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Migrating from Keap to Kit

ARTICLE CONTENT:

Complete Guide: Migrating from Keap to Kit (ConvertKit) – Same AccessAlly Site

🚨 HIGH-RISK MIGRATION WITH MAJOR FEATURE LOSS
⏱️ Estimated Time: 10-14 hours (plus extensive testing)
🛠️ Technical Level: Advanced
💰 Cost Impact: Significant savings ($79-159/month Keap → $9-79/month Kit)
⚠️ CRITICAL BLOCKERS: Keap tag category prepending + Major CRM feature loss + Custom field conversion required

Why This Migration Is High-Risk

Migrating from Keap to Kit involves TWO major challenges:

🚨 BLOCKER #1: KEAP TAG CATEGORY PREPENDING ISSUE

Keap organizes tags into categories. Kit does not have tag categories. When migrating:

Keap: Category “Membership” → Tag “Gold Member”
Becomes in Kit: Tag “Membership: Gold Member”

This means:

  • EVERY tag name changes during migration
  • ALL AccessAlly access rules break (looking for old tag names)
  • You must manually update every tag reference in AccessAlly
  • Members lose access if tag names don’t match exactly
🚨 BLOCKER #2: MASSIVE FEATURE DOWNGRADE

Keap is a full business CRM. Kit is a simple email tool for creators.

You will LOSE these Keap features:

  • ❌ CRM features (deals, pipelines, sales tracking)
  • ❌ Appointment scheduling
  • ❌ Advanced contact management
  • ❌ Complex campaign builder
  • ❌ Most custom fields (Kit has very limited support)
  • ❌ Business reporting and analytics
  • ❌ Phone and SMS features
  • ❌ E-commerce features

What Kit offers: Basic email sequences, simple tagging, landing pages, and newsletter tools. That’s it.

Support ticket evidence: Multiple customers reported tag category prepending as a “major blocker.” Keap migrations also commonly report the migration tool stalling mid-process.

Recommendation: Only proceed with this migration if:

  • You’re NOT using Keap’s CRM, appointment, or advanced features
  • You primarily use Keap for email newsletters and simple sequences
  • Cost savings justify the extensive manual work required
  • You can afford 10-14 hours of migration work
  • You have budget for professional help if needed

Why Migrate from Keap to Kit?

Despite the massive complexity, common reasons for migrating:

  • Significant Cost Savings: Kit is 80-90% cheaper than Keap
  • Keap Overkill: You’re not using Keap’s advanced CRM features
  • Simpler Interface: Kit is much easier to learn than Keap
  • Creator Focus: Kit designed for online course creators, coaches, bloggers
  • Better for Simple Needs: If you only send newsletters and basic sequences, Kit is sufficient
⚠️ Ask Yourself: Are you using Keap’s deals, pipelines, appointments, or complex campaigns? If YES, migrating to Kit means rebuilding your business processes or finding alternative tools. Budget time accordingly.

What You’ll Need Before Starting

✅ Required Access & Accounts

  • WordPress admin access to your AccessAlly site
  • Keap admin access (for data export)
  • Kit (ConvertKit) account (must be set up first)
  • AccessAlly license that supports CRM switching
  • Access to your payment gateway (Stripe or PayPal)
  • LOTS of time – This is a complex, tedious migration
  • Patience – You’ll be manually converting many custom fields to tags

📋 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 Keap contact data
  • CRITICAL: Complete audit of ALL tags with their categories
  • CRITICAL: Audit of ALL custom fields (most must convert to tags)
  • Map every Keap category+tag to new Kit tag name
  • Document every location where tags and custom fields are referenced in AccessAlly
  • Staging site setup (MANDATORY for this migration)
  • Request 2-site exception from AccessAlly support
  • Downtime plan (expect 6-8 hour window)
  • Plan alternative tools if you’re using Keap CRM features
🚨 MANDATORY: Create Complete Tag AND Custom Field Mapping Document
Before importing anything, you MUST create a spreadsheet mapping:

  • Every Keap tag to its new Kit name (with category prefix)
  • Every Keap custom field to either a Kit custom field OR a tag
  • Every place in AccessAlly where tags/fields are referenced

This document will be your lifeline during the migration.

