Redtail to Salesforce FSC Migration Guide

Name: Redtail to Salesforce Financial Services Cloud field mapping
Creator: Vantage Point

Short answer

Moving from Redtail to Salesforce Financial Services Cloud (FSC) means mapping Redtail contacts, families and accounts into FSC person accounts, households and financial accounts, carrying over notes and activity history, and rebuilding Redtail workflows as cases, action plans or flows. Most firms move to gain automation, reporting and integrations Redtail cannot provide.

Why firms make this move

Redtail is a solid advisor CRM, but growing RIAs and broker-dealer teams often outgrow it: they need custodian and portfolio data on the client record, compliance-ready workflows, service tracking against SLAs, and reporting leadership can trust. Financial Services Cloud provides the household data model, action plans and integration options to do that.

The move is as much a design exercise as a data load. Deciding how families map to households, how workflows become cases or action plans, and which years of notes come across shapes the whole project.

What moves

Contacts and families as person accounts and households
Account and policy data as financial accounts (or from the custodian feed instead)
Notes and activities with original dates and authors
Workflows and their history as cases, action plans or flows
Tags, categories and custom fields as picklists or fields
Documents and attachments where licensing and storage allow

How the data maps

From	To
Contact	Person account
Family / household	Household (account) with member relationships
Account	Financial account and financial account roles
Note	Note or task with original date
Activity	Task or event
Workflow	Case, action plan or flow
Tags	Picklist or multi-select field

See the field-by-field map ↓ · Migration architecture ↓

What to watch out for

Duplicate contacts and families built up over years
Notes that contain sensitive data needing restricted access
Workflow history that does not map one-to-one to cases
Custodian data that should come from a feed rather than the Redtail export
Users relying on Redtail-specific shortcuts during cutover

How Vantage Point runs the migration

Discovery and data inventory: what exists, what is clean, what is worth moving
Target design: objects, record types, households or companies, ownership and security
Field-by-field data mapping document, signed off by business owners
Cleanup and deduplication before the move, not after
Test loads into a sandbox with reconciliation reports
User acceptance testing with real scenarios
Cutover: final delta load, integrations switched, old system set to read-only
Hypercare and adoption support

Typical timeline

Typically 6 to 12 weeks, depending on data volume, years of history and the number of workflows.

Frequently asked questions

Can Redtail workflows move to Salesforce?

Yes. Active workflows are rebuilt as cases, action plans or flows, and historical workflow records can be migrated for reference.

Do we lose our notes history?

No. Notes and activities can be migrated with their original dates and authors, so advisors keep the full client history.

Last reviewed October 2, 2026 by the Vantage Point team. Browse all migration paths

How data flows: Redtail to Salesforce Financial Services Cloud migration

flowchart TB
  nredtailcrm["Redtail CRM"]:::ext
  nsalesforcefsc["Salesforce FSC"]:::sf
  nextractcleanmap["Extract, clean & map"]:::mw
  ncustodians["Custodians"]:::ext
  nmulesoftmiddleware["MuleSoft / middleware"]:::mw
  ndocumentarchive["Document archive"]:::ext
  ndataloaderormulesoftsftp["Data Loader or MuleSoft (SFTP)"]:::mw
  nredtailcrm --> nextractcleanmap
  nextractcleanmap -->|"Households, contacts, activities & notes"| nsalesforcefsc
  ncustodians --> nmulesoftmiddleware
  nmulesoftmiddleware -->|"Financial accounts (ongoing feed)"| nsalesforcefsc
  ndocumentarchive --> ndataloaderormulesoftsftp
  ndataloaderormulesoftsftp -->|"Files (ContentVersion)"| nsalesforcefsc
  classDef sf fill:#203163,stroke:#203163,color:#ffffff
  classDef hs fill:#203163,stroke:#203163,color:#ffffff
  classDef mw fill:#e8f4fc,stroke:#2095d3,color:#203163,stroke-dasharray:4 3
  classDef ai fill:#ffffff,stroke:#1062af,color:#203163,stroke-width:2px
  classDef ext fill:#f2f3f2,stroke:#898989,color:#203163

