A migration is not just exporting contacts. Done carelessly it damages deliverability and switches off the flows that earn money. Done carefully, nobody notices except your results.
When switching is worth it
Move platforms for a clear reason, not because a new tool looks exciting. Good reasons include weak ecommerce integration, limited segmentation, tracking you cannot trust, or costs that no longer match your list. If your problems are missing flows or poor strategy, a new platform will not fix them.
Step 1: Prepare before you touch anything
- List every active flow, signup form, popup and integration on the old platform.
- Export contacts with their subscription and consent status, not just email addresses.
- Export or document your key segments and the rules behind them.
- Save your best-performing templates and copy.
- Record your current results (revenue by flow and by campaign) so you can compare afterwards.
Re-adding people who opted out is a compliance risk and quickly damages your sender reputation. Import only contacts with valid consent.
Step 2: Set up the new platform
- Connect your store and confirm orders and customer data sync correctly.
- Authenticate your sending domain (SPF, DKIM and DMARC).
- Recreate the key segments, and replace old forms and popups with new ones.
Step 3: Rebuild flows in order of value
Rebuild the flows that earn the most first: abandoned cart, welcome series, then post-purchase and winback. Use the move as a chance to improve them, not just copy them. Test every flow thoroughly before it goes live.
Step 4: Cut over carefully
- Run old and new flows so there is no gap, then switch the old ones off the moment the new ones are confirmed live.
- Avoid mailing your whole list on day one. Start with your most engaged subscribers and widen gradually.
- Update every signup source so new subscribers land in the new platform.
Step 5: Monitor and compare
For the first weeks, watch deliverability, flow revenue and unsubscribe and complaint rates against your saved baseline. Fix issues early, and only then retire the old account completely.
Common migration mistakes
- Moving contacts without consent status.
- Switching off old flows before new ones are live.
- Blasting the full list from a brand-new setup.
- Forgetting forms, popups or integrations still pointing at the old tool.
- Copying old flows exactly, including their problems.
Final takeaway
A good migration is planned, staged and measured. Prepare, set up, rebuild by value, cut over gradually and compare against your baseline. We handle platform moves for brands moving to and from Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Omnisend and others.
