Semrush migration checklist: export first, then confirm cancellation
Keep the evidence you may need after paid access ends and test the replacement before a reporting deadline. This guide covers software migration, not a website URL migration.
Reviewed · By BetterThan.tools Editorial
What to export while the old plan still works
| Workload | Keep a dated copy of | Replacement test |
|---|---|---|
| Position Tracking | Keywords, target URLs, tags, locations, device settings, dates and ranking reports. | Track the same list and deliver one real report. |
| Site Audit | Issue exports, crawl settings, excluded URLs and the latest report. | Check a representative site using equivalent scope. |
| Keyword planning | Saved lists, mapped URLs, campaign notes and selected competitor research. | Recreate one brief without depending on the cancelled account. |
| Client reporting | Delivered PDFs, report templates, schedules, recipients and the data connections used. | Generate a report that the actual recipient accepts. |
| Billing and extras | Current invoice, renewal date, toolkit names, add-ons and cancellation confirmation. | Confirm exactly which recurring charges will end. |
Export is not historical-data migration
Semrush documents Position Tracking exports including spreadsheets, CSV and PDF; export limits depend on the plan. Save both machine-readable data and the report your client saw. A new tool importing tracked keywords does not prove that it can restore Semrush’s historical observations.
Preserve archives with the date, property, device and location in the filename. Open at least one exported file and check its date range and row count before relying on it. Official Position Tracking export guide.
Cancellation: the confirmation email matters
According to Semrush’s current cancellation instructions, submit the Cancellation Form while logged into the account that owns the subscription. Click the confirmation email link within 24 hours; otherwise the request is not processed and billing continues. Wait for the final confirmation and check that recurring billing is inactive.
Select the toolkit you intend to cancel. Ending a paid subscription is not the same as deleting the account or automatically receiving a refund. Semrush documents a 30-day retention window for Website Monitoring data, followed by deletion according to free-plan limits. Export first rather than treating that window as your backup.
Your migration readiness checklist
These checks are kept only in the current browser page. Print them if you need a saved handover record.
Pick the replacement by the deliverable
A small business may need first-party search reports and periodic audits; an agency may need daily tracking and branded reporting. Compare Semrush with SE Ranking for recurring delivery or Ahrefs with SE Ranking for research and tracking trade-offs.
Calculate the full switch with migration and overlap included. Stop the migration if the new setup cannot produce the report, export or approval workflow you owe.
Continue your decision
- Choose a Semrush replacementKeep the weekly jobs you rely on.
- Compare recurring SEO deliveryCheck capacity and reporting extras.
- Calculate switching savingsInclude seats, migration time and overlapping subscriptions.
Questions before you choose
Does cancelling Semrush immediately delete my account?
Semrush documents continued free-level access, but paid monitoring data has retention and free-plan limits. Export important data before cancelling and verify your account’s terms.
How do I know cancellation is complete?
Follow the current official flow: submit the form, confirm the email link within 24 hours, wait for the final confirmation and check that recurring billing is inactive.
Can I import my old keyword history into another tool?
That depends on the destination. Keyword-list import does not automatically recreate old ranking history. Preserve dated exports and verify any history-import capability.
How we compared these options
This is an independent buyer guide based on the linked vendor documentation and the practical decision tests described above. We have not run a controlled performance benchmark or tested every paid plan. Recommendations are conditional on your workload; no numeric product scores or customer ratings are invented. Read our methodology.
Check the exact plan you would buy
Confirm billing, limits and cancellation terms before paying.
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