The native Freshdesk and HubSpot integration has major limitations, leaving behind conversations, notes, and historical data. Learn how a custom migration solves this.
Freshdesk to HubSpot: Should You Sync or Migrate?
Many companies using Freshdesk for support and HubSpot for CRM expect them to work seamlessly together. The reality? The native Freshdesk + HubSpot integration is limited.
Which scenario applies to your business?
- You want to keep Freshdesk + HubSpot but need better data syncing.
- The native integration doesn’t sync enough data.
- You need more ticket details, emails, and notes to sync between the two platforms.
- Solution: HubSpot’s Workflows + Ops Hub can help improve data flow.
- You’re migrating from Freshdesk to HubSpot Service Hub.
- You want to move all support operations to HubSpot, leaving Freshdesk behind.
- The native integration only syncs tickets from the last 120 days (and without full details).
- Solution: A custom migration is the only way to move all historical data accurately.
Need help deciding which approach your business needs? We can help.
Why the Native Freshdesk + HubSpot Integration Falls Short
If you’re sticking with Freshdesk but want better HubSpot integration, the native tool may not be enough. Here’s where it falls short:
- Only syncs tickets that are 120 days old or newer—anything older is left behind.
- Doesn’t transfer full conversations—no emails, no notes, no history.
- Excludes private and public notes—important internal documentation is lost.
- Loses authorship, timestamps, and metadata—making it harder to track who said what and when.
- Breaks threaded email chains—conversations become scattered and unorganized.
For teams that just want better syncing between Freshdesk and HubSpot, Workflows + Ops Hub can help. However, if you’re migrating fully to HubSpot Service Hub, these limitations mean you’ll need a custom migration to retain all data.
Why Custom Migration is Necessary for Moving Off Freshdesk
If your company is fully moving from Freshdesk to HubSpot, a custom migration ensures no data is left behind. Here’s what happens when businesses rely on the native integration instead of a full migration:
1. It Doesn’t Migrate Conversations at All
Freshdesk stores a complete history of conversations (emails, public notes, private notes) with each ticket. But the native integration doesn’t transfer conversations at all—it only moves the ticket title and basic metadata.
- What’s lost? Past emails, customer interactions, agent responses, and internal notes.
- How we fix it: A custom migration preserves the entire ticket history—including full email threads, timestamps, and notes.
2. The API Isn’t the Issue—The Integration Just Doesn’t Transfer the Data
Some believe that API limits are the reason HubSpot’s native integration doesn’t transfer all data. That’s not the case.
- Fact: Freshdesk’s API can handle large volumes of data—it can sync 32,000+ tickets in just a few hours.
- Problem: The native integration simply doesn’t attempt to transfer full conversations, notes, or metadata.
A custom migration ensures that everything moves to HubSpot—not just what the integration decides to sync.
3. Email Threading Gets Lost in Translation
HubSpot threads emails differently than Freshdesk. Without a custom migration, what should be a single, continuous conversation turns into a scattered mess of separate emails—making it nearly impossible to follow past discussions.
- A custom migration ensures:
- Proper email threading so conversations remain intact.
- Original sender, recipient, and timestamp data instead of showing generic “imported” entries.
4. Private vs. Public Notes Need Special Handling
Freshdesk differentiates between private (internal) notes and public (customer-visible) notes—but HubSpot doesn’t separate them the same way.
- A custom solution can:
- Tag and separate private notes so they remain internal.
- Map public notes correctly to HubSpot’s timeline activities.
5. Attachments & Large Messages Can Cause Issues
Freshdesk allows ticket descriptions and notes over 65,000 characters. HubSpot, however, has a hard limit. Without proper handling, long messages may get cut off or fail to transfer completely.
- A custom migration can:
- Detect & split large messages logically to retain full context.
- Preserve attachments by properly linking them to HubSpot tickets.
When Workflows & Ops Hub Might (or Might Not) Work
If your business is sticking with Freshdesk and needs better syncing, HubSpot’s Operations Hub (Ops Hub) may be an option. However, it’s important to understand the difference between an integration and a migration before choosing a solution.
- An integration (via Workflows + Ops Hub) continuously syncs and updates data between Freshdesk and HubSpot. It’s ideal if you want to keep Freshdesk but improve data flow.
- A migration is a one-time, one-way transfer of all Freshdesk data into HubSpot. If you’re fully moving to HubSpot Service Hub, a custom migration is necessary since the native integration only transfers limited data.
How Ops Hub Can Help With Integrations:
- Pull in more ticket details, notes, and updates for better Freshdesk-HubSpot visibility.
- Sync new Freshdesk tickets and updates into HubSpot automatically.
- Automate post-migration cleanup (e.g., correcting missing notes, metadata, or minor formatting issues).
Why Ops Hub Alone Isn’t Enough for a Full Migration:
- It doesn’t handle bulk data transfers well—if something goes wrong, fixing it can be difficult.
- Reconstructing email threads is complex and often requires custom coding.
- Attachments and large notes may not transfer properly due to HubSpot’s execution limits.
Sometimes, an integration turns into a migration.
Some businesses start with a custom integration to sync data between Freshdesk and HubSpot. But as they scale or their needs shift, they realize that fully moving to HubSpot Service Hub is the better option. In these cases, a custom-coded migration ensures all historical data moves over without loss.
Need expert guidance? Request a consultation.
Why Pivot’s Custom Freshdesk to HubSpot Migration is the Right Choice
Pivot doesn’t just handle migrations—we specialize in them.
As a Platinum HubSpot Solutions Partner, we’re in the top 10% of HubSpot agencies worldwide. That means we have the expertise, technical skill, and API experience to migrate your data accurately and efficiently—without losing critical conversations, notes, or metadata.
- Deep expertise in HubSpot API customizations
- Proven experience with large-scale Freshdesk to HubSpot migrations
- Support for threaded emails, private/public notes, and attachments
- Custom solutions for businesses needing ongoing Freshdesk + HubSpot syncing
Work with a 5-star-rated HubSpot partner. Schedule a Meeting.
