Migrating from AccessAlly Managed to Ontraport

Complete Guide: Migrating from AccessAlly Managed Contacts to Ontraport

Why Migrate from AccessAlly Managed to Ontraport?

This is a MAJOR upgrade: moving from no external CRM to a full business automation platform. Common reasons for this migration:

• Email Deliverability Issues: AccessAlly Managed sends from WordPress/SMTP – Ontraport has enterprise email infrastructure
• Scale Beyond Email Sending Limits: AccessAlly Managed has plan-based email limits – Ontraport handles high-volume sending
• Advanced Automation: Need complex campaigns, conditional logic, and multi-step sequences beyond Email Wizards
• CRM Features: Need contact management, deals, pipelines, task management
• Better Analytics: Ontraport provides business reporting and revenue tracking
• Native Payment Processing: Ontraport can process payments directly (no separate Stripe account needed)
• Business Growth: Your business has outgrown WordPress-based contact management

What You’ll Need Before Starting

✅ Required Access & Accounts

• WordPress admin access to your AccessAlly site
• Ontraport account (must be set up and configured first)
• AccessAlly license that supports CRM integration
• Access to your payment gateway (Stripe or PayPal)
• Access to your domain’s DNS settings (for email deliverability)

📋 Complete the Pre-Migration Checklist

Before proceeding, work through the complete Pre-Migration Checklist. Key items include:

• Full backup of WordPress site and database
• Export of all WordPress users (your “contacts” in AccessAlly Managed)
• Audit of your current member count, tags, and custom fields
• Data mapping spreadsheet (WordPress fields → Ontraport fields)
• Staging site setup for testing (CRITICAL for CRM switches)
• Request 2-site exception from AccessAlly support
• Downtime plan and member communication

Phase 1: Pre-Migration Setup (3-4 hours)

Step 1: Set Up Your Ontraport Account

If you haven’t already set up Ontraport:

1. Sign up for Ontraport (choose tier based on contact count – $297/mo for up to 1,000 contacts)
2. Complete basic account setup:
   • Company information
   • Timezone and business hours
   • Sender email address (use your domain, not Gmail)
3. Configure email deliverability:
   • Set up SPF records for your domain
   • Set up DKIM signing
   • Verify sender domain
4. Test email sending (send yourself a test broadcast)
5. Create a test form and ensure it works

Step 2: Export Your WordPress Users (Your “Contacts”)

With AccessAlly Managed, your contacts are stored as WordPress users. You need to export them.

1. Go to WordPress → Users
2. Install a user export plugin (e.g., “Export Users to CSV” or use AccessAlly’s built-in export)
3. Export ALL users with all fields:
   • Email (user_email)
   • First name (first_name)
   • Last name (last_name)
   • User role
   • User meta fields (custom fields)
   • AccessAlly tags
4. Download and open the CSV file

Alternative: Use AccessAlly’s Contact Export

1. Go to AccessAlly → Contacts
2. Click “Export Contacts”
3. Select all fields and tags
4. Download CSV

Step 3: Map WordPress Data to Ontraport Fields

Create a data mapping spreadsheet. Use the Data Mapping Reference Guide for complete field mappings.

Step 4: Recreate Your Tags in Ontraport

1. Make a list of all AccessAlly tags from your export
2. Go to Ontraport → Contacts → Tags
3. Create each tag in Ontraport (exact same names for easier mapping)
4. Note each tag’s ID (Ontraport assigns numeric IDs to tags)

Tag considerations:

• Use exact same tag names as AccessAlly (case-sensitive)
• Clean up unused tags during this process (simplification opportunity)
• Tags in Ontraport work the same as AccessAlly tags (simple tag/untag)

Step 5: Create Custom Fields in Ontraport

1. List all WordPress user meta fields (custom fields) from your export
2. Go to Ontraport → Contacts → Contact Information
3. Click “Add Field” for each custom field
4. Match field types:
   • Text → Text
   • Textarea → Large Text
   • Number → Numeric
   • Date → Date
   • Checkbox → Check Box
   • Dropdown → Drop Down
5. CRITICAL: Note each field’s ID (e.g., “f1234”) for CSV mapping

Example custom fields to create:

• Member Level (dropdown or text)
• Join Date (date field)
• Subscription Status (dropdown: Active, Cancelled, Expired)
• Last Login Date (date field)
• Any course progress or quiz scores you’re tracking

Step 6: Connect Ontraport to AccessAlly (Staging Site First)

1. On your STAGING site, go to AccessAlly → Settings → General
2. Under “CRM Integration,” change from “Managed Contacts” to “Ontraport”
3. Enter your Ontraport API credentials:
   • App ID: Found in Ontraport → Administration → Integrations → API Instructions
   • API Key: Found in same location
4. Click Save and Test Connection
5. Verify the connection is successful (green checkmark)

Step 7: Prepare Your CSV for Migration Wizard

Transform your WordPress user export into the format AccessAlly Migration Wizard expects.

