Why Migrate from Mailchimp to Salesforce:
Integration Challenges: 63% of organizations using Mailchimp-Salesforce integration report sync issues quarterly. IT teams spend 8-12 hours monthly troubleshooting duplicate contacts, unsubscribe failures, field mapping conflicts, and OAuth token expirations. Native Salesforce email eliminates these problems entirely.
Outgrown Mailchimp's Capabilities: Mailchimp works well for startups and small businesses, but lacks advanced automation, sophisticated segmentation, and account-based marketing features that growing organizations need. Salesforce-native solutions offer deeper CRM integration, custom object support, and Flow Builder automation.
Single Source of Truth: Managing two separate databases (Mailchimp audiences + Salesforce contacts) creates data silos, compliance risks, and reporting inconsistencies. Native Salesforce email keeps all contact data, engagement history, and campaign metrics in one unified system.
Cost Consolidation: Mailchimp Premium ($350/month) is required for Salesforce sync. Organizations often save by consolidating to a single native platform instead of paying for a Mailchimp subscription plus integration maintenance overhead.
Step-by-Step Migration Process:
Step 1: Audit Your Mailchimp Account Document all assets requiring migration: subscriber lists (total contacts, segmentation criteria), email templates (both default and customized), automation workflows/customer journeys, landing pages, signup forms, tags and groups, campaign history, and engagement metrics. Identify custom fields mapped between platforms. Note any third-party integrations connected to Mailchimp.
Step 2: Export Mailchimp Data Export subscribers: Audience → All Contacts → Export Audience → Export as CSV. Include all custom fields, tags, subscription status, and engagement history. Critical: Export unsubscribed contacts separately and mark them as "Do Not Email" to maintain compliance. Export email templates: Save HTML source code or download template files. Export Content Studio files (images, documents) to local storage for re-upload.
Step 3: Prepare Salesforce Environment Create custom fields in Salesforce to match Mailchimp data points before import. Set up deliverability settings: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication. If using a dedicated IP, plan for IP warming (4-6 weeks). Install your chosen Salesforce email solution (Marketing Cloud, Account Engagement, or native AppExchange app like MassMailer). Configure user permissions and access.
Step 4: Import Contacts to Salesforce Use the Data Import Wizard or the Data Loader for bulk imports. Map CSV fields to Salesforce Lead/Contact fields. Import unsubscribed contacts with "Email Opt Out" = True. Run duplicate management rules to prevent creating duplicate records. Verify import accuracy with spot checks on random records. For Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot): Use the import wizard to create prospects, ensuring custom fields exist before import.
Step 5: Recreate Email Templates Templates cannot be directly imported—they must be recreated in your new platform. Copy email content (subject lines, body text, CTAs) and rebuild using the new template builder. Update merge fields to use Salesforce field syntax. Test templates across email clients (Gmail, Outlook, mobile) before launching campaigns.
Step 6: Rebuild Automation Workflows Document Mailchimp customer journeys/automations logic, then recreate using Salesforce Flow Builder, Marketing Cloud Journey Builder, or Account Engagement Engagement Studio. Native Salesforce automation can trigger from any CRM event (opportunity stage changes, custom field updates, record creation), providing more sophisticated workflows than Mailchimp.
Step 7: Disconnect Mailchimp IntegrationImportant: Salesforce does not allow two email connectors simultaneously. Disconnect the Mailchimp-Salesforce integration before connecting your new email platform. In Salesforce: Setup → Installed Packages → Mailchimp for Salesforce → Uninstall. Allow 6-8 weeks of overlap between platforms to verify all assets migrated correctly before fully sunsetting Mailchimp.
Step 8: Test and Launch Send test campaigns to internal team members. Verify tracking (opens, clicks, bounces) records correctly on Salesforce records. Test automation triggers with sample records. Monitor bounce rates and deliverability during initial sends. Gradually increase sending volume following IP warming best practices if using a dedicated IP.
Typical Migration Timeline:
- Simple migrations (under 10,000 contacts, basic templates): 2-3 weeks
- Medium complexity (10,000-100,000 contacts, multiple automations): 4-6 weeks
- Complex migrations (100,000+ contacts, custom integrations, IP warming): 6-12 weeks
Key Takeaways
- Export all Mailchimp data (contacts, templates, content files) before disconnecting—data cannot be retrieved after sunsetting
- Mark unsubscribed contacts as "Do Not Email" during import to maintain GDPR/CAN-SPAM compliance
- Allow a 6-8 week overlap period between platforms to verify migration completeness
- Native Salesforce email solutions eliminate ongoing sync problems and consolidate data in your CRM
Ready to migrate from Mailchimp to a native Salesforce solution? Learn more about Salesforce email options or try MassMailer—a 100% native Salesforce app that deploys in hours, not weeks. Send unlimited emails from any Salesforce object with real-time analytics, a dedicated IP, and built-in verification.