CRM Middleware / connector layer Connected system

What syncs between systems
From	To	What	Direction	Timing	How
Redtail CRM	Salesforce FSCvia Extract, clean & map	Households, contacts, activities & notes	→ one-way	test loads, then final delta	migration tooling
Custodians	Salesforce FSCvia MuleSoft / middleware	Financial accounts (ongoing feed)Custodian data, not Redtail, becomes the source of truth.	→ one-way	scheduled	file feed
Document archive	Salesforce FSCvia Data Loader or MuleSoft (SFTP)	Files (ContentVersion)Salesforce cannot read an SFTP location directly; a loader or MuleSoft's SFTP connector does. Watch the rolling 24-hour API limit.	→ one-way	batched by year	bulk file load

A typical pattern, simplified. Your design depends on licenses, data ownership and volumes, which we settle in discovery.

From	To	How	Notes
Contact (individual)Name, DOB, contact details	Person AccountFirstName / LastName / PersonBirthdate req	direct	Confirm Person Accounts are enabled before loading. Some firms use Contact plus Household instead.
ContactPhones, emails and addresses (multiple)	Person AccountPrimary fields + Contact Point records	split	Primary values go to standard fields. Extras go to Contact Point records or custom fields.
Household / familyHousehold name	Account (Household record type)Name req	direct
Family member + roleRelationship	Account Contact RelationshipRoles / Primary Group flag req	association	Head of household, spouse, dependent and so on become ACR roles.
Contact (business)Organization record	Account (Business)Name, address, phone	direct
ContactType / Category / Status	Person AccountClient category and status fields	picklist map	Clean up the value lists before mapping. They are often inconsistent.
ContactServicing advisor / writing advisor	Person AccountOwnerId / primary advisor field req	lookup	Match advisors to Salesforce users by email.
ContactTags	Person AccountMulti-select picklist or Topics	picklist map
ContactUser-defined fields	Person AccountCustom fields	manual review	Keep only the fields someone still uses.
ContactTax ID / SSN	——	drop	Not migrated by default. Bring it only with an approved security design.
Financial accountAccount number, type, balance	Financial AccountAccount number, type, balance	manual review	If a custodian feed will run, it becomes the source of truth. Redtail accounts are reference only.
Financial accountHistorical balances and posted transactions	Financial Account / Financial Account TransactionBalance and transaction records	direct	Load balances and posted transactions as of the extract date instead of recalculating them. Fees and adjustments may have been edited or waived in the source.
ActivitiesCategory (category later deleted)	Task / EventCategory picklist / Subject	picklist map	Activities whose category was deleted in Redtail can export with a blank category while the Redtail screen still shows a default one. Decide before mapping whether to keep the original category name (as an inactive picklist value or in the subject) or map blanks to a default, so history does not come across uncategorized.
ActivitiesActivities for former clients or with no linked contact	——	drop	Agree a scope filter before the first realistic test load, for example drop former-client activities older than an agreed cutoff and activities not tied to any contact. Client status usually has to come from a separate export, so line that up early.
ActivitiesActivities (calls, meetings, tasks)	Task / EventSubject, dates, WhoId / WhatId	association
Activities (events)Activity date and start date	EventActivityDate / StartDateTime	derive	Salesforce rejects an event whose activity date differs from its start date. Set both from the source start date; a completion date cannot be used for events. Tasks do not have this constraint.
Activities (tasks)Completed by	Task—	drop	Salesforce Task has no completed-by field, only OwnerId (assigned to). Drop it from the mapping, or keep the name in the description if the history matters.
ActivitiesCreated by (no last-modified-by in the source)	Task / EventCreatedById / LastModifiedById	lookup	The source has no last-modified-by, so reuse the created-by user for both. Needs the "Set Audit Fields upon Record Creation" permission; check after the load that LastModifiedById did not fall back to the load user.
ActivitiesCategory	Task / EventSubject	concat	Prefix the category to the subject (for example "Client review: …") so it stays visible in list views and search without a custom field.
Activities / tasksAssigned user (former or inactive employee)	Task / EventOwnerId	lookup	Users who will not exist in Salesforce map to an agreed placeholder user. Keep the original name in a text field if it matters for history.
Activities (events)Location	EventLocation	direct	Map the source event location to the standard Location field so it shows on the event and in calendar views.
ActivitiesDetails (linked steps, step tasks, notes and comments)	Task / EventDescription	concat	There is no single details field in the source. Build the description by joining the activity's linked step, step-task, note and comment text, and have the business confirm the result on a sample before the full load.
Activities (tasks)Activity date	TaskActivityDate	derive	Take the date from the activity record itself, not from a join to completed-instance records, which can return the wrong date. Agree which record date to use (due, completed or last updated) and check it on a sample.
ActivitiesAdded-by user vs. user who worked the activity	Task / EventOwnerId	derive	The added-by user is often not the person who did the work, so owners come out wrong if it is mapped straight across. Where the source records who completed or last worked the activity, use that user and fall back to added-by. Spot-check owners with the client before the production load.
NotesNotes	ContentNoteContent	direct	Preserve note dates and authors.
Notes / activitiesRich-text body (HTML, line breaks)	ContentNote / TaskContent / Description	derive	CSV-based pipelines often strip HTML and line breaks. Swap line breaks for a placeholder before export and restore them after load.