Required columns for Ontraport import:

• Email – Email address (required)
• First Name – First name
• Last Name – Last name
• Tags – Comma-separated list of Ontraport tag names
• f1234 – Custom field columns (use Ontraport field IDs)

CSV transformation steps:

1. Open your WordPress user export in Excel or Google Sheets
2. Rename columns to match Ontraport format:
   • user_email → Email
   • first_name → First Name
   • last_name → Last Name
   • AccessAlly tags column → Tags
3. For custom fields, rename columns to Ontraport field IDs:
   • Example: “Member Level” → “f1234” (whatever ID Ontraport assigned)
4. Ensure tags are comma-separated in one cell (e.g., “Gold Member, Active Subscriber”)
5. Remove admin users and test accounts (don’t import into Ontraport)
6. Save as new CSV: “wordpress-to-ontraport-import.csv”

Phase 2: Migration Execution (2-3 hours)

Step 8: Import Contacts via Migration Wizard

1. On your STAGING site, go to AccessAlly → Migration Wizard
2. If you don’t see Migration Wizard, download and activate the plugin:
   • Go to AccessAlly → Utilities
   • Download “Migration Wizard Plugin”
   • Install and activate via WordPress → Plugins → Add New → Upload
3. Click “Import from CSV”
4. Upload your prepared CSV file
5. Map CSV columns to Ontraport fields (should auto-detect if named correctly)
6. Choose import options:
   • Update existing users: Check if some users may already exist in WordPress
   • Create contacts in CRM: CHECK THIS (creates contacts in Ontraport)
   • Add tags: Check (applies tags from CSV)
   • Send welcome email: UNCHECK (you’ll email members separately)
7. Click “Start Import”

What happens during import:

• Contacts are created in Ontraport (if they don’t exist)
• Tags are applied in Ontraport
• Custom fields are populated
• CRITICAL: Contact ID from Ontraport is stored in WordPress user meta
• This Contact ID linking is what allows AccessAlly to control access based on Ontraport tags

Step 9: Verify Contact ID Linking (CRITICAL STEP)

The #1 issue with Managed → CRM migrations is Contact ID mismatches. Test this immediately:

1. Pick a random user from WordPress → Users
2. Click to view their profile
3. Scroll to “User Meta” or use a plugin to view meta fields
4. Look for a field like ontraport_contact_id or contact_id
5. Note the Contact ID value (e.g., “12345”)
6. Go to Ontraport → Contacts
7. Search for that Contact ID
8. Verify it’s the correct person (email matches)
9. Check they have the correct tags in Ontraport

Step 10: Update AccessAlly Tags and Access Rules

AccessAlly’s tag names should already match (you used the same tag names in Ontraport). But verify:

1. Go to AccessAlly → Modules
2. For each module, check “Who Can Access” settings
3. Verify tag names match Ontraport tags exactly (case-sensitive)
4. Update membership levels to link to correct Ontraport tags
5. Check protected pages for tag-based access rules
6. Update order form tag assignments
7. Update email wizard tag triggers

Critical areas to check:

• Module access rules
• Page protection settings
• Order form tag assignments
• Email wizard tag triggers
• Automation trigger rules
• Membership level definitions

Step 11: Link Payment Gateway Subscriptions

If you have paid members with active subscriptions, ensure their Stripe/PayPal subscriptions are properly linked.

1. Export active subscriptions from Stripe or PayPal
2. Match subscription IDs to member email addresses
3. In AccessAlly, verify each member’s subscription ID is stored correctly
4. Test that failed payments will cancel access

Detailed guide: Preserving Subscriptions During Migration

Step 12: Rebuild Email Automations in Ontraport

AccessAlly Email Wizards can stay in AccessAlly OR be rebuilt as Ontraport campaigns. You have two options:

Option A: Keep Email Wizards in AccessAlly (Easier)

• Email Wizards continue to work (AccessAlly sends emails via Ontraport)
• No rebuild required
• Less powerful than Ontraport campaigns but sufficient for simple sequences

Option B: Rebuild as Ontraport Campaigns (More Powerful)

