What happens to my data if I cancel a CRM?
When you cancel a CRM, most vendors give you 30-90 days to export your data before it's deleted from their systems. The catch: you have to actually export it, and the export options can be limited. This post covers what to expect and how to leave with everything you need.
The standard cancellation timeline
Most contractor CRMs follow a similar pattern. You cancel. You retain read-only access for 30-90 days. After that retention period, your account and data are deleted from the vendor's systems. Some keep backups longer for legal compliance (typically up to a year). The 30-90 day window is your time to export. Don't cancel and then forget — set a calendar reminder for week one of the retention window to do the export.
What you can actually export
The basics — contacts, deals, jobs, invoices, notes — usually export as CSV. Attachments (photos, PDFs, signed documents) sometimes don't, or require a separate export tool. Communication history (emails, SMS) is the trickiest — some CRMs export it, some don't, and even when they do, the format can be hard to import elsewhere. Always ask the vendor for a full account export before you cancel, ideally as a complete archive (ZIP with CSVs and attachments).
The vendors that make leaving hard
A small number of CRMs deliberately make export difficult — limited fields, no attachments, awkward formats. This is anti-competitive and a sign the vendor is more focused on lock-in than customer service. Before you sign up to any new CRM, ask 'how do I export everything if I cancel.' A vendor that gives a clear answer and demonstrates the export flow has nothing to hide. A vendor that gets vague is telling you something about their customer-retention philosophy.
What to verify after export
Don't trust an export until you've opened it. Open the CSVs. Count the records — does it match what was in your CRM. Check a sample contact has the phone, address, and notes intact. Check that attachments are actually in the export, not just referenced. If anything's missing or broken, you still have time to escalate to the vendor while you're in the retention window. Once the data is deleted, that conversation is much harder.
Bottom line
You typically have 30-90 days to export your data when you cancel a CRM. Do the export immediately, verify it's complete, and only then consider yourself migrated.