Notes / activitiesText with non-ASCII characters	ContentNote / Task / EventContent / Subject / Description	derive	One stray non-ASCII character can make a cleanup or CSV step silently drop whole rows. Keep extracts in UTF-8, replace or normalize the characters instead of discarding the row, and reconcile record counts after every transform step.
NotesNotes that only record a completed activity or workflow	——	drop	System-generated completion notes duplicate the activity or workflow record. Filter them out instead of migrating them as separate notes.
NotesComments on excluded workflow-generated notes	CaseDescription	concat	Dropping completion notes also drops any comments on them. Join comment → note → note association → workflow and append the comments to the matching Case. If the join is impractical, add the few that remain by hand after the load.
WorkflowsWorkflow templates	Action Plan templates / FlowTemplate steps	rebuild
Workflow stepStep comments and notes	Action Plan item / TaskDescription	concat	Notes tied to a workflow step go inside that step, not as standalone notes.
WorkflowCompleted by	Action Plan / TaskCompleted-by field or description	derive	There is no single completed-by value. Decide whether it comes from the workflow owner, the user on the last completed step, or a completion note, and record the rule in the mapping.
Workflow (completed instance)Workflow template	CaseRecordTypeId / Type	lookup	Historical workflows can load as closed Cases. Keep a template-to-record-type table so each workflow lands on the right record type, and drive Type and other template-dependent picklists from the same table.
Workflow (completed instance)Name, description, category and completed steps	CaseSubject / Description	concat	Put the category in the body as well as any field, since it shows when a workflow was cancelled. Roll completed steps into one dated block per Case: step, assignee, due date, completed date, comments.
Workflow (completed instance)Created, due and completion dates	CaseCreatedDate / ClosedDate / due date field	derive	Setting CreatedDate and the created-by user on insert needs the "Set Audit Fields upon Record Creation" permission for the load user. Confirm the closed date can be set on insert, or keep the source completion date in its own field.
ImagingDocuments	FilesContentVersion	manual review	Check document volume. Large archives often stay in a document system with links.
Workflow step (subtasks)Completed date	TaskStatus / ActivityDate	derive	Take the completed date from each subtask, not from its parent step. A step-level join stamps every subtask with the step's date, so the history shows work finishing on the wrong day.
Workflow step (step tasks)Due date (shown in Redtail, not always stored)	TaskActivityDate	derive	Redtail can display step due dates that it calculates from the workflow due date, so the export may have no value. Either derive the date from the workflow-level due date or leave it blank, and have the business decide how blank due dates should appear.
WorkflowLong description and instructions	Case / Action Plan itemDescription	direct	Long workflow text can be cut short by an intermediate staging table or spreadsheet with a small column size. Compare source and output text lengths on a sample before loading; Description holds up to 32,000 characters.
ImagingDocument-to-record link	ContentVersionFirstPublishLocationId	association	Set FirstPublishLocationId when creating the ContentVersion so the file links to its record in the same API call. Plan batches by total file size, not record count.
Notes and documents (repeat loads)Source note / file ID	ContentNote / ContentVersionLoad tracking	manual review	Notes and files cannot be upserted by external ID. A full reload means delete and reinsert. For deltas, track loaded source IDs in a staging table and insert only new items. Load the most recent years first.
ContactRedtail Contact ID	Person AccountRedtail_ID__c (external ID) req	direct
All migrated recordsAccount, owner and created-by references	All target objectsAccountId / OwnerId / CreatedById	lookup	Resolve lookups through external ID fields at load time (legacy contact ID on Account, legacy user ID on User). Salesforce record IDs copied from a sandbox do not exist in production.
Workflows and activitiesSource record ID	Case / Task / EventExternal ID field	derive	Prefix the source ID by object type (for example RT-WF- for workflows, RT-ACT- for activities). IDs stay unique across objects, show where each record came from, and let reloads upsert instead of duplicating.
ContactMerged or duplicate contacts	Person AccountRedtail_ID__c (external ID)	manual review	When source contacts were merged, decide which original ID becomes the external ID before loading; record order changes the result.
Household / familyFamily ID	Account (Household)External ID / Account Contact Relationship req	derive	Don't key households on the family ID unless it is unique and consistent in the export. Key accounts and contacts on the Redtail contact ID, then use Account Contact Relationships to place each member in the right household.
Activities (events)Linked person and record	EventWhoId / WhatId	association	Many source events have no linked person. Leave WhoId blank rather than inventing a placeholder contact, set WhatId to the household or account where one applies, and find events with no date before loading, since every event needs a start date.
Activities (tasks)Related household or account (bulk load)	TaskWhatId / WhoId	association	Large task loads can fail with row-lock errors when many tasks point at the same account. Sort the file by parent record, load in serial mode or smaller batches, and switch off or bypass automations on Task for the load user.
Activities and workflows (business contacts)Linked business contact	Task / Event / CaseWhatId / AccountId	association	Business contacts load as business Accounts, not Contacts, so activities and workflows tied to them can't use WhoId. Look up the business Account by its Redtail contact ID and set WhatId (AccountId on Cases), and keep business and individual records in one combined load file. Check that business-linked tasks and events land with WhatId populated before the full load.

