How to migrate from Basecamp to AgencyPro

Example migration timeline

What moves to AgencyPro, and how

Import runbook: Basecamp to AgencyPro

AgencyPro's CSV importer takes two files: clients (Imports > Clients) and services (Imports > Services). Each has a downloadable template, and each file can hold up to 1,000 rows. Projects, tasks, files, messages, invoices, payment history, saved cards and time entries are not imported; they are set up by hand or with the migration service on the Plus plan. Where a vendor does not publish its export headers, the left column describes the data, and you match the real header in the importer's mapping step.

1. Client file

Where it comes from: The account export is an HTML archive with your list of people. There is no CSV, so copy each client contact into the AgencyPro template by hand. Basecamp: exports

Rows with the same organization_name become contacts of one organization, and the first of them becomes its owner. The match is exact, so "Example Co" and "Example Co." create two organizations. Address and billing details are taken from the first row of each organization. Columns you do not map are ignored.

2. Service file

Where it comes from: Basecamp has no price list. Build the services file from your proposals or invoices.

The CSV sets the basics only. After import, open each recurring service and add its pricing tier (billing period and price per period), and set intake form fields, images, turnaround and FAQs in the service editor.

3. Sample files

Example data, in the column names AgencyPro's templates use. Download the real templates from Imports > Clients and Imports > Services; they include every optional column.

clients.csv

name,email,phone,position,organization_name,billing_city,billing_country
"Jane Example","jane@example.com","+1 555 0100","Marketing Lead","Example Co","Austin","US"
"Sam Example","sam@example.com","","Founder","Example Co","Austin","US"
"Lee Sample","lee@sample.org","","Owner","Sample Studio","Leeds","GB"

services.csv

name,description,type,pricing_type,price,hours,credits,show_in_catalog
"Website audit","Technical and content audit","one_time","standard","1500.00","","","true"
"SEO retainer","Monthly SEO work","recurring","standard","2000.00","","","true"
"Development hours (10)","Prepaid block of 10 hours","one_time","time_based","1200.00","10","","true"

4. Permissions

• Basecamp: Only the Basecamp account owner can export the account. If the owner has left, transfer ownership first.
• AgencyPro: importing clients needs the create clients permission, and importing services needs the create services permission, in your workspace role.
• Importing does not email anyone. Clients get portal access when you send their invite from the client record, so you choose when they see the portal.

5. Validate

• Import a test file of three to five rows first, then check those clients and services in AgencyPro.
• In the mapping step, check every column. Headers such as Email, Company and Phone are matched automatically; map the rest by hand.
• The preview checks the first 100 rows for missing required values, invalid emails and invalid type values, and the import stays disabled until it shows no errors. Later rows with errors are skipped and listed by row number in the results.
• Rows whose email (clients) or name (services) already exists in the workspace are skipped, not overwritten.
• Each imported client fires the Client Created event. If you run Zaps on that trigger (Zapier is on the Plus plan), pause them during the import.
• After the import, export clients and services from Exports and compare the row counts with your Basecamp file.

6. Roll back

• There is no undo button. Select the imported clients or services in their lists and delete them in bulk, fix the CSV, and import again.
• To correct a client that imported with wrong details, delete or edit it first: re-importing the same email skips the row.
• Keep Basecamp running until the parallel run ends. Your Basecamp data is the fallback if anything needs re-checking.

Post-migration checklist

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