Asana is one of the most popular project management tools—clean interface, solid task management, and strong collaboration features. Many agencies use it to track work across clients and campaigns. But Asana was built for internal teams, not agencies. It has no client portal, no invoicing, and no agency-specific workflows. You end up combining Asana with Harvest, QuickBooks, and a client portal tool—a stack that's expensive and fragmented. This guide walks you through migrating from Asana to AgencyPro, an all-in-one platform built for agencies.
Key Takeaways:
- Asana lacks client portal, invoicing, and agency-specific reporting out of the box
- Get the Asana-to-AgencyPro structure mapping right first—it drives everything else
- Plan to consolidate Asana, Harvest, and QuickBooks into one platform in a single move
- Most agencies save 30–50% on their tool stack after switching
Why Agencies Switch from Asana
Asana does task management well. Its list, board, and timeline views are intuitive. Assignments, due dates, and project organization work smoothly. For internal team coordination, Asana is a solid choice.
Agencies hit limits because:
No client portal. Asana's guest feature lets you add clients to projects. They see your task lists, sections, and internal structure—not a polished client experience. There's no branded portal where clients view progress, approve deliverables, or see retainer usage. Agencies patch this with separate portal tools or screen-sharing, adding cost and complexity.
No invoicing. Asana has zero billing capability. You need QuickBooks, FreshBooks, or another invoicing tool. Time tracking requires Harvest, Toggl, or similar—another subscription and another integration. The flow from completed work to paid invoice spans multiple platforms with manual handoffs.
Not agency-specific. Asana is built for any project. Agencies need client-centric organization, retainer hour tracking, approval workflows, and reporting that shows agency health—revenue per client, project profitability, team utilization. Asana's reporting focuses on task completion, not business metrics.
Tool sprawl. The typical Asana-using agency stack: Asana + Harvest + QuickBooks + Slack + a client portal. That's five tools to manage, five subscriptions to pay, and five places where data lives. Coordination and reconciliation become ongoing overhead.
Guest access limitations. Adding clients as guests means they see your workspace. Permissions are coarse. You can't easily give clients a curated view of only their projects, deliverables, and invoices. The experience feels like you're letting them into the back office.
AgencyPro was built to consolidate this. It combines project management, time tracking, billing, client portal, and white-label in one platform. One tool replaces the Asana + Harvest + QuickBooks + portal stack for most agencies.
What to Migrate
Projects and structure. Map Asana projects to AgencyPro. Asana organizes by Workspace → Team → Project. AgencyPro organizes by Client → Project. You'll restructure: each Asana project becomes (or maps to) an AgencyPro project under the appropriate client. Some Asana projects may represent clients; others may be sub-projects or campaigns within a client.
Tasks and subtasks. Export tasks with assignees, due dates, descriptions, status, and custom fields. AgencyPro supports CSV import with field mapping. Asana's task structure maps cleanly to AgencyPro tasks.
Clients and contacts. If clients are in Asana as guests or in a separate CRM, export that data. In AgencyPro, each client gets their own client portal, so clean contact data is essential.
Files and attachments. Asana stores file attachments on tasks. Download important files and re-upload to AgencyPro. Prioritize active projects; historical files can remain in Asana exports.
Custom fields and tags. Document any custom fields or tags you rely on. Recreate essential ones in AgencyPro. Some may not have direct equivalents—consolidate or simplify where possible.
Step-by-Step Migration Process
Step 1: Plan Your Timeline
Allow 1–2 weeks for migration. Announce to your team 2 weeks ahead and to clients 1 week ahead. Avoid peak delivery periods. Many agencies choose month-end for a clean cutoff with billing.
Step 2: Export Data from Asana
Export your Asana data:
- Projects and tasks: Asana supports CSV export. Go to a project → "•••" menu → "Export" → "CSV." Export each project you want to migrate. The CSV includes task names, assignees, due dates, descriptions, and custom field values.