Phase 1: Pre-Migration Setup (5-7 hours)

Step 1: Set Up Your Kit (ConvertKit) Account

  1. Sign up for Kit at convertkit.com (choose appropriate tier for your contact count)
  2. Complete basic account setup
  3. Configure email deliverability (SPF, DKIM)
  4. Test email sending
  5. Create a test sequence and form
  6. Familiarize yourself with Kit’s interface (MUCH simpler than Keap)
💡 Pro Tip: Don’t import ANY contacts into Kit yet. Do all setup and tag/field creation first, then import via AccessAlly Migration Wizard.

Step 2: Export Your Data from Keap

  1. Log into your Keap account
  2. Go to Contacts → Export Contacts
  3. Select “All Contacts”
  4. Include all fields, tags, and custom fields
  5. Download CSV export
  6. ALSO export tag list separately to see category structure
  7. ALSO export custom fields list with their types and values

To see tag categories in Keap:

  1. Go to CRM → Tags
  2. Note the category name for EVERY tag you use
  3. Document this in your tag mapping spreadsheet

To see custom fields in Keap:

  1. Go to CRM → Settings → Custom Fields
  2. Export the list of custom fields
  3. Note field names (with underscore prefix), types, and current usage

Step 3: Understand Kit’s Severe Custom Field Limitations

⚠️ CRITICAL LIMITATION: Kit Custom Fields Are VERY Limited

Unlike Keap’s robust typed custom fields (text, number, date, dropdown, etc.), Kit only supports simple text-based custom fields. Most of your Keap custom fields will need to convert to TAGS instead.

Examples of Keap fields that MUST become Kit tags:

  • Membership levels → Tags (e.g., “Gold Member”, “Silver Member”)
  • Purchase history → Tags (e.g., “Purchased Course A”)
  • Status fields → Tags (e.g., “Active”, “Paused”, “Cancelled”)
  • Boolean fields → Tags (e.g., “Email Verified”, “Onboarding Complete”)
  • Dropdown selections → Tags (e.g., “Industry: Real Estate”)

Only keep as Kit custom fields: Simple text data like “Company Name”, “Website URL”, “Referral Source” (free-text).

Step 4: Create Your Tag Mapping Document (MOST CRITICAL STEP)

This is the most important step of the entire migration. Create a spreadsheet with these columns:

Keap Category Keap Tag Kit Tag (Auto-Generated) Kit Tag (Your Choice) Used In AccessAlly?
Membership Gold Member Membership: Gold Member Gold Member YES – Module access
Membership Silver Member Membership: Silver Member Silver Member YES – Module access
Lead Status Hot Lead Lead Status: Hot Lead Hot Lead NO – Internal only

Column explanations:

  • Keap Category: The category folder in Keap
  • Keap Tag: The tag name as it appears in Keap
  • Kit Tag (Auto-Generated): What the tag will become after migration (Category: Tag)
  • Kit Tag (Your Choice): What you WANT the tag to be called in Kit
  • Used In AccessAlly?: Is this tag referenced in any AccessAlly access rules, modules, or automations?
💡 Pro Tip: For tags used in AccessAlly, decide if you want to:

  • Option A: Keep the prepended name (“Membership: Gold Member”) and update ALL AccessAlly references to match
  • Option B: Manually rename tags in Kit to remove prefixes, then update contacts + AccessAlly

Both options require extensive manual work. Option A is slightly easier.

Step 5: Create Your Custom Field → Tag Conversion Document

Since Kit has very limited custom field support, most Keap custom fields must convert to tags.