• Use Ontraport’s campaign builder for multi-step sequences
• Advanced conditional logic and split testing
• Better analytics and reporting
• Steeper learning curve but more flexibility

Common automations to consider rebuilding:

Step 13: Update Forms

AccessAlly forms should automatically work with Ontraport. But verify:

1. Go to AccessAlly → Opt-in Forms
2. Edit each form
3. Verify form submits to Ontraport (not WordPress)
4. Check tag assignments are correct
5. Test form submission
6. Verify contact created/updated in Ontraport

Phase 3: Go-Live and Verification (2-3 hours)

Step 14: Test Everything on Staging

Before touching your live site, thoroughly test on staging:

• ✅ Member login works (test with real member credentials)
• ✅ Content access rules work correctly (each membership level)
• ✅ Tags control access properly (test tag-based access)
• ✅ Forms submit to Ontraport and create contacts
• ✅ Purchase flow works end-to-end (use Stripe test mode)
• ✅ Subscription linking works
• ✅ Failed payment handling tested (critical security test)
• ✅ Email sending works (deliverability check)
• ✅ Contact IDs properly linked (verify 5-10 random members)

Step 15: Switch Live Site to Ontraport

When staging tests pass, switch your live site:

1. Schedule downtime (2-4 hour window recommended)
2. Communicate with members (email advance notice of brief maintenance)
3. Put site in maintenance mode
4. Create fresh WordPress backup
5. Export final WordPress users (catch any new members since staging)
6. Switch AccessAlly to Ontraport:
   • AccessAlly → Settings → General
   • Change CRM to “Ontraport”
   • Enter API credentials
   • Test connection
7. Import any new members from final export (use Migration Wizard)
8. Verify access rules and tags
9. Test login for 3-5 members (different membership levels)
10. Take site out of maintenance mode
11. Monitor closely for 1-2 hours

Step 16: Complete Post-Migration Checks

Work through the complete Post-Migration Verification Checklist. Key items for Managed → Ontraport:

✅ Contact Data Integrity

• Verify total contact count matches WordPress user count
• Check 10 random contacts in Ontraport for complete data
• Verify Contact IDs properly stored in WordPress
• Check for duplicate contacts (email search in Ontraport)

✅ Access & Permissions

• Test login as multiple member types (Gold, Silver, Free, etc.)
• Verify access to protected content for each membership level
• Check tag-based access rules work
• Test content unlocking based on tags

✅ Tags & Custom Fields

• Verify tags migrated correctly (sample 10 contacts in Ontraport)
• Check custom fields populated correctly
• Test tag-based access rules
• Verify tag assignment via forms

✅ Email Deliverability

• Send test emails to Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo
• Check inbox placement (not spam) – should be MUCH better than WordPress SMTP
• Verify unsubscribe links work
• Test email wizard sequences (if still using AccessAlly Email Wizards)
• Or test Ontraport campaigns (if you rebuilt sequences)

✅ Forms & Automations

• Test each opt-in form submission
• Verify form data reaches Ontraport
• Test order form purchases (use Stripe test mode)
• Confirm post-purchase automations fire
• Test auto-login after purchase (if enabled)

✅ Subscriptions & Payments

• Verify active subscriptions linked correctly
• Test new purchase flow end-to-end
• Test subscription cancellation
• 🚨 CRITICAL: Test failed payment handling
• Verify member access aligns with payment status

Step 17: Monitor for 7 Days

Don’t deactivate anything immediately. Monitor for issues during the first week:

• Day 1-2: Watch for immediate issues (login problems, access errors)
• Day 3-5: Monitor email deliverability and engagement rates (should improve!)
• Day 6-7: Check for subscription/payment issues

What to monitor:

• Member support tickets (migration-related confusion?)
• Email bounce rates (deliverability – should be lower than before)
• Email open rates (should improve with better inbox placement)
• Login errors or access issues
• Payment failures or subscription problems
• Form submission success rates

Step 18: Clean Up

Once migration is stable (7+ days):

1. Deactivate Migration Wizard plugin (WordPress → Plugins → Deactivate/Delete)
2. Remove staging site’s 2-site exception (contact AccessAlly support)
3. Celebrate improved email deliverability! Monitor your inbox placement – you should see significant improvement
4. Cancel SMTP service (if you were using Postmark, SendGrid, etc.) – Ontraport handles email now
5. Update member documentation with any CRM-related changes
6. Plan Ontraport training for your team (budget 10-20 hours to learn the platform)

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: Contact IDs Not Linking (MOST COMMON)

