How to switch creator discovery platforms without losing campaign data

What to take away

Treat the switch between creator discovery platforms as a data migration, not a login change.
Check the exit clause and export format before you cancel anything.
Export only the fields you can justify, then delete the rest under your retention schedule.
Test the new platform with a small, documented sample before moving live campaigns.
Keep a written record of every transfer, deletion and decision.

Read the exit terms before you promise a switch

Most creator discovery contracts say little about leaving. The tools UK brands move between — CreatorIQ, Traackr, Upfluence, Aspire, Grin, HypeAuditor, Modash, Heepsy, TikTok Creator Marketplace and Instagram's creator tools — each set out termination, data return and deletion in their own way. Look for three clauses in particular: notice and termination, data return on exit, and deletion after termination. The old platform may own the campaign history, or it may let you download a CSV. If the contract is silent, ask for written confirmation of what you will receive and when.

When to give notice

Is the export in hand?

Yes

Give notice

Keep subscription active

Your business is usually the data controller for creator records. The platform is often a processor. That split matters because you decide why data is held and how long it stays. Article 5(1)(e) of the UK GDPR is the storage limitation principle, and Article 28 sets out the processor duties your contract must carry. The ICO's UK GDPR guidance hub explains controller and processor duties in plain terms.

Give notice only after you have the export in hand. A cancellation can cut off your access before the file arrives. Keep the old subscription active for an extra billing cycle if the contract allows it.

Map the data you actually need

List each field before you export it. Separate campaign performance data from personal data such as names, emails, phone numbers and payment details. A field you cannot justify holding should not travel to the new platform.

A field map for the move

Group the fields before you export anything:

Identity: creator handle, platform ID, profile URL, display name.
Contact: email address, phone number, agent or agency contact.
Audience: audience size, engagement figures, audience geography, audience age bands.
Campaign: campaign name, brief, deliverable type, live date, post URL, agreed fee.
Performance: reach, impressions, engagements, clicks and saved report links.
Admin: contract reference, invoice reference and the retention date you set.

Use our audit of your creator discovery platforms to sort fields by provenance, lawful basis and retention. That audit gives the new supplier a clear specification instead of a bulk file.

Creator handles, platform IDs and audience figures are not all personal data. Still, a handle can identify a person when combined with other records. Treat the combined set as personal data unless you can show it is anonymous.

Data classes and actions

Data class

Campaign metrics: CSV or API
Creator contact details: Encrypted file
Contracts and rates: PDF pack
Notes and tags: Manual review

Export action

Campaign metrics: Retain for reporting
Creator contact details: Delete after transfer
Contracts and rates: Retain for tax
Notes and tags: Delete if unneeded

Old platform action

Campaign metrics
Creator contact details
Contracts and rates
Notes and tags

Export in a documented sequence

Confirm the new platform's import format and field limits in writing.
Freeze campaign changes so the export matches a known date.
Pull a full export and a sample export from the old platform.
Check row counts, missing fields and duplicate creator records.
Move personal data through an encrypted transfer.
Record who approved the transfer and when.

Ask for the file as a spreadsheet or CSV with a header row, one creator per row and one table per campaign, and note the date the file was generated. Where the old platform offers an API or a scheduled report, confirm who switches it off after the move. If a campaign ran through a native marketplace rather than a third-party tool, as with TikTok Creator Marketplace or Instagram's creator tools, check whether its reporting sits in the ads account and download that as well, because access can end with the account link.

The Data Protection Act 2018 sets out how UK data protection law works alongside the UK GDPR. Keep a migration log that shows what left, what arrived and what was deleted.

What to ask for in writing

Keep the request short and specific. Ask for the full field list, the file format, the date the export was generated, anything the platform holds but will not export, and the deletion date with the name of whoever will confirm it. Keep the reply with your migration log.

Keep the export under access control. Store it in a folder with named owners, not in a shared drive open to the whole marketing team. Delete the working copy once the new platform passes its checks.

Test the receiving platform with a sample

Do not migrate every campaign at once. Load a small sample into the new platform first. Check whether campaign names, creator handles and performance figures line up with your own records.

The receiving platform must support your reporting needs. Use our comparison of UK creator discovery platforms to weigh import controls, audit logs and user permissions. A tool that cannot show field-level history will make future switches harder.

The UK GDPR requires you to keep personal data no longer than necessary. Agree a deletion date with the old platform and get confirmation when it runs. Do not rely on a support ticket that says the data is gone.

Your retention schedule should cover campaign metrics too. Records that support VAT or contract duties must be kept for the period HMRC sets; figures that matter only to the current campaign can go earlier. Split them so deletion does not destroy evidence you must keep.

Backups complicate deletion. Ask the old platform how long deleted records remain in backups and whether they are isolated. Record the answer, because a later subject access request under Article 15 of the UK GDPR may test it.

Common questions

How long should a switch take?

Most switches take several weeks. Contract notice periods and export quality drive the timetable more than the new platform's onboarding.

What if the old platform refuses an export?

Ask for the data in a structured, commonly used format. Article 28(3)(g) of the UK GDPR requires a processor to return or delete personal data at the controller's choice when the service ends, so the export should be a contract term as well as a request. If the refusal continues, take legal advice and document the request. You may still owe fees while access is blocked.

Do I need a data processing agreement?

Yes. Article 28 of the UK GDPR requires a written contract that sets out the processor's duties, security measures and deletion terms. The ICO guidance hub covers the clauses to expect.

Can I keep creator contact details after switching?

Only if you have a lawful basis and a retention need. Old outreach lists often fail that test. Delete contacts that no longer support a live campaign or legal duty.