From

How

Notes

Contact (individual)Name, DOB, contact details

Person AccountFirstName / LastName / PersonBirthdate req

direct

Confirm Person Accounts are enabled before loading. Some firms use Contact plus Household instead.

ContactPhones, emails and addresses (multiple)

Person AccountPrimary fields + Contact Point records

split

Primary values go to standard fields. Extras go to Contact Point records or custom fields.

Household / familyHousehold name

Account (Household record type)Name req

direct

Family member + roleRelationship

Account Contact RelationshipRoles / Primary Group flag req

association

Head of household, spouse, dependent and so on become ACR roles.

Contact (business)Organization record

Account (Business)Name, address, phone

direct

ContactType / Category / Status

Person AccountClient category and status fields

picklist map

Clean up the value lists before mapping. They are often inconsistent.

ContactServicing advisor / writing advisor

Person AccountOwnerId / primary advisor field req

lookup

Match advisors to Salesforce users by email.

ContactTags

Person AccountMulti-select picklist or Topics

picklist map

ContactUser-defined fields

Person AccountCustom fields

manual review

Keep only the fields someone still uses.

ContactTax ID / SSN

——

drop

Not migrated by default. Bring it only with an approved security design.

Financial accountAccount number, type, balance

Financial AccountAccount number, type, balance

manual review

If a custodian feed will run, it becomes the source of truth. Redtail accounts are reference only.

Financial accountHistorical balances and posted transactions

Financial Account / Financial Account TransactionBalance and transaction records

direct

Load balances and posted transactions as of the extract date instead of recalculating them. Fees and adjustments may have been edited or waived in the source.

ActivitiesCategory (category later deleted)

Task / EventCategory picklist / Subject

picklist map

Activities whose category was deleted in Redtail can export with a blank category while the Redtail screen still shows a default one. Decide before mapping whether to keep the original category name (as an inactive picklist value or in the subject) or map blanks to a default, so history does not come across uncategorized.

