, need HubSpot-Zendesk integration. This is often a major decision point.
The 37 Items That Get Rebuilt by Hand
This is the list that separates a quote that holds from one that does not.
Data And Objects
Notes and Annotations
Free-text notes held on Sell records.
HubSpot: Notes on the record timeline
Extracted and imported as a second pass after the records land.
Call Logs and Recordings
Call activity and audio captured by Sell's built-in calling.
HubSpot: Logged calls, with recordings held externally
Recordings are files, not CRM data. Decide whether they move at all: often the cheaper answer is to keep an archive outside HubSpot and link to it.
Email Correspondence History
Email threads logged against Sell records.
HubSpot: Logged email on the timeline
Where the mailbox is still connected, reconnecting it to HubSpot recovers recent threads more cheaply than extraction.
Meeting Records and Activity Data
Logged meetings and the surrounding activity trail.
HubSpot: Meetings and activities on the timeline
Extracted through the API. Owner must resolve to a real HubSpot user or the activity attributes to nobody.
Task History and Assignments
Open and completed tasks with their owners.
HubSpot: Tasks
Import open tasks at minimum. Completed task history is usually not worth the cost, but confirm rather than assume.
File Attachments and Documents
Files attached to Sell records.
HubSpot: Attachments on records
A second pass after the records land, run through the API.
Tags
Tags applied to Sell records for grouping.
HubSpot: Properties and lists
Decide per tag whether it is a property value or a list. Importing every tag as its own property is the usual mistake.
Records Without Email Addresses
Sell records with no email, which the connector skips.
HubSpot: Contacts, imported by another key
Excluded silently from the sync. Count them before migrating rather than discovering the gap afterwards.
Zendesk Support Ticket History
Support tickets, where the client runs Sell and Support together.
HubSpot: Tickets
This is a second migration sitting behind the first. If both products are in use, scope them as one project or the support side arrives with no history.
Automation
Task Automations and Triggers
Rules creating tasks and firing actions on record changes.
HubSpot: Workflows
Rebuilt rule by rule, after pipelines and properties exist.
Lead Assignment and Distribution Rules
Rules routing new leads to reps.
HubSpot: Workflow rotation actions
Users and teams must exist first. Test distribution with real records.
Smart Lists and Automated List Rules
Saved dynamic lists that update themselves.
HubSpot: Active lists and saved views
These are rules, not memberships. Rebuild the criteria or the list freezes at import.
Email Sequence Automations
Multi-touch outbound sequences.
HubSpot: Sequences
Enrolment is per rep and per mailbox in HubSpot, and sending limits differ.
Pipeline Stage Triggers
Actions fired when a deal changes stage.
HubSpot: Deal stage workflow enrolment
Stages have to exist before the workflows.
Zendesk Support Macros
Support-side one-click agent actions, where Support is in scope.
HubSpot: Snippets, templates and workflows
Only relevant if Support is migrating too. One macro becomes several HubSpot objects, and there is a cap on help desk macros worth checking early.
Reporting
Sales Performance Reports and Dashboards
Per-rep and per-team performance reporting.
HubSpot: Custom reports and dashboards
Owner has to map to a real HubSpot user on import or every report attributes to nobody.
Pipeline Analytics and Forecasting
Forward-looking pipeline reporting.
HubSpot: Deal reports and forecasting
A configuration job before a reporting one: amount, close date and stage probability all set deliberately.
Activity Reports
Call, email and meeting volume reporting.
HubSpot: Activity reports
Restarts at migration unless activity history is extracted, which is the expensive item above.
Goal Tracking Configuration
Targets set for reps and teams.
HubSpot: Goals
Configured per user, so a repeated task rather than one setup.
Custom Report Configurations
Saved report definitions.
HubSpot: Custom reports
Rebuild from the question each answers rather than the layout.
Sales And Marketing Config
Pipeline Stages and Configuration
Sell's deal pipelines and stages.
HubSpot: Deal pipelines and stages
Build first. Everything else depends on it.
Lead Scoring Criteria
How Sell ranks incoming leads.
HubSpot: Score properties
Built from scratch against the signals HubSpot records.
Email Templates and Sequences
Reusable message templates and the sequences using them.
HubSpot: Email templates and sequences
Rebuilt by hand. Tokens have different names and will not carry.
Smart Lists and Segmentation
The saved segments the team works from.
HubSpot: Active lists and saved views
Rebuild the daily ones before go-live.
Sales Goals and Targets
Revenue and activity targets.
HubSpot: Goals
Set per user after the users exist.
Communication Templates
Email templates and call scripts used by reps.
HubSpot: Templates, snippets and playbooks
Confirm playbooks are on the plan being bought before promising the call-script side.
Product Catalogue and Pricing
The products and prices attached to deals.
HubSpot: Products and line items
Import the catalogue before the deals or line items have nothing to attach to and deal totals import as flat numbers.
Users And Permissions
User Roles and Permissions
Logins and their access levels.
HubSpot: Users and permission sets
Created before the import so ownership resolves.
Team and Group Configuration
How reps are grouped.
HubSpot: Teams
Map intent rather than structure.
Territory Management
Geographic or account-based territory assignment.
HubSpot: Properties plus workflow-based assignment
There is no territory object, so a territory becomes a property and the rules become workflows. Design the property first.
Visibility Rules and Access Controls
Who can see which records.
HubSpot: Record access settings
Confirm what genuinely needs hiding before reproducing old restrictions.
Integrations
Zendesk Support Integration
The link between Sell and Support, where both are used.
HubSpot: Tickets in the same portal
If Support migrates too, this integration disappears rather than moves: both sides end up in one database, which is a simplification worth pointing out.
Marketplace App Connections
Zendesk Marketplace apps joined to Sell.
