migration guide · Evidence checked 2026-09-07
Migrate email platforms without losing consent or control
A practical, evidence-led decision guide. Product capabilities and limits are separated from anything that would require hands-on testing.
An email-platform migration is a controlled change to identity, consent, automation and sending reputation. Copying active subscribers is only one step. The safe outcome is that every legitimate recipient keeps the correct status, every critical journey behaves as intended and the team can roll back before customer harm.
Before granting access
Export contacts with subscription status, consent evidence, tags, custom fields, suppression lists and timestamps. Export campaign and revenue reports separately; several vendor migration paths do not transfer historical analytics. Inventory forms, templates, domains, API keys, webhooks, integrations and every live automation.
Use a password-sharing or vendor invitation process that limits access. Never email a reusable credential. Record what the migration team may access and change, then rotate the old credential after completion.
Build a reconciliation ledger
| Asset | Source count/state | Destination result | Acceptance rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Active, unsubscribed, bounced, cleaned | Counts by matching state | No suppressed address becomes marketable |
| Automations | Trigger, delay, branch, exit, owner | Rebuilt path and test log | Every synthetic case reaches the expected exit |
| Forms | Source, consent text, tags | Published test version | Consent and attribution preserved |
| Domains | SPF, DKIM, DMARC and tracking | Verified records | Authentication passes before production send |
| Reports | Exported files and date range | Independent archive | Required history remains accessible |
Parallel-run sequence
First import a small consent-clean segment. Then test campaigns and automations using internal seed addresses and synthetic events. Confirm unsubscribes, duplicate contacts, late events, timezone delays and failed webhooks. Keep the old system active but prevent duplicate production triggers.
Move traffic gradually, monitor bounces and complaints, and define a rollback time window. Cancel the old platform only after domain authentication, forms, integrations, critical workflows, exports and billing have been signed off.
Migration assistance differs: AWeber documents a broad assisted scope, Kit supports paid-plan migration, and Omnisend explains which historical evidence does not move. Recalculate the parallel-run cost in the Email Marketing Cost Calculator.