Making the switch to a new support platform is a big step for any growing business.
Kustomer provides a robust environment for managing complex data through standard objects like Messages and Conversations, while Tidio offers a streamlined experience focused on real time chat and AI powered assistance.
If you are moving your support operations to Tidio, you want to ensure your historical data and team structures remain intact.
This guide will walk you through the logic of this migration to help you hit the ground running with your new toolset.
Define your migration scope
Before you start writing scripts or clicking buttons, you need to decide exactly what data is moving and how it will get there. Not everything fits into a simple automated bucket.
What to migrate via the API
Your core data should be handled programmatically to ensure accuracy and handle large volumes. This includes your list of Customers, which Tidio identifies as Contacts.
You should also use the API to move your Teams, which function as Departments in Tidio. Historical interactions including Conversations, Messages, and internal Notes can be moved using a workaround where they are recreated as Tidio Tickets and replies.
Finally, your Knowledge Base Articles can be fetched and moved into Tidio to feed the Lyro AI assistant data source.
What to configure manually
Some elements are better set up by hand to ensure they function correctly within Tidio's specific interface. Your Users in Kustomer must be recreated as Operators in Tidio, as permissions and permissions sets are handled directly in the Tidio settings panel.
Because Tidio does not have a native "Company" object that mirrors Kustomer, you will need to manually define custom properties on your contacts to store this information.
Additionally, your Shortcuts and Snippets should be rebuilt as canned responses within Tidio to ensure they match the new platform's formatting.
What to archive
Standard search functions in Kustomer often prioritize data that has been updated within the last two years.
If you have standard or custom objects older than this, you may need to use specific archive search tools to retrieve them.
For highly technical data like raw Audit Logs or complex tracking events, it is often more efficient to export these to a secure external storage solution for compliance rather than trying to force them into a live chat platform.
Prepare Tidio for data import
Setting the stage in Tidio ensures that your data has a logical place to land. Complete these steps before you start the transfer.
- Define your Operators manually to ensure all agents have the correct roles and permission levels before they are assigned to data.
- Create custom properties in the Tidio panel to accommodate data fields from Kustomer that do not have a default home, such as company names or specific customer attributes.
- Set up your Departments so that when you migrate your Kustomer Teams, they can be mapped to the correct functional groups in Tidio.
- Check your project information to confirm you are authenticated correctly for the incoming data stream.
Migrate objects
The order of your migration is critical for maintaining the relationships between your data points. You must move from the most basic organizational structures to the most complex interaction histories.
Kustomer uses a data model built on standard objects and custom KObjects, while Tidio centers on the Contact and the Ticket.
You should begin by migrating your Teams as Departments via the API. Once your organizational structure exists, you can move your Customers into Tidio as Contacts.
These are the identified site visitors who will "own" the interaction history you move next. With your contacts in place, you can move to the heavy lifting of interaction history.
Kustomer Conversations should be recreated as Tidio Tickets. Within these tickets, you will iterate through each Message and recreate them as Ticket Replies to maintain a chronological timeline of the customer journey.
Internal Notes from Kustomer can also be added to these tickets as internal messages, keeping your team's context alive. Finally, your Knowledge Base content can be upserted into Tidio to empower your AI assistant.
Kustomer Object | Tidio Equivalent |
Customers | Contacts |
Teams | Departments |
Conversations | Tickets |
Messages | Ticket Replies |
Notes | Internal Messages |
KB Articles | Lyro Data Source |
Users | Operators |
Companies | Custom Properties |
Shortcuts | Canned Responses |
Attachments | External Links |
Post Migration Configuration
Once the data is in, you still have some fine tuning to do to make the platform operational.
- Rebuild your Workflows manually because Kustomer's automation triggers are specific to their own internal events and logic.
- Upload any essential files that were previously Attachments, or ensure they are linked correctly within your migrated ticket replies.
- Configure your Chat Settings to determine how the widget appears to your newly migrated contacts.
- Establish your Business Schedules to manage when your operators are available for live interactions.
- Set up your Brand identity in Tidio to ensure a consistent experience across different support channels.
Insider Secrets
- Kustomer enforces a creation limit of 120 objects per minute per customer for things like conversations and messages, so you must build pauses into your migration script.
- Tidio allows for batch contact creation, but you are limited to 100 contacts per individual request, making it important to chunk your customer list.
- If you include an importedAt timestamp in your Kustomer API body, those objects might not count against certain rate limits during the export process.
- Tidio batches use an all or nothing strategy, meaning if a single contact in a group of 100 is invalid, the entire batch will fail to save.
- Always map your Kustomer unique IDs to a custom external ID field in Tidio to ensure you can reliably track and update objects without creating duplicates.
- Standard Kustomer searches cannot see data older than two years, so plan for a separate archival pass if you need deep historical records.
Summary
Migrating from Kustomer to Tidio is a journey that moves from a deep CRM focus to a dynamic chat and AI environment.
By following a logical sequence and moving organizational structures before customer data, you can maintain the integrity of your support history.
While the API handles the bulk of the work, the manual configurations you perform for your operators and workflows will define your success on the new platform.
With your data mapped and your team ready, you can fully leverage the real time capabilities that Tidio offers.
If you’d rather focus on your revenue instead of wrestling with mapping sheets and pagination loops, ClonePartner can handle the full migration for you. Every project gets a dedicated engineer who understands the nuances of both APIs and ensures zero downtime.