Tightening regulatory requirements and rising expectations around data protection are prompting a growing number of organizations to reassess where their business-critical data is actually stored. For companies using monday.com, this often means a well-founded move from US-based to European servers. Such a migration is a structured IT project requiring thorough upfront analysis, clear ownership, and a well-defined implementation plan to minimize operational disruption. This guide outlines the regulatory rationale, the preparation required, and the methods available for a controlled transition.
Data residency is not simply a matter of where servers are physically located — it is about which legal framework governs how data may be stored, processed, and disclosed.
When a European organization uses monday.com with US-based hosting, a dual-jurisdiction scenario arises: the organization remains bound by GDPR as the data controller, while US law may simultaneously apply to the vendor and its infrastructure. These frameworks are structured differently and can, in certain respects, create conflicting obligations. Laws such as the CLOUD Act, for example, grant US federal authorities the ability to compel American companies to produce data, regardless of where that data is physically stored.
This does not mean that US-based hosting is inherently incompatible with GDPR. Whether a data transfer or storage arrangement meets GDPR requirements depends on several factors: the transfer mechanism in place (such as Standard Contractual Clauses, SCCs), the technical and organizational safeguards applied, and the vendor's actual ability to access the data. It is a holistic assessment — not a matter of geography alone.
That said, there are three well-founded reasons for European organizations to consider a move to EU-based hosting:
Reduced compliance complexity: EU-based hosting reduces the need to establish and continuously document third-country transfer mechanisms such as SCCs. This simplifies compliance operations — though it does not remove the requirement for correct platform configuration, access controls, and data handling practices, all of which affect regulatory adherence regardless of server location.
Clearer basis for data protection communications: Hosting data within the EU means that primary data is processed under EU jurisdiction, which can simplify dialogue with customers, supervisory authorities, and internal compliance functions. It is worth noting, however, that the effective level of protection also depends on the vendor's implementation and the organization's own internal practices.
Reduced exposure to third-country transfer risk: The legal basis for international data transfers has shifted on multiple occasions — most notably through the Schrems I and Schrems II rulings. EU-based hosting reduces exposure to that type of regulatory disruption, though the broader regulatory landscape continues to evolve within the EU as well.
Moving to monday.com's EU region can reduce compliance complexity and provide a more predictable framework for data management. It is important, however, to maintain realistic expectations: server location is one of several factors that determine GDPR compliance, and the organization remains fully responsible as the data controller for how the platform is configured and used.
Note on plans and data residency: According to monday.com's documentation, strict EU residency — including data held by sub-processors — applies only to Enterprise plans. For Standard and Pro accounts, primary data is stored in the EU region, but certain sub-processor data may still be handled outside the EU. As monday.com's product terms and plan structures are updated on an ongoing basis, we recommend verifying current commitments directly via their Trust Center before making decisions.
Identifying Your Current Data Location
Accounts created before January 23, 2023 are in many cases still hosted on US-based servers. monday.com does not automatically migrate existing accounts to the EU region, making it necessary to actively verify where your data currently resides.
To check your current data location:
Click your profile picture in the upper right corner of monday.com.
Select Administration from the menu.
Your data location is displayed at the bottom of the profile page.
For full documentation on data residency, see monday.com's support article on data residency.
If your data is hosted in the US and your organization processes personal data belonging to EU residents, the question of data residency should be included in a broader compliance review without unnecessary delay.
Data Quality and Structure
It is important to understand that changing data regions in monday.com is not a matter of updating a setting within an existing account. The process requires creating a new account in the EU region and migrating all content to it in a controlled manner.
A thorough analysis of the existing environment is critical to a successful outcome. The following areas should be mapped before migration begins:
Integrations: Which external systems are currently connected to monday.com? Integrations with tools such as HubSpot, Jira, Teams, or ERP systems will need to be reconfigured and verified in the new EU environment.
Automations and dashboards: Standard exports do not include advanced automations or cross-board dashboards. These must be systematically documented and manually rebuilt in the target environment.
Data quality and structure: Migration presents a practical opportunity to review existing data — decommission inactive user accounts, archive outdated boards, and establish a consistent naming convention going forward.
The appropriate migration method depends on the account's complexity, data volume, and available technical resources. The three approaches below are not mutually exclusive — in practice, they often build on one another, progressing from simpler to more technical depending on what the environment requires.
1. Manual Export and Import
(Suitable for smaller accounts with limited complexity)
Boards are exported to Excel or CSV format and manually imported into the new account.
Limitations: This approach is resource-intensive and does not reliably handle relationships between boards (Connect boards), sub-items, or file attachments. Automations, documents, and links must be recreated manually.
2. App-Based Migration
(The recommended approach for most accounts)
We use a monday.com app that allows us to save your existing workspace as a board workspace, which is then installed into the new EU environment. This approach is more structured than manual export and requires no custom script development.
Key consideration: Not all configurations are carried over within the template — automations, file attachments, and certain column types may need to be handled separately following the migration.
3. API-Based Migration
(Applied when data volume or complexity exceeds what the app-based method can handle alone)
For accounts with large volumes of items, complex board relations, or extensive sub-item structures, API-based scripting may be introduced as a complementary step once the workspace structure has been established in the EU environment. Rather than a standalone migration method, it serves to handle the data layer with greater precision than is possible through the app alone.
Key consideration: This approach requires technical resources and should be scoped carefully upfront — not all data and configurations can be migrated programmatically, and a manual review following the process is always recommended.
Migrating monday.com data from the US to the EU region is a well-motivated initiative for organizations seeking to reduce compliance complexity and limit exposure to regulatory changes affecting third-country data transfers. It is important, however, to maintain realistic expectations: EU-based hosting is one of several factors that influence GDPR compliance and does not substitute for the organization's own responsibilities as the data controller.
The quality of the pre-migration analysis is critical to the success of the implementation. A structured mapping of integrations, automations, and data architecture — combined with the right migration approach for your environment, whether app-based, API-assisted, or a combination of both — creates the conditions for a controlled transition with minimal operational impact.
At Straviont, we have guided organizations of varying size and complexity through monday.com migrations. If you would like to discuss your situation and what a structured transition would look like for your organization, we would be happy to help.
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