- Clients: If clients are Asana guests, export your member list or keep a separate list. If clients are in a CRM, use that export.
- Files: Download critical attachments from tasks. Asana's CSV doesn't include files; you'll need to export or re-upload manually.
- Templates: Document your Asana project templates—sections, task structures, custom fields. Recreate them in AgencyPro during setup.
Step 3: Map Project Structure
Asana: Workspace → Team → Project → Tasks.
AgencyPro: Client → Project → Tasks.
Mapping approach:
- Option A: Each Asana project = one AgencyPro project. Group Asana projects by client (you may need to infer from project names or tags) and create one AgencyPro client per client.
- Option B: Some Asana "projects" are really clients. If you have one project per client, that Asana project maps to one AgencyPro client with one or more projects inside.
- Option C: Asana teams might map to agency practice areas (e.g., design, marketing). In AgencyPro, you can use project templates or tags to achieve similar organization.
Document your mapping before importing. Consistency here prevents rework later.
Step 4: Set Up AgencyPro
Create your AgencyPro account and structure:
- Create clients. Add each client. They'll receive portal invites when ready.
- Create project templates. Build templates for your common project types—website build, monthly retainer, campaign launch, etc. Include phases, tasks, and milestones that match your Asana templates.
- Configure billing and time tracking. Set up billing preferences and time tracking. This is built-in—no Harvest or QuickBooks integration needed.
- White-label your portal. Add your logo and colors. White-label ensures clients see your brand.
Step 5: Import Projects and Tasks
Use AgencyPro's CSV import:
- Prepare CSVs: ensure column headers align with AgencyPro's import format (project name, task name, assignee, due date, status, etc.).
- Map Asana columns to AgencyPro fields. The import wizard guides you.
- Import one project at a time to validate. Assign each project to the correct client.
- Review imported data—fix assignees, dates, and any mapping issues.
- Re-upload critical file attachments to the appropriate tasks.
Step 6: Migrate Team Members
Invite your team to AgencyPro. Assign roles and permissions. Most will need project access; restrict billing or admin as needed.
AgencyPro's structure is simpler than Asana's: clients, projects, tasks. No Workspaces or Teams to navigate. Team members typically adapt within days. Show them where projects live, how to track time (if applicable), and how the client portal works.
Step 7: Onboard Clients to the Portal
Invite clients to their branded portals:
- Send portal invites with login instructions
- Explain what they'll see: project progress, deliverables for approval, retainer usage (if applicable), invoices
- Migrate active communication to AgencyPro
- Set expectations: "We've moved to a platform that gives you clearer visibility. Here's how to access it."
Clients will notice the difference: a dedicated, branded experience instead of guest access to your Asana workspace.
Step 8: Run in Parallel (Optional)
For critical clients, run Asana and AgencyPro in parallel for 1–2 weeks. Update both. Use this to catch gaps and build confidence. Then make AgencyPro primary and archive Asana.
Step 9: Sunset Asana and Integrations
Cancel Asana, Harvest, and any other tools AgencyPro replaces. Download final exports for your records. Update all internal links and documentation.
Project Structure Mapping
| Asana | AgencyPro | |-------|-----------| | Workspace | Organization (implicit) | | Team | Project templates / tags | | Project | Project (under a client) | | Section | Phase or task group | | Task | Task | | Subtask | Subtask | | Custom Field | Task or project property | | Guest | Client portal user | | Time tracking | N/A (integration) | Native time tracking | | Invoicing | N/A | Built-in billing |
The key shift: AgencyPro adds the client layer and integrates time and billing. Your structure becomes client-focused by design.
What You'll Gain with AgencyPro
All-in-one platform. Project management, time tracking, billing, and client portal in one place. Replace Asana + Harvest + QuickBooks + portal with a single subscription. Most agencies save 30–50% and eliminate integration headaches.
Client portal built for agencies. Each client gets a branded portal for projects, approvals, retainer visibility, and communication. No more guests in your internal workspace. White-label ensures every touchpoint reflects your brand.
