# Running a pilot space

A pilot is not a smaller migration. It is a rehearsal with a review at the end, and the review is the part that matters.

Pick a space with real content, migrate it, look at the result properly, and roll it back if you do not like it. Then plan the rest with evidence.

![image-20260911-080651.png](https://help.gocapable.com/images/1f84e080-c4fe-4726-b546-5732e8b0394c.webp)

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## The loop

![Pilot loop](https://help.gocapable.com/images/att1424785548.svg)

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## Choosing the space

* Real content, not a test space. A sandbox tells you the tool works; it does not tell you what your estate does.
* Something with diagrams in it if you have any. Diagrams are where the surprises live.
* A space with an owner who will look at the result and tell you if it is wrong.

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## What to check afterwards

| **Check**                       | **Why**                                                              |
| ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Open ten pages and read them    | Rendering problems are obvious to a human and invisible in a log     |
| Look at a page's history        | Confirm the previous version is there with the original macro        |
| Check a diagram opens and edits | A diagram that renders but will not open is a different problem      |
| Check the failure groups        | Every group with a hint is a decision you will have to make at scale |

ℹ️

**Keep source macros is worth switching on for a pilot** and switching off for everything else. It puts the old and new macros side by side so you can compare them, at the cost of leaving duplicates behind.

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## A few things that catch people out

* Roll back the pilot if you want a clean slate, using the log from that run. It restores content, not assets.
* Time the run and note the pages per minute. That figure is how you budget the real migration.
* Do the review with the space owner. They will spot things you will not.

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## Related

[Sequencing a large estateAfter the pilot.](https://help.gocapable.com/migration/sequencing-a-large-estate.html)

[Rolling back a migrationUndoing the pilