Migration Playbook
The complete, interactive migration playbook — every phase, every checklist, every tool you need.
Migrating from Zendesk to Freshdesk is one of the most common help desk migrations. The data models are similar but not identical — ticket statuses, custom fields, and attachment handling differ enough that a structured playbook prevents data loss and downtime.
Understand the scope of your Zendesk instance and what needs to move to Freshdesk.
Audit ticket volume
Export a count of tickets, users, organizations, and attachments from Zendesk to size the migration.
Use tool: csv-validatorIdentify custom fields
List all custom ticket fields and user fields in Zendesk and map them to Freshdesk equivalents.
Use tool: schema-mapperConfirm SLA and business rules
Document SLA policies, triggers, and automations that need to be rebuilt in Freshdesk.
Clean and validate the source data before mapping.
Export from Zendesk
Use the Zendesk API or export tool to pull tickets, users, and orgs as CSV/JSON.
Use tool: csv-to-jsonNormalize dates and encodings
Standardize timestamp formats and fix character encoding issues.
Use tool: date-format-normalizerBuild the field-by-field mapping from Zendesk to Freshdesk.
Map standard fields
Map Zendesk standard fields (subject, description, status, priority) to Freshdesk equivalents.
Use tool: schema-mapperMap custom fields
Create matching custom fields in Freshdesk and map each Zendesk custom field to its target.
Use tool: schema-mapperHandle unmappable fields
Document fields that cannot be migrated and decide on a retention strategy.
Run a sample migration to validate the mapping and surface issues.
Migrate a 5% sample
Move a representative sample of tickets to Freshdesk and verify the mapping.
Validate the sample
Run a reconciliation between source and target for the sample set.
Use tool: migration-validationGet stakeholder sign-off
Review the sample with the support team and confirm the mapping is correct.
Run the full production migration during a maintenance window.
Schedule the cutover window
Pick a low-traffic window and notify stakeholders.
Run the full migration
Migrate all tickets, users, and attachments to Freshdesk.
Delta sync
Catch up any tickets created in Zendesk during the migration window.
Confirm the migration was successful and shut down the source.
Full reconciliation
Compare record counts and field-level values between Zendesk and Freshdesk.
Use tool: migration-validationSpot-check tickets
Manually review a sample of tickets in Freshdesk for formatting, attachments, and comments.
Decommission Zendesk
Set Zendesk to read-only or archive after final sign-off.
Book a 30-minute call and we'll scope your migration in a single session.