--- title: "Migrate from Help Scout to Intercom | ClonePartner" description: Migrating from Help Scout to Intercom is a shift from a shared mailbox workflow to a full conversational relationship model. Help Scout organizes support around source: Help Scout target: Intercom canonical: "https://clonepartner.com/migrate/help-scout-to-intercom/" --- # Help Scout → Intercom migration Seamless Help Scout to Intercom migration — all records moved with accuracy and care. ## Why teams migrate from Help Scout to Intercom Migrating from Help Scout to Intercom is a shift from a **shared mailbox workflow** to a **full conversational relationship model**. Help Scout organizes support around mailboxes, customers, and conversations, while Intercom centers on contacts, companies, and data-attribute-enriched conversations with integrated automation. The fundamental gap is in data handling: Intercom has **no general upload endpoint** for conversation attachments, timestamps must be converted from **ISO format to UNIX epoch seconds**, and the conversation_rating object is **read-only** — historical CSAT data cannot be programmatically imported. Every migration requires external file hosting for attachments, HTML body sanitization, explicit company-contact relationship linking, and manual recreation of saved replies as Intercom macros. ## Key migration challenges - **Attachment Hosting** — Intercom has no general upload endpoint for conversation attachments. Files must be hosted externally (e.g., S3) and signed URLs inserted into message bodies. - **Timestamp Conversion** — Help Scout uses ISO format timestamps while Intercom expects UNIX epoch seconds. All dates must be converted before import. - **CSAT Data Limitation** — Intercom's conversation_rating is read-only and cannot be populated via API. Historical ratings must be stored as custom attributes or notes. - **HTML Body Sanitization** — Help Scout threads embed signatures, inline images, and broken formatting that must be cleaned before import to Intercom. - **Knowledge Base Migration** — Help Scout Docs sites, collections, and articles must be mapped to Intercom's Help Center structure with image re-uploads and link rewriting. ## Entity mappings - **Customers** (Help Scout) → **Contacts (Users)** (Intercom) - **Companies** (Help Scout) → **Companies** (Intercom) - **Tags** (Help Scout) → **Tags** (Intercom) - **Conversations** (Help Scout) → **Tickets** (Intercom) - **Conversation Threads** (Help Scout) → **Tickets** (Intercom) - **Conversation Notes** (Help Scout) → **Notes** (Intercom) - **Custom Fields** (Help Scout) → **Data Attributes** (Intercom) - **Customer Emails** (Help Scout) → **Contacts (Users)** (Intercom) - **Satisfaction Ratings** (Help Scout) → **Not Available** (Intercom) - **Mailboxes** (Help Scout) → **Ticket Types** (Intercom) - **Teams** (Help Scout) → **Not Available** (Intercom) - **Conversation Attachments** (Help Scout) → **Tickets** (Intercom) - **Webhooks** (Help Scout) → **Not Available** (Intercom) - **Customer Properties** (Help Scout) → **Data Attributes** (Intercom) - **Chat Conversations** (Help Scout) → **Messages** (Intercom) ## What breaks during migration - **Organizations / Companies** [Direct] — Direct mapping with domain-based auto-linking for contacts. - **Customers / Contacts** [Workaround] — Phone numbers need E.164 normalization; social profiles must be flattened to custom attributes. - **Conversations** [Workaround] — Status mapping from active/closed/pending to Intercom's open/closed/snoozed states. - **Threads / Conversation Parts** [Workaround] — Chronological order must be maintained; phone logs need special type tagging. - **Attachments** [Breaks] — No native upload endpoint; requires external hosting and signed URL insertion. - **Tags** [Direct] — Direct 1:1 mapping across contacts, conversations, and companies. - **CSAT Ratings** [Breaks] — Read-only in Intercom; cannot be programmatically imported into conversation_rating. - **Saved Replies** [Breaks] — Must be manually recreated as Intercom Inbox Macros; no API migration path. - **Knowledge Base Articles** [Workaround] — HTML must be cleaned, inline images re-uploaded, and internal links revalidated. - **Custom Fields / Data Attributes** [Workaround] — Must be pre-created in Intercom with correct types before any data import. ## What we migrate ### Migration Filter - **User Selection** — Migrate tickets for specific users or agents - **Time Range** — Migrate tickets from a specific time period - **Conversation Type** — Filter by chat, email, or social media conversations - **Tag-Based Selection** — Migrate tickets with specific tags only ### Data Types - **Knowledge Base** — Articles, categories, and help center content - **Tickets & Conversations** — Full conversation history with all metadata - **Customer Profiles** — Customer information and interaction history - **Automations & Macros** — Workflows, templates, and automation rules ## Complete technical guide For a deep-dive into the technical process, data mapping, and step-by-step migration workflow, read our full guide: [The Complete Guide to Migrating from Help Scout to Intercom](https://clonepartner.com/blog/help-scout-to-intercom-migration-guide/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Who can view my data? For each migration project, you'll be assigned a migration engineer. Only the migration engineer can view your data. No one else at ClonePartner can view your data. ### Can I sign an NDA? If you are reaching out to us via one of our partners, we already have an NDA signed with them that unilaterally applies to all their customers. If you are reaching us directly and need an NDA signed, we'll be happy to sign your NDA or ours. ## Get a fixed-price quote [Talk to an engineer](https://cal.com/clonepartner/meet?duration=30&utm_source=xtoy&utm_medium=button&utm_campaign=demo_bookings&utm_content=cta_click&utm_term=demo_button_click) about your Help Scout → Intercom migration.