5 Common Mistakes in Artlogic Migrations (and How to Avoid Them)
Migrating to Artlogic can transform how a gallery, artist, or estate manages its database and website. But after working with Artlogic since 2013, I’ve seen how small mistakes during migration can create big headaches later on. Here are the most common pitfalls — and how to avoid them.
1. Inconsistent Data Formatting
The problem: Artwork records often come in with inconsistent date formats, artwork titles, or dimensions. This confuses the system and leads to messy, unreliable data.
The fix: Standardise your data before importing. Create a style guide (e.g., always use YYYY for year, cm for measurements) and clean up records in bulk.
2. Overloading Without Planning
The problem: Trying to migrate everything at once — old, unused, or irrelevant data — makes the process slow and error-prone.
The fix: Audit your archive. Decide what really needs to move over. Often, less is more.
3. Ignoring Relationships Between Records
The problem: Artlogic works best when artworks, exhibitions, and contacts are linked. If relationships aren’t mapped correctly, you end up with isolated records.
The fix: Map out how your records connect before migration. Test sample imports to check links work as intended.
4. Skipping Fields
The problem: Key details (provenance, condition, exhibition history) are sometimes left out during migration. Once missing, these gaps are hard to track down later.
The fix: Use migration as an opportunity to strengthen your archive. Populate as many fields as possible — even if it takes extra time now, it saves work later.
5. Forgetting About the Website Sync
The problem: During migrations, small details often slip through the cracks. Artist names can end up duplicated or inconsistently formatted. Images may be uploaded at the wrong resolution, or secondary images might not display correctly. These issues can cause confusion and make the database — and website — look unprofessional.
The fix: Before finalizing a migration, audit your records carefully. Standardize artist names, confirm every artwork image meets the right resolution, and test that secondary images display properly. These checks ensure your database is clean, consistent, and ready to shine online.
Conclusion
Migration doesn’t have to be stressful. By planning ahead, cleaning your data, and paying attention to detail, you can set yourself up for years of smooth database management.
I’ve helped galleries, artists, and estates migrate thousands of records into Artlogic — from small studios to major international galleries. If you’d like support with your migration, get in touch.