Keap Custom Field Field Type Kit Destination Conversion Strategy
_MembershipLevel Dropdown Tags Create tag for each value (Gold, Silver, Bronze)
_PurchaseHistory Text Tags Parse text, create tag for each product purchased
_AccountStatus Dropdown Tags Create tag for each status (Active, Paused, Cancelled)
_CompanyName Text Custom Field Keep as Kit custom field (free-text)
_EmailVerified Boolean Tag Create “Email Verified” tag (only apply if true)
⚠️ Data Loss Warning: Some Keap custom field data cannot be fully preserved in Kit. For example:

  • Date fields → No equivalent in Kit (could store as text, but loses date functionality)
  • Number fields → No equivalent (store as text or convert to tags like “Revenue: $1000+”)
  • Multi-select fields → Must flatten to multiple tags

Document what data you’re willing to lose or simplify.

Step 6: Audit ALL AccessAlly Tag and Custom Field References

Before migrating, document everywhere tags and custom fields are used in AccessAlly:

  1. Go through every AccessAlly module and note which tags control access
  2. Check every protected page for tag-based access rules
  3. Review all order forms for tag assignments
  4. Check email wizards for tag triggers and custom field usage
  5. Review automation triggers for tag-based and field-based rules
  6. Document membership level tag associations
  7. Check shortcodes that display custom field values

Add this information to your mapping spreadsheet so you know which changes will break access.

Step 7: Recreate Tags in Kit

You have two options:

Option A: Let Migration Keep Prepended Names (Easier)

  1. Let the migration import tags as “Category: Tag Name”
  2. After import, update ALL AccessAlly references to use new tag names
  3. This is tedious but straightforward

Option B: Clean Up Tag Names (More Work, Cleaner Result)

  1. Create tags in Kit with desired names (no category prefix)
  2. After migration, bulk-rename tags in Kit to remove prefixes
  3. Update contact tags to match new names
  4. Update AccessAlly to use new names
  5. More work but cleaner long-term
⚠️ Recommendation: For your first attempt, use Option A (keep prepended names). Once migration is stable, you can clean up tag names later.

Step 8: Create Limited Custom Fields in Kit

  1. For each Keap custom field that remains a custom field in Kit (not converting to tag)
  2. Go to Kit → Settings → Custom Fields
  3. Create each custom field (Kit only supports text fields)
  4. Use clear naming (Kit doesn’t use underscores like Keap)

Recommended Kit custom fields to create:

  • Company Name
  • Website URL
  • Referral Source
  • Notes

Everything else should become tags.

Step 9: Map Keap Data to Kit

Use the Data Mapping Reference Guide for complete field mappings.

Keap Field Kit Field Notes
Email email Required
First Name first_name Standard field
Last Name last_name (not a default field) Must create as custom field
Custom Fields (_FieldName) Custom fields OR tags Most must convert to tags
Tags (with categories) Tags (flat structure with prepended category) Category becomes prefix
Lead Score No equivalent Kit doesn’t have lead scoring
Deals/Pipeline No equivalent Kit is not a CRM
Appointments No equivalent Use separate scheduling tool

Step 10: Connect Kit to AccessAlly (Staging First)

🚨 STAGING SITE MANDATORY: Do NOT switch CRMs on your live site without extensive staging testing. Request 2-site exception from AccessAlly support.
  1. On your STAGING site, go to AccessAlly → Settings → General
  2. Change CRM from Keap to Kit (ConvertKit)
  3. Enter Kit API credentials (found in Kit → Settings → Advanced → API)
  4. Click Save and Test Connection
  5. Verify connection successful

Phase 2: Migration Execution (4-5 hours)

Step 11: Transform Your CSV for Kit Import

The Keap export needs significant transformation for Kit import:

