How to Switch From Apollo.io Without Losing Data or Workflow
Wiki Article
If you’ve
ever had to move a whole sales tech stack mid-quarter, you know the
stomach-drop feeling: what if we lose contacts? What about sequences, tagging,
and those carefully tuned automations that keep the pipeline warm? I’ve helped
a couple of teams migrate off Apollo.io, and the truth is if you plan deliberately
and take a few simple steps you can switch to an Apollo.io alternative without
breaking your workflow or losing the data that matters.
Below
I’ll walk you through a practical, human-first migration plan: what to export,
how to map fields, how to preserve automations and monitoring, and how to cut
over with confidence. Think of this as a moving checklist plus a few hard-won
tips from people who’ve done it.
Why teams actually switch (and why the fear is
valid)
People
switch from Apollo.io for lots of reasons: budget, a better fit with CRM, more
accurate email finder tools, or because they want a platform that combines
contact enrichment with simpler sales automation. But whether your motivation
is a “Best Apollo.io alternative” search or a specific comparison like Jarvis
Reach vs Apollo.io, the migration stress is the same.
The fear
of losing data is valid contacts, enrichment history, lead scores, email
sequences, and custom fields are all valuable. But those assets are exportable
and restorable with the right approach.
Step 1 Take inventory: what you absolutely must
keep
Begin by
listing everything the team uses in Apollo.io. Do this with a small working
group (AE, SDR, ops):
- Contacts and company records
(including custom fields and tags) - Email sequences, templates,
and send logs - Activity history (calls,
emails, notes) - Lists and saved searches
used for segmentation - Integrations (CRM sync,
calendar, Zapier, webhook endpoints) - Automation rules and tasks
(triggers, cadence rules) - Lead scoring logic and
enrichment workflows
This
inventory is your migration scope. If something isn’t listed, it’s probably not
mission-critical leave it for later.
Step 2 Export everything (yes, everything)
Most Sales prospecting tool let you export
CSVs of contacts, companies, and sequences. Export these first:
- Export contacts with every
field available (email, title, phone, tags, lead score, custom
properties). - Export company records and
any account-level fields. - Export campaign/sequence
content (templates, schedule settings). If direct export isn’t available
for sequences, copy templates and save cadence steps in a document. - Download activity logs or
request an activity report if available.
Tip:
Store exports in a clearly named folder (e.g., ApolloMigration_2025/contacts.csv, sequences/). Keep a changelog who exported what and when.
Step 3 Choose your target and map fields
When
evaluating a Best Apollo.io
alternative, pay attention to how it models data. Is there support for
custom contact properties? How does it store sequence steps? Does it have
built-in contact enrichment or do you need a separate Contact enrichment
software?
Create a
field-mapping sheet: a two-column list of Apollo.io fields vs target platform
fields. Include notes for tricky items (e.g., “Apollo lead score = Score_v2 in
CRM, calculate with formula X”). This mapping is the bridge that prevents lost
data.
If you’re
doing Jarvis Reach vs Apollo.io comparisons, add a column assessing how
each platform handles enrichment, email verification, and sequence scheduling.
That will guide whether you need a separate Email finder tool or if the
alternative covers it all.
Step 4 Preserve enrichment & verification
history
Contact
enrichment (company size, role, social links) is often updated over time. If
your new platform includes enrichment, plan whether to re-enrich immediately or
preserve Apollo.io’s enrichment snapshot.
- Option A: Import Apollo’s
enrichment as “source_of_truth_apollo_*” fields so historical data remains
searchable. - Option B: Re-enrich after
import, but keep Apollo exports for audits.
If you
use an Email finder tool externally, export verification timestamps and results
so you don’t trigger duplicate outreach or violate sending best practices.
Step 5 Recreate automations and sequences safely
Automations
are the trickiest. Don’t try to replicate complex automations in one go.
- Recreate sequences in the
new tool but change sending domain to a staging alias or pause sends
initially. - Rebuild simple automations
first: lead assignment, basic alerts, and CRM sync. - For complex multi-step
automations, document each step from Apollo and rebuild stepwise while
testing.
Parallel-run
is your friend: keep Apollo.io active while the new system is in “shadow mode”
(no live sends), and run both for a week to compare behavior and spot edge
cases.
Step 6 Test, test, test (with real data and real
people)
Create a
test cohort of real contacts (small, but diverse: different lead scores, industries,
and contact statuses). Import them, run sequences to your staging domain, and
check:
- Did personalization tokens
render correctly? - Are open and reply tracking
functioning? - Were tags and lead scores
preserved? - Are activities logged in CRM
as expected?
Have the
SDR/AE team run through a checklist of actions there’s no substitute for humans
trying the new flow.
Step 7 Plan the final cutover and rollback
Pick a
quiet day and plan a short freeze window for writes to Apollo (or mark a
cutover moment). Final steps:
- Do a final export of
contacts and activity since first export. - Import into your new system
and run the final sync to CRM. - Turn off outbound sends from
Apollo. - Turn on sends from the new
platform in small batches. - Monitor deliverability and
response metrics closely for the first 72 hours.
Always
have a rollback plan: if something critical breaks, you should be able to pause
the new tool and revert routing while you fix the issue.
Step 8 Post-migration housekeeping and team
training
Migration
isn’t done after the cutover. Do these follow-ups:
- Archive Apollo exports and
maintain read-only access to the old account for 30–60 days. - Update runbooks and
playbooks with new screenshots and instructions. - Host a walkthrough session
and record it for future hires. - Monitor KPIs (open rates,
reply rates, lead-to-opportunity conversion) for 30 days to validate
parity.
Quick checklist (TL;DR)
- Inventory everything used in
Apollo.io. - Export contacts, sequences,
and activity logs. - Map fields to the new
platform. - Preserve enrichment data or
re-enrich intentionally. - Rebuild automations in
stages and parallel-run. - Test with a real cohort.
- Execute a controlled cutover
with a rollback plan. - Train the team and monitor
KPIs.
Final thoughts migrations are opportunities
Switching
from Apollo.io to an alternative is one of those painful-but-valuable projects.
Done right, it’s not just a “move”; it’s a chance to clean bad data, streamline
sequences, and align automations with how your team actually sells.
If you’re
comparing options whether a dedicated Email finder tool, a Contact enrichment
software, or a full-featured Sales automation software remember: the
best choice isn’t just about features. It’s about how cleanly the tool will let
you move data, how familiar your team will be with it, and whether it reduces
friction in your sales motion.
Curious
about how Jarvis Reach vs Apollo.io stacks up for your specific
workflows? Start with this migration checklist and run a small pilot. You’ll
learn more in two weeks of parallel testing than in hours of hypothetical
comparisons.
Good luck
the migration will be a headache for a week and a productivity boost for
months. If you want, I can draft a field-mapping sheet template or a sample cutover
plan tailored to your CRM tell me which system you use and I’ll sketch it out.