Moving from Instantly to Bulko is a data-and-workflow migration, not a transfer of mailboxes or warm-up history. Bulko uses managed sending infrastructure and does not import Instantly workspaces, connected accounts, sequences, analytics, or Unibox replies automatically.
This checklist explains what can be exported, what must be rebuilt, and how to avoid sending the same message from two platforms. Instantly export instructions were checked against its official help center on July 23, 2026.
Before you cancel Instantly
Export data while the main Instantly subscription is active. Instantly states that dashboard export is unavailable after a plan expires unless the account subscribes again.
- Leads: use CRM → All Leads, a list, or a campaign; select rows and choose Download selected.
- Campaign analytics: download the analytics CSV and the activity log for event-level history.
- Email accounts: export the account list for your records. Credentials and warm-up reputation are not migrated into Bulko.
- Sequences: preserve subjects, bodies, variants, delays, and schedules. Instantly documents sequence export through its Campaign API.
- Blocklist: download it and retain it as a suppression source.
- Replies: preserve replies that matter to CRM or compliance workflows. Instantly documents API export for Unibox replies.
Official Instantly export documentation
What does and does not transfer
| Item | Migration approach |
|---|---|
| Lead email and variables | Export CSV, clean it, then import a new Bulko list |
| Sequences and copy | Rebuild manually; review every variable and link |
| Campaign statistics | Archive externally; historical Instantly events do not become Bulko events |
| Replies and CRM status | Archive or move to the system of record; no automatic sync |
| Blocklist and opt-outs | Keep and apply before import; never re-contact suppressed recipients |
| Connected mailboxes | Do not transfer to Bulko's managed SMTP pool |
| Warm-up history and reputation | Cannot be copied between infrastructures |
Step 1: Freeze changes and create an inventory
Choose a cutover time. Record active campaigns, pending follow-ups, sender accounts, daily schedules, lists, suppression data, reply ownership, and integrations. Pause editing during the export so that the archive and the live state do not diverge.
Do not treat open tracking as a perfect source of truth: privacy protections and image caching can distort opens. Sent, failed, bounced, replied, and opt-out events are more useful for reconciliation.
Step 2: Clean the export
Keep one row per recipient and retain only fields used for personalization. Normalize email case, remove whitespace, check variable names, and exclude prior opt-outs, complaints, invalid addresses, unresolved bounces, customers who should not receive the campaign, and contacts already completed in the old sequence.
Bulko validates address format and applies its own suppression checks, but this does not replace the suppression history held in Instantly or another CRM.
Step 3: Rebuild for Bulko's actual model
Bulko is not a clone of Instantly. It provides a managed pre-warmed SMTP pool, list checks, content variation, statistics, reply collection and classification, and REST API access. It does not provide a B2B lead database, ownership of sending mailboxes, Instantly workspace import, or automatic recreation of campaigns.
Create the recipient list through the dashboard or Bulko API. Rebuild the subject and body, map every variable, configure a valid reply-to address, and send test messages to controlled inboxes before using the full list.
Step 4: Run a controlled pilot
Use a small, representative segment rather than moving the entire active audience at once. Confirm rendering, variable substitution, links, opt-out handling, reply collection, bounce behavior, and statistics. A pilot detects workflow errors; it does not guarantee inbox placement.
If both services remain active during cutover, assign every recipient to exactly one platform. Use a cutover column or campaign-specific exclusion list so a pending Instantly follow-up and a Bulko campaign cannot contact the same person.
Step 5: Reconcile and retire the old workflow
Compare accepted recipients, suppression counts, sent and failed totals, replies, and bounces. Archive the final Instantly exports with the date and workspace name. Only then pause or cancel the old campaigns and revoke integrations that are no longer required.
Keep the exported suppression data for the required retention period. Deleting a workspace must not erase the operational record used to prevent future unwanted contact.
Migration checklist
- export before the Instantly subscription expires;
- archive leads, analytics, activity, sequences, replies, accounts, and blocklist;
- deduplicate and suppress before importing;
- rebuild copy and variables instead of assuming compatibility;
- do not attempt to transfer mailbox warm-up or reputation;
- test with a controlled segment and prevent dual sending;
- reconcile results before retiring the old workflow.
Should you migrate?
Choose Bulko when managed SMTP and usage-based email packs fit better than an ongoing mailbox workspace. Stay with Instantly when unlimited connected accounts, warm-up, its lead database, CRM, or broader workspace are essential. Read Instantly vs Bulko before changing systems, then review Bulko pricing.