  1. Open your Keap export in Excel or Google Sheets
  2. Rename columns:
    • Email → email
    • First Name → first_name
    • Last Name → last_name (or create custom field in Kit)
  3. For tags: Ensure they’re comma-separated in one column with category prefixes applied
  4. For custom fields converting to tags:
    • Parse each custom field value
    • Add corresponding tags to the tags column
    • Example: If _MembershipLevel = “Gold”, add “Gold Member” tag
  5. For custom fields staying as fields: Rename column to match Kit custom field name
  6. Remove any Keap-specific columns that have no Kit equivalent
  7. Save as new CSV: “keap-to-kit-import.csv”
💡 Pro Tip: Test with a small batch (10-20 contacts) first to verify your CSV format and field/tag mappings are correct before importing your entire list.

Step 12: Import Contacts via Migration Wizard

  1. On staging site, go to AccessAlly → Migration Wizard
  2. Upload your prepared CSV
  3. Map fields to Kit
  4. Enable “Create contacts in CRM”
  5. Enable “Apply tags”
  6. Start import

What happens:

  • Contacts created in Kit
  • Tags applied with category prefixes (e.g., “Membership: Gold Member”)
  • Custom fields populated (limited set)
  • Contact IDs linked in WordPress
⏱️ Migration Tool May Stall: Keap migrations have been reported to stall mid-process. Monitor closely and be prepared to restart import if needed.

Step 13: Fix Tag Names in Kit (Option B Only)

If you chose Option B (clean tag names), now bulk-rename tags:

  1. Go to Kit → Subscribers → Tags
  2. For each tag, remove the category prefix
  3. Update contacts to have new tag names
  4. Kit doesn’t have bulk tag replacement – this is VERY manual

This is tedious and high-risk. Test thoroughly on a small batch first.

Step 14: Update ALL AccessAlly Tag References

This is the most time-consuming step. Using your tag mapping document:

  1. Go to each AccessAlly module with tag-based access
  2. Update tag names to match new Kit tags (with or without prefixes)
  3. Update protected page access rules
  4. Update order form tag assignments
  5. Update email wizard tag triggers
  6. Update automation trigger rules
  7. Update membership level tag associations
  8. Update shortcodes that reference custom fields (now tags)
🚨 CRITICAL: If you miss even ONE tag reference, members will lose access to that content. Work methodically through your audit document.

Follow the same process as other CRM migrations:

  1. Export active subscriptions from Stripe/PayPal
  2. Match to member emails
  3. Verify subscription IDs stored correctly in AccessAlly
  4. Test failed payment handling

Detailed subscription migration guide

Step 16: Rebuild Automations in Kit

Keap campaigns must be rebuilt as Kit sequences (MUCH simpler):

Keap Kit Notes
Campaign Sequence (Visual) Kit sequences are simpler
Tag applied trigger Automation rule Update tag names!
Sequence Sequence with delays Day-based delays
Decision diamond Limited conditional logic Kit is simpler
Goal No direct equivalent Use tag-based logic
Complex campaigns May not be possible Kit is basic
⚠️ Remember: Update all tag references in automations to use new tag names (with prefixes if using Option A). Also, Kit’s automation capabilities are MUCH simpler than Keap – complex workflows may not be replicable.

Step 17: Update Forms

Replace Keap forms with Kit or AccessAlly forms:

  • Use Kit native forms (simple landing page forms), OR
  • Use AccessAlly forms that submit to Kit (recommended for membership sites)
  • Update all form tag assignments to use new tag names
  • Update form custom field mappings

Phase 3: Testing and Go-Live (5-7 hours)

Step 18: Extensive Staging Testing

Because of the tag prepending issue AND custom field conversion, testing is CRITICAL:

  • ✅ Test login for members with different membership levels
  • ✅ Verify EACH membership level can access correct content
  • ✅ Check EVERY module access rule works
  • ✅ Test EVERY protected page
  • ✅ Verify forms submit and apply correct tags
  • ✅ Test purchase flow end-to-end
  • ✅ Verify automation triggers fire correctly (sequences)
  • ✅ Test subscription linking and failed payment handling
  • ✅ Verify custom-field-based access rules now work with tags
💡 Pro Tip: Have multiple team members test different membership levels. Create a test plan spreadsheet and check off each test. Budget 4-6 hours for thorough testing.