Symptoms: Members have correct tags in Ontraport but can’t access content

Causes:

• Contact ID not stored in WordPress user meta during import
• Contact ID stored under wrong meta key
• WordPress user exists but Ontraport contact doesn’t
• Import didn’t complete successfully

Solution:

1. Go to WordPress → Users
2. Find the affected member
3. View their profile and user meta
4. Look for ontraport_contact_id or contact_id field
5. If missing, re-import the user via Migration Wizard with “Update existing users” checked
6. Verify the Contact ID now appears in user meta
7. Search Ontraport for that Contact ID to verify it’s the right person
8. Test access

Issue 2: Emails Going to Spam (Unlikely But Possible)

Symptoms: Members report not receiving emails, or emails land in spam folder

Causes:

• SPF/DKIM not configured correctly in Ontraport
• Sender domain not verified
• Sending from wrong email address (e.g., @gmail.com instead of your domain)

Solution:

1. Go to Ontraport → Administration → Settings → Email
2. Verify sender domain is authenticated (green checkmark)
3. Check SPF and DKIM records in your DNS
4. Test email deliverability with Mail Tester (mail-tester.com) – should score 9-10/10
5. Ensure “From” email matches your verified domain

Issue 3: Members Can’t Log In

Symptoms: Members getting “Invalid username or password” errors

Causes:

• Passwords unchanged (this shouldn’t happen with Managed → Ontraport)
• WordPress user account issue (unrelated to CRM switch)
• Caching issue showing old login page

Solution:

1. Clear WordPress cache and browser cache
2. Test login yourself with a member account
3. If login works for you but not members, ask them to clear browser cache
4. If still failing, send password reset email
5. Check WordPress user account exists (WordPress → Users)

Issue 4: Subscription Payments Not Linked

Symptoms: Active subscribers showing as “no subscription” in AccessAlly

Causes:

• Subscription IDs not transferred during migration
• Email address mismatch between Stripe and WordPress
• Subscription metadata not stored correctly

Solution:

1. Export active subscriptions from Stripe
2. Match subscription IDs to WordPress user emails
3. Manually link subscriptions in AccessAlly user profiles
4. Test failed payment handling for each subscription

Detailed guide: Migrating Subscription Payments

Issue 5: Custom Fields Data Missing

Symptoms: Custom field data didn’t migrate to Ontraport

Causes:

• Custom fields not created in Ontraport before import
• CSV column names don’t match Ontraport field IDs (f1234)
• Field type mismatch (text in WordPress, number in Ontraport)

Solution:

1. Verify custom fields exist in Ontraport → Contacts → Contact Information
2. Note exact field IDs (e.g., “f1234”)
3. Update your CSV with correct Ontraport field ID column names
4. Re-import with “Update existing users” checked
5. Check a few contacts in Ontraport to verify data populated

Issue 6: Forms Not Submitting to Ontraport

Symptoms: Form submissions not creating/updating contacts in Ontraport

Causes:

• AccessAlly not properly connected to Ontraport
• Form still configured for Managed Contacts (WordPress)
• Ontraport API rate limit reached
• Form fields don’t match Ontraport field names/IDs

Solution:

1. Verify AccessAlly → Ontraport connection still active (Settings → General)
2. Edit form settings in AccessAlly → Opt-in Forms
3. Ensure form is set to submit to Ontraport (not WordPress)
4. Check field mappings match Ontraport field IDs
5. Test form submission and verify contact created/updated in Ontraport

Email Deliverability: Before vs After Comparison

One of the biggest benefits of this migration is email deliverability improvement. Here’s what to expect:

Cost Analysis: AccessAlly Managed vs Ontraport

Understanding the full cost impact of this migration:

Migration Timeline

Total Time Estimate: 6-8 hours (plus 2-3 hours testing)

Recommended Downtime Window: 2-4 hours on a weekend or low-traffic period for the live site switch

Need Help?

Consider Professional Migration Assistance If:

• You have 1,000+ active members (high-stakes migration)
• You have complex tag-based access rules across many modules
• You can’t afford downtime or access issues
• You’re uncomfortable with Contact ID linking troubleshooting
• You want guaranteed successful migration with minimal member disruption

Migration Support:

• Review the Migration Support Policy
• For migration assistance: Contact AccessAlly support

Related Guides:

• Pre-Migration Checklist
• Post-Migration Verification
• Data Mapping Reference
• How to Switch CRMs and Keep Same Site
• Preserving Subscriptions During Migration
• Switching to/from AccessAlly Managed Contacts