Native time and billing. Time tracking flows directly into billing. Track hours on tasks, apply to retainer allocations, generate invoices—all without leaving the platform. No more syncing Harvest to QuickBooks.
Agency-specific reporting. Dashboards for retainer utilization, team capacity, revenue by client, project profitability. Business intelligence built for agency owners, not task completion metrics.
Simpler mental model. Client → Project → Task. No Workspaces, Teams, or Portfolios to navigate. The structure matches how agencies think about work.
Migration Checklist
- [ ] Set migration timeline; communicate to team and clients
- [ ] Export all Asana projects (CSV)
- [ ] Export client/contact data
- [ ] Download critical file attachments
- [ ] Document project structure mapping (Asana → AgencyPro)
- [ ] Create AgencyPro account
- [ ] Create clients and project templates
- [ ] Configure billing, time tracking, and white-label
- [ ] Map Asana columns to AgencyPro import fields
- [ ] Import projects and tasks; assign to clients
- [ ] Re-upload critical files
- [ ] Invite team; train on new structure
- [ ] Invite clients to portals
- [ ] Optional: Run parallel 1–2 weeks
- [ ] Cancel Asana and replaced tools; archive exports
Common Migration Questions
How long does the migration take? Data migration: 2–3 days. Full transition including team onboarding and client setup: 1–2 weeks. Project structure mapping is the most important planning step—get that right and the rest flows.
Will we lose our project structure? You'll restructure from Asana's Workspace/Team/Project model to AgencyPro's Client/Project model. Document your mapping first. Many agencies find the client-centric structure an improvement—work is organized by who it's for.
Can we get help with the migration? Yes. Book a demo and mention you're migrating from Asana. Our onboarding team can assist with structure mapping, import setup, and best practices for your agency.
What about Asana integrations (Slack, Harvest, etc.)? AgencyPro has its own integrations. For Harvest and QuickBooks, AgencyPro replaces them with built-in time tracking and billing. Evaluate Slack and other tools against AgencyPro's options; many agencies consolidate.
How does AgencyPro compare to Asana for project management? AgencyPro's project management handles tasks, assignees, due dates, and phases. It adds client-centric organization, time tracking, billing, and client portal—features Asana doesn't have. The trade-off: Asana offers more view types and flexibility for generic use cases; AgencyPro offers purpose-built agency features. See our AgencyPro vs Asana comparison for a detailed comparison.
What will the team think? Most teams adapt quickly. AgencyPro is simpler than Asana for agency workflows—fewer concepts, clearer structure. The main change is learning the client portal and time tracking if they weren't using them before. Focus on benefits: one tool instead of many, built-in billing, better client experience.
Can we migrate Asana Portfolios? Asana Portfolios aggregate projects for high-level visibility. In AgencyPro, you get client and project-level views plus dashboards for utilization, revenue, and capacity. The reporting model is different—focused on agency business metrics rather than portfolio-style project grouping. Most agencies find AgencyPro's dashboards more actionable.
Tips for a Smooth Asana Migration
- Get the structure mapping right first. Spend time deciding how Workspaces, Teams, and Projects map to Clients and Projects. This decision affects everything that follows.
- Export during low activity. Run exports when fewer people are updating Asana to avoid stale data. Early morning or weekend exports often work well.
- Consolidate tools in one move. Since AgencyPro replaces Asana, Harvest, and possibly QuickBooks—plan to sunset all at once. Running partial stacks creates confusion.
- Celebrate the consolidation. Frame the migration as removing tool sprawl. "We're going from five tools to one" is a powerful message for team buy-in.
Ready to Migrate?
Migrating from Asana to AgencyPro is a step toward consolidation—fewer tools, clearer workflows, and a platform built for agencies. With solid planning and methodical execution, the transition is manageable, and the result is a simpler operations stack.
Book a demo to see AgencyPro and get migration support. Our team will help you map your Asana setup and ensure a smooth transition to an all-in-one agency platform.