How to migrate data from Freshteam to Zoho Recruit

How to migrate data from Freshteam to Zoho Recruit

Freshteam is being discontinued, and if you are currently using Freshteam as your applicant tracking system, it is important to migrate your recruitment data to a supported platform before access is impacted.

This guide walks you through how to migrate your data from Freshteam to Zoho Recruit. It focuses purely on the how-to, including exporting your data from Freshteam, preparing it, and importing it into Zoho Recruit, so you can continue your hiring operations without data loss.

By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to:

  • Export your recruitment data from Freshteam

  • Prepare your files for import

  • Import candidates, jobs, users, and related records into Zoho Recruit successfully

Before You Begin  

Before starting the migration, make sure the following prerequisites are met. Completing these steps upfront will help avoid import errors and data mismatches later.

Access Requirements  

  • Freshteam: Administrator access to export data

  • Zoho Recruit: Administrator or Super Admin access to import data and manage modules

Data & File Preparation  

  • Ensure you can download and work with CSV or XML files

  • Make sure you have a spreadsheet editor (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.) to review and clean exported data

  • Decide which modules you want to migrate (for example: Candidates, Job Openings, Users)

Things to Keep in Mind  

  • Zoho Recruit requires certain mandatory fields (such as Last Name for candidates)

  • Field names and formats in Freshteam may not always match Zoho Recruit

  • Some Freshteam data may need minor restructuring before import

To maintain record relationships, it’s recommended to migrate data in this order:

  1. Users

  2. Candidates

  3. Clients & Contacts (if applicable)

  4. Job Openings

  5. Interviews, Notes, Tasks, and Attachments

Exporting Data from Freshteam  

Freshteam allows you to export your recruitment data either as a full account export or as individual module exports. Choose the export option based on the data you want to migrate.

Export Options Available in Freshteam  

You can export data from Freshteam in the following ways:

  • Full account export
    Exports most of your Freshteam data, including candidates, jobs, applications, interviews, offers, and users.
     Learn more

  • Module-level exports (CSV)
    Allows you to export specific modules such as candidates or jobs.
     Learn more

Notes
Note:
Zoho Recruit supports CSV file imports. If your Freshteam data is exported in XML format, ensure it is converted to CSV before proceeding.
Before importing data into Zoho Recruit:
  1. Review exported files for empty or duplicate records
  2. Ensure mandatory fields are present
  3. Standardize date formats and picklist values
  4. Remove unsupported or unused columns

Importing Data into Zoho Recruit  

Once your files and modules are ready, you can begin importing data into Zoho Recruit.

  1. Navigate to Setup > Data Administration > Data Migration.



  2.  Select Other ATS when migrating data from Freshteam.



  3. Upload the files to be migrated by dragging and dropping them, or by browsing and selecting files from your system.

    1. Select the appropriate Character Encoding for the CSV file.

    2. Select Send Notification Email if you want to receive an email update once the import is complete.

    3. Click Discard Migration if you want to discontinue the process.

    4. You can view the migration status at the top of the page.

  1. Click Next.

  2. In the Module-File Mapping section, you can view:

    • All Modules

    • Mapped Modules

    • Unmapped Modules

  1. The file names used for the uploaded CSV files are used for module mapping.

  2. If required, you can create a custom module by clicking Create New Module in the top-right corner.

  3. Click Next to proceed to the Field Mapping page.

  4. The column headers in the uploaded CSV file are used for field mapping. Similar to module mapping, you can view:

    • All Fields

    • Mapped Fields

    • Unmapped Fields

  1. For unmapped fields, manually select the appropriate Zoho Recruit field from the dropdown list.

  2. To create a new field, click + Create New Field in the top-right corner. In the pop-up window, select the required field type and click Create.

  3. After completing field mapping for all modules, click Save and Next.

Notes
Note:
The left panel displays the field mapping status. A green tick mark indicates that field mapping for the corresponding module is complete. This step allows you to review your module and field mapping status before proceeding.

  1. Use the review section to view file mapping status and pre migration status for each module.



  2. Click Start Migration to begin migrating data from your Zoho Recruit account or other ATS.

  • Click Discard Migration at any time to cancel the process.

  • To modify field mapping, click Edit Mapping and re-run the migration.

Once the migration is complete, an email notification will be sent to the administrator who initiated the migration.

Post-Import Checks & Validation  

After completing the import, it’s important to verify that your data has been migrated correctly and is usable.

Verify Imported Records  

Check each imported module to ensure data accuracy:

  • Open a few candidate records and confirm names, emails, and attachments

  • Verify job openings are correctly assigned to owners

  • Ensure users are active and mapped correctly

  • Confirm related records (interviews, notes, tasks) appear under the correct candidates or jobs

Review Import Summary & Logs  

Zoho Recruit provides a summary after every import.

  • Go to the Import History to review the number of successful, skipped, and failed records

  • Download the error file, if available, to understand why records failed

  • Fix issues in the source file and re-import if necessary

Common Validation Checks  

  • Mandatory fields are populated

  • Picklist values display correctly

  • Duplicate records are not created unintentionally

  • Attachments open and are accessible

Troubleshooting Common Migration Issues  

Below are some common issues you may encounter during migration and how to resolve them.

Records Skipped During Import  

Possible reasons:

  • Missing mandatory fields

  • Incorrect date formats

  • Invalid picklist values

How to fix:

  • Update the source file with valid data

  • Re-import only the failed records

Duplicate Records Created  

Possible reasons:

  • Duplicate check not enabled

  • Email field not mapped correctly

How to fix:

  • Enable duplicate check using email ID

  • Clean duplicate entries before importing

Incorrect Field Mapping  

Possible reasons:

  • Fields mapped to the wrong data type

  • Custom fields not created in advance

How to fix:

  • Create missing custom fields

  • Re-map fields and re-import

Possible reasons:

  • Attachment size limits

  • Record association not established

How to fix:

  • Import parent records (candidates, jobs) first

  • Ensure unique identifiers are used for mapping

Support & Additional Resources  

If you need assistance during or after the migration, the following resources can help.

Get Help  

If you encounter any issues while following the steps above, feel free to contact us at support@zohorecruit.com.

If you would like our team to handle the migration for you, submit a request using the Zoho Recruit Migration Request form. One of our representatives will get in touch with you shortly to assist you.

Once these steps are complete, your recruitment data from Freshteam will be securely available in Zoho Recruit, allowing you to continue your hiring process without interruption.