Step 19: Switch Live Site to Kit

Only after staging tests pass completely:

  1. Schedule 6-8 hour downtime window (longer than typical migrations)
  2. Put site in maintenance mode
  3. Create fresh backup
  4. Export final Keap data (catch any new contacts since staging)
  5. Switch AccessAlly to Kit (same steps as staging)
  6. Import any new contacts
  7. Update ALL tag references (again, on live site)
  8. Test access for multiple membership levels
  9. Take site out of maintenance mode
  10. Monitor intensely for first 4-6 hours

Step 20: Complete Post-Migration Verification

Work through the Post-Migration Verification Checklist.

Pay special attention to:

  • Contact ID linking verification
  • Tag-based access rules (every single one)
  • Custom-field-to-tag conversions working
  • Member support tickets (watch for access complaints)
  • Subscription continuity

Step 21: Monitor for 14 Days (Not 7)

Due to the complexity and risk of this migration, monitor for TWO weeks instead of one:

  • Days 1-3: Immediate access issues and login problems
  • Days 4-7: Tag-related access issues as members try to access content
  • Days 8-14: Subscription/payment issues, automation issues, custom field conversion issues

Keep Keap active for 30 days as a safety net.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: Members Have Tags But Can’t Access Content (MOST COMMON)

Symptoms: Members have correct tags in Kit but getting “insufficient permissions” errors

Causes:

  • AccessAlly access rules reference old Keap tag names
  • Tag names in Kit have category prefixes, but AccessAlly rules don’t
  • Case sensitivity mismatch
  • Contact ID linking issue

Solution:

  1. Check the member’s tags in Kit (note exact spelling with prefixes)
  2. Go to the module or page they can’t access
  3. Check “Who Can Access” settings
  4. Update tag name to EXACTLY match Kit (including category prefix)
  5. Test access again

Issue 2: Access Rules That Used Custom Fields Now Broken

Symptoms: Content that was gated by Keap custom field values is now inaccessible

Causes:

  • Custom field converted to tag, but AccessAlly rule still references custom field
  • AccessAlly conditional logic using custom field no longer works

Solution:

  1. Identify which custom fields controlled access
  2. Update AccessAlly rules to check for tags instead of custom fields
  3. Example: “If _MembershipLevel = Gold” → “If has tag ‘Gold Member'”
  4. Test each updated rule

Issue 3: Migration Tool Stalled Mid-Import

Symptoms: Import progress stuck at X% for 30+ minutes

Causes:

  • Known issue with Keap migrations
  • Large contact lists overwhelm the system
  • API rate limits reached

Solution:

  1. Cancel the import
  2. Export a list of contacts that were already imported
  3. Remove imported contacts from your CSV
  4. Import remaining contacts in smaller batches (500-1000 at a time)

Issue 4: Custom Field Data Lost or Incomplete

Symptoms: Members missing data that was in Keap custom fields

Causes:

  • Custom field didn’t convert to tag properly
  • CSV transformation missed some custom field values
  • Kit custom field not created before import

Solution:

  1. Check your custom field → tag mapping document
  2. Verify CSV had correct tag assignments for custom field values
  3. Re-import affected contacts with “Update existing users” checked
  4. For critical data loss, manually update contacts in Kit

Issue 5: Hundreds of Tags Need Renaming

Symptoms: You have 100+ tags and manually updating AccessAlly references will take days

Solutions:

Option 1: Accept the category prefixes and update AccessAlly systematically

Option 2: Use database search/replace (DANGEROUS – backup first):