ActivitiesActivities for former clients or with no linked contact

——

drop

Agree a scope filter before the first realistic test load, for example drop former-client activities older than an agreed cutoff and activities not tied to any contact. Client status usually has to come from a separate export, so line that up early.

ActivitiesActivities (calls, meetings, tasks)

Task / EventSubject, dates, WhoId / WhatId

association

Activities (events)Activity date and start date

EventActivityDate / StartDateTime

derive

Salesforce rejects an event whose activity date differs from its start date. Set both from the source start date; a completion date cannot be used for events. Tasks do not have this constraint.

Activities (tasks)Completed by

Task—

drop

Salesforce Task has no completed-by field, only OwnerId (assigned to). Drop it from the mapping, or keep the name in the description if the history matters.

ActivitiesCreated by (no last-modified-by in the source)

Task / EventCreatedById / LastModifiedById

lookup

The source has no last-modified-by, so reuse the created-by user for both. Needs the "Set Audit Fields upon Record Creation" permission; check after the load that LastModifiedById did not fall back to the load user.

ActivitiesCategory

Task / EventSubject

concat

Prefix the category to the subject (for example "Client review: …") so it stays visible in list views and search without a custom field.

Activities / tasksAssigned user (former or inactive employee)

Task / EventOwnerId

lookup

Users who will not exist in Salesforce map to an agreed placeholder user. Keep the original name in a text field if it matters for history.

Activities (events)Location

EventLocation

direct

Map the source event location to the standard Location field so it shows on the event and in calendar views.

ActivitiesDetails (linked steps, step tasks, notes and comments)

Task / EventDescription

concat

There is no single details field in the source. Build the description by joining the activity's linked step, step-task, note and comment text, and have the business confirm the result on a sample before the full load.

Activities (tasks)Activity date

TaskActivityDate

derive

Take the date from the activity record itself, not from a join to completed-instance records, which can return the wrong date. Agree which record date to use (due, completed or last updated) and check it on a sample.

ActivitiesAdded-by user vs. user who worked the activity

Task / EventOwnerId

derive

The added-by user is often not the person who did the work, so owners come out wrong if it is mapped straight across. Where the source records who completed or last worked the activity, use that user and fall back to added-by. Spot-check owners with the client before the production load.

NotesNotes

ContentNoteContent

direct

Preserve note dates and authors.

Notes / activitiesRich-text body (HTML, line breaks)

ContentNote / TaskContent / Description

derive

CSV-based pipelines often strip HTML and line breaks. Swap line breaks for a placeholder before export and restore them after load.

Notes / activitiesText with non-ASCII characters

ContentNote / Task / EventContent / Subject / Description

derive

One stray non-ASCII character can make a cleanup or CSV step silently drop whole rows. Keep extracts in UTF-8, replace or normalize the characters instead of discarding the row, and reconcile record counts after every transform step.

NotesNotes that only record a completed activity or workflow

——

drop

System-generated completion notes duplicate the activity or workflow record. Filter them out instead of migrating them as separate notes.

NotesComments on excluded workflow-generated notes

CaseDescription

concat

Dropping completion notes also drops any comments on them. Join comment → note → note association → workflow and append the comments to the matching Case. If the join is impractical, add the few that remain by hand after the load.

WorkflowsWorkflow templates

Action Plan templates / FlowTemplate steps

rebuild

Workflow stepStep comments and notes

Action Plan item / TaskDescription

concat

Notes tied to a workflow step go inside that step, not as standalone notes.

WorkflowCompleted by

Action Plan / TaskCompleted-by field or description

derive

There is no single completed-by value. Decide whether it comes from the workflow owner, the user on the last completed step, or a completion note, and record the rule in the mapping.

Workflow (completed instance)Workflow template

CaseRecordTypeId / Type

lookup

Historical workflows can load as closed Cases. Keep a template-to-record-type table so each workflow lands on the right record type, and drive Type and other template-dependent picklists from the same table.