HubSpot: App Marketplace integrations
Inventory what is genuinely used before pricing replacements.
Calendar Sync
Google or Microsoft calendar connection.
HubSpot: Calendar integration and the meetings tool
Per user, not once for the account.
Telephony Integrations
The voice provider behind Sell's calling.
HubSpot: HubSpot calling or a marketplace provider
Confirm the provider has a HubSpot integration before the contract. Number porting has a lead time.
Email Provider Connection
The mailbox connection that logs conversations.
HubSpot: Connected inbox
Per user. Connect before cutover so logging is continuous.
Zapier and Make Automations
External automation scenarios connected to Sell.
HubSpot: Updated scenarios or native workflows
Each needs editing on both sides. Some are better replaced by a native workflow than repointed.
The Sequence
Sync First, Then Migrate
Order is the content here. These are a dependency chain, and running them out of order is a documented way these migrations fail.
- 1
Audit Zendesk Sell
catalog all fields, pipelines, automations, smart lists, and integrations
- 2
Pre-create All Necessary Custom Properties in HubSpot (required Before Mapping)
Pre-create all necessary custom properties in HubSpot (required before mapping)
- 3
Clean Data
deduplicate contacts, ensure email addresses exist, standardize field values
- 4
Plan Tag-to-property Mapping Strategy
Plan tag-to-property mapping strategy
- 5
Install 'Data Sync by HubSpot' App From the Zendesk Sell Marketplace
Install 'Data sync by HubSpot' app from the Zendesk Sell Marketplace
- 6
Configure Field Mappings for Contacts, Companies, and Deals
Configure field mappings for Contacts, Companies, and Deals
- 7
Run Initial Sync and Verify Data Accuracy
Run initial sync and verify data accuracy
- 8
Migrate Activity History (calls, Notes, Emails) via API or Third-party Tool
Migrate activity history (calls, notes, emails) via API or third-party tool
- 9
Rebuild Workflows, Automation Rules, and Email Sequences in HubSpot
Rebuild workflows, automation rules, and email sequences in HubSpot
- 10
Recreate Reports and Dashboards in HubSpot
Recreate reports and dashboards in HubSpot
- 11
If Also Migrating Zendesk Support
plan ticket migration separately (one-way, contacts first, then tickets)
- 12
Train Team, Run Parallel Systems for 30 Days, Then Cut Over
Train team, run parallel systems for 30 days, then cut over
Typically 3-6 weeks end to end, depending on how much of the source configuration is actually in use.
Effort Estimator
How Big Is This Migration?
A handful of questions, no email required. The ranges come from the research above: every feature we mapped carries an effort figure, and this adds up the ones that apply to you.
Estimated Effort
Answer a couple of questions and an hours range appears here.
Built from our research on 43 Zendesk Sell features. It is a range, not a quote.
A planning range, not a quote. It is delivery effort only, with no project management line and no agency markup, so add your own. What moves it most in practice is data quality.
What Goes Wrong Most Often
The failures that show up again and again, in roughly the order they bite.
Legacy Zendesk-built Integration Was Deprecated Nov 2022 - Must Use HubSpot's Data Sync App Instead
Legacy Zendesk-built integration was deprecated Nov 2022 - must use HubSpot's Data Sync app instead
HubSpot Fields Must Be Pre-created Before Mapping - Cannot Create During Sync Setup
HubSpot fields must be pre-created before mapping - cannot create during sync setup
Multi-select Fields Do Not Sync - Must Convert or Manually Migrate
Multi-select fields do not sync - must convert or manually migrate
Contact Matching Is Email-only - Shared Inbox Emails Can Create Duplicates
Contact matching is email-only - shared inbox emails can create duplicates
Zendesk Tags Have No Container Equivalent in HubSpot and Become Multi-checkbox Property Values or List Membership; the Mapping Strategy Is the Work, Not the Capability
Zendesk tags have no container equivalent in HubSpot and become multi-checkbox property values or list membership; the mapping strategy is the work, not the capability
If Using Zendesk Support Too, Ticket Migration Is a Separate Project With Its Own API Rate Limits
If using Zendesk Support too, ticket migration is a separate project with its own API rate limits
Historical Tickets Appear Only as Timeline Entries, Not in HubSpot Helpdesk View
Historical tickets appear only as timeline entries, not in HubSpot helpdesk view
Zendesk API Rate Limits (10 Requests/minute for Exports) Create Bottlenecks for Large Datasets
Zendesk API rate limits (10 requests/minute for exports) create bottlenecks for large datasets
Questions
Zendesk Sell To HubSpot, Answered
Yes. Data sync, two way, covering 4 objects. What it does not do is rebuild configuration: that is the 37 items below.
Typically 3-6 weeks. Complexity is driven by automation and reporting depth, not by record count: the connector moves records, so a large database is not by itself a long project.
Of 43 features we mapped, 33 (77%) carry across directly and 9 (21%) map partially, meaning something is lost or reshaped. 1 has no HubSpot equivalent at any tier.
37 items have to be rebuilt by hand, and 10 documented limitations are not surfaced by the connector at all. The full list of both is on this page.
Free for default mappings. Data Hub Starter (Data Hub Starter) or higher for custom field mappings. The original native Zendesk-built integration was deprecated Nov 29, 2022 and replaced with HubSpot's 'Data sync by HubSpot' app.
1: Voicemail Drop. If a client depends on one, it belongs in the conversation before the contract.
No. 1 item on this page is Zendesk Sell's own code or product, which a HubSpot migration does not port and which carries no hours in an estimate. It still needs a decision, because the client is giving something up.
Only in one direction. The sync is not bidirectional here, so a parallel period means picking a system of record and accepting drift in the other.
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