  1. Create SQL query to find/replace tag names in AccessAlly settings
  2. Test on staging first
  3. Work with a developer if not comfortable with database

Option 3: Contact AccessAlly support for migration assistance

Issue 6: Need to Rollback to Keap

If critical issues occur:

  1. Change AccessAlly CRM connection back to Keap
  2. Re-enter Keap API credentials
  3. Verify connection
  4. Test member access (should restore immediately with original tag names and custom fields)
  5. Contact AccessAlly support for migration help
🚨 When to Rollback:

  • More than 50% of members reporting access issues
  • Unable to resolve tag mapping issues within downtime window
  • Critical subscription/payment issues
  • Custom field → tag conversion causing widespread problems
  • Migration tool completely failing

Feature Parity: What You’re Losing

This table shows Keap features that Kit CANNOT replicate:

Keap Feature Kit Equivalent Workaround
CRM (Deals, Pipelines) ❌ None Use separate CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive)
Appointment Scheduling ❌ None Use Calendly, Acuity
Typed Custom Fields ⚠️ Text only Convert to tags
Complex Campaign Builder ⚠️ Simple Sequences Simplify workflows
Lead Scoring ❌ None Use tags as proxy
Phone Integration ❌ None Separate phone system
SMS Marketing ❌ None Use Twilio, SimpleTexting
E-commerce Features ⚠️ Basic only Kit Commerce (limited)
Business Reporting ❌ None Basic email stats only
⚠️ Before Proceeding: Review this table carefully. If you rely on any of these Keap features, you’ll need alternative tools or processes before migrating to Kit.

Migration Timeline

Total Time Estimate: 10-14 hours (due to tag remapping + custom field conversion complexity)

Phase Time Notes
Tag Mapping Document 2-3 hours Most critical step
Custom Field → Tag Conversion Planning 2-3 hours Unique to Kit migration
AccessAlly Tag & Field Audit 1-2 hours Document all references
Data Export & CSV Transformation 2-3 hours Complex field conversion
Staging Setup & Import 2-3 hours May stall, need retries
Update ALL Tag References 3-5 hours Most tedious step
Update Custom Field References 2-3 hours Convert to tag-based logic
Automation Rebuild 2-4 hours Kit sequences simpler than Keap
Extensive Testing 4-6 hours Test EVERY access rule
Live Site Switch 6-8 hours Longer downtime required

Should You Hire Professional Help?

Consider professional migration assistance if:

  • You have 50+ tags in Keap
  • You have 10+ custom fields that need conversion to tags
  • You have complex tag-based access rules across many modules
  • You have 1,000+ active members
  • You can’t afford 6-8 hours of downtime
  • You’re not comfortable with extensive manual remapping
  • Your business can’t tolerate access issues
  • You’re losing critical Keap CRM features and need integration planning

Professional help can:

  • Automate tag and custom field conversion via scripts
  • Reduce downtime to 2-3 hours
  • Minimize member-facing issues
  • Provide rollback plan
  • Handle troubleshooting in real-time
  • Recommend alternative tools for lost Keap features

Contact AccessAlly support to discuss migration assistance.

Need Help?

Related Guides:

🎯 Migration Success Checklist:

  • ✅ Complete tag mapping document created
  • ✅ Complete custom field → tag conversion plan
  • ✅ ALL AccessAlly tag references documented
  • ✅ ALL custom field references documented
  • ✅ Contacts imported to Kit
  • ✅ Contact IDs properly linked
  • ✅ ALL tag references updated in AccessAlly
  • ✅ ALL custom field references converted to tag-based logic
  • ✅ EVERY module access rule tested individually
  • ✅ EVERY protected page tested
  • ✅ Forms working with correct tag names
  • ✅ Sequences rebuilt with updated tag names
  • ✅ Subscriptions linked and tested
  • ✅ Alternative tools in place for lost Keap features
  • ✅ No member access complaints after 14 days
Updated on January 15, 2026
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