Workflow (completed instance)Name, description, category and completed steps

CaseSubject / Description

concat

Put the category in the body as well as any field, since it shows when a workflow was cancelled. Roll completed steps into one dated block per Case: step, assignee, due date, completed date, comments.

Workflow (completed instance)Created, due and completion dates

CaseCreatedDate / ClosedDate / due date field

derive

Setting CreatedDate and the created-by user on insert needs the "Set Audit Fields upon Record Creation" permission for the load user. Confirm the closed date can be set on insert, or keep the source completion date in its own field.

ImagingDocuments

FilesContentVersion

manual review

Check document volume. Large archives often stay in a document system with links.

Workflow step (subtasks)Completed date

TaskStatus / ActivityDate

derive

Take the completed date from each subtask, not from its parent step. A step-level join stamps every subtask with the step's date, so the history shows work finishing on the wrong day.

Workflow step (step tasks)Due date (shown in Redtail, not always stored)

TaskActivityDate

derive

Redtail can display step due dates that it calculates from the workflow due date, so the export may have no value. Either derive the date from the workflow-level due date or leave it blank, and have the business decide how blank due dates should appear.

WorkflowLong description and instructions

Case / Action Plan itemDescription

direct

Long workflow text can be cut short by an intermediate staging table or spreadsheet with a small column size. Compare source and output text lengths on a sample before loading; Description holds up to 32,000 characters.

ImagingDocument-to-record link

ContentVersionFirstPublishLocationId

association

Set FirstPublishLocationId when creating the ContentVersion so the file links to its record in the same API call. Plan batches by total file size, not record count.

Notes and documents (repeat loads)Source note / file ID

ContentNote / ContentVersionLoad tracking

manual review

Notes and files cannot be upserted by external ID. A full reload means delete and reinsert. For deltas, track loaded source IDs in a staging table and insert only new items. Load the most recent years first.

ContactRedtail Contact ID

Person AccountRedtail_ID__c (external ID) req

direct

All migrated recordsAccount, owner and created-by references

All target objectsAccountId / OwnerId / CreatedById

lookup

Resolve lookups through external ID fields at load time (legacy contact ID on Account, legacy user ID on User). Salesforce record IDs copied from a sandbox do not exist in production.

Workflows and activitiesSource record ID

Case / Task / EventExternal ID field

derive

Prefix the source ID by object type (for example RT-WF- for workflows, RT-ACT- for activities). IDs stay unique across objects, show where each record came from, and let reloads upsert instead of duplicating.

ContactMerged or duplicate contacts

Person AccountRedtail_ID__c (external ID)

manual review

When source contacts were merged, decide which original ID becomes the external ID before loading; record order changes the result.

Household / familyFamily ID

Account (Household)External ID / Account Contact Relationship req

derive

Don't key households on the family ID unless it is unique and consistent in the export. Key accounts and contacts on the Redtail contact ID, then use Account Contact Relationships to place each member in the right household.

Activities (events)Linked person and record

EventWhoId / WhatId

association

Many source events have no linked person. Leave WhoId blank rather than inventing a placeholder contact, set WhatId to the household or account where one applies, and find events with no date before loading, since every event needs a start date.

Activities (tasks)Related household or account (bulk load)

TaskWhatId / WhoId

association

Large task loads can fail with row-lock errors when many tasks point at the same account. Sort the file by parent record, load in serial mode or smaller batches, and switch off or bypass automations on Task for the load user.

Activities and workflows (business contacts)Linked business contact

Task / Event / CaseWhatId / AccountId

association

Business contacts load as business Accounts, not Contacts, so activities and workflows tied to them can't use WhoId. Look up the business Account by its Redtail contact ID and set WhatId (AccountId on Cases), and keep business and individual records in one combined load file. Check that business-linked tasks and events land with WhatId populated before the full load.

Redtail to Salesforce Financial Services Cloud migration

Why firms make this move

What moves

How the data maps

What to watch out for

How Vantage Point runs the migration

Typical timeline

Frequently asked questions

How data flows: Redtail to Salesforce Financial Services Cloud migration

Redtail to Salesforce Financial Services Cloud: field by field

Guides and checklists on this topic