Migrate from Zoho CRM to Lea CRM
Over the years, Zoho CRM ends up looking like everything that has been piled into it: modules, layouts, stages that change from one layout to the next. Lea connects to your Zoho account and brings back the heart of your sales work: your pipelines, your accounts and contacts, your open leads and your deals at their stage, with their history.
Included from the Starter plan. The import is started from an Owner or Admin account.
How it works
You paste your credentials
Lea exchanges the code with Zoho and checks access before starting anything. An expired code is flagged at that point, not halfway through the import.
Lea tells you what it will do
Before anything runs, the screen lists what will be brought over and what will not. You decide with full knowledge.
The import runs in the background
You can close the page. Progress is shown step by step, and it is still there when you come back.
You get back to work
Your pipelines are recreated from your Zoho layouts, your deals sit at the right stage, and your notes, tasks, meetings and calls are attached to the right records.
What to prepare on the Zoho side
Zoho does not hand out a simple key: you need to create a “Self Client” in its API console, then generate an access code. Allow a few minutes, and keep Lea's screen open alongside, because the code expires quickly.
Zoho CRM ↗In Lea, go to Settings › Integrations › Import from another CRM, choose Zoho, then the data center of your Zoho account.
On api-console.zoho.com, create a client of the “Self Client” type and copy its Client ID and Client Secret.
In the “Generate Code” tab, enter the read permissions shown by Lea, then generate the code.
Paste the Client ID, the Client Secret and the code into Lea right away: the code is only valid for a few minutes and can only be used once.
The four permissions requested are read-only: modules, settings, users and organization. Lea exchanges the code for an access token, keeps it encrypted for the duration of the import, then erases it.
What Lea brings over from Zoho CRM
Your pipelines, your database and your sales history.
Pipelines and stages
One pipeline per layout of the Deals module, with its stages. A deal is won or lost according to the forecast category of its stage in Zoho.
Accounts
Your accounts become Lea organizations. You can then complete their legal data using SIRENE enrichment.
Contacts and leads
Your contacts are brought over and attached to their account. Your unconverted leads also arrive as contacts, and their company becomes an organization, with no duplicates on the name.
Deals
Amount, stage and won or lost status.
Notes
Brought over as text, attached to their record.
Tasks, meetings and calls
Tasks become Lea tasks, events become meetings and calls become call activities. Anything dated in the past arrives marked as done.
What will not be brought over
Better to know now than later. Lea also shows its limitations inside the app, before you start the import.
- Custom fields and custom modules.
- Emails.
- Files and attachments.
- Products and quotes.
- The loss reason on deals.
- The currency of amounts: they are brought over as they are.
- Records in the recycle bin.
- User accounts and their permissions: no account is created.
- A Leads, Tasks, Events or Calls module that is disabled on your side: it is simply skipped, without causing the import to fail.
If any of these matters to you, write to us before migrating. We will tell you honestly whether it can be handled another way, including when the answer is no.
You can run the import again without breaking anything
Lea remembers what it has already imported from Zoho. A second run only adds what is new, without creating duplicates. This is not a sync: a record edited in Zoho after the first import will not be updated in Lea. And since a Zoho code can only be used once, running the import again means generating a new one.
Who gets which deal
Lea matches Zoho owners to your users by email address. Create your reps' Lea accounts with the same addresses before importing, otherwise their records will be assigned to whoever runs the import.
Still weighing up the two?
Our comparison sets out what Lea does that Zoho CRM does not, with public pricing on both sides.
Frequently asked questions
How do I migrate from Zoho CRM to Lea CRM?
Create a Self Client on api-console.zoho.com, generate a code with the read permissions shown by Lea, then paste the Client ID, the Client Secret and the code under Settings › Integrations › Import from another CRM. Your pipelines, accounts, contacts, leads, deals, notes, tasks, meetings and calls are brought over automatically.
Does migrating from Zoho CRM cost anything?
No. The import is included from the Starter plan, with no surcharge and no consultant.
Are my Zoho custom fields brought over?
No, not at this time, and neither are custom modules. The import covers the standard fields. Lea shows this limitation inside the app before you start the import.
Are my Zoho workflows and custom functions brought over?
No. The import migrates data, not automations. Lea offers its own no-code automation rules on the Pro and Business plans: you will need to recreate them on your side.
Why does the Zoho code expire so quickly?
Zoho imposes it: a code generated from a Self Client is only valid for a few minutes and can only be used once. Open Lea's screen before generating it. If it has expired, simply generate a new one.
What happens if I run the import twice?
Lea recognises what has already been imported and only adds what is new, without creating duplicates. Records already imported are not updated: this is a migration, not a continuous sync. You will simply need to generate a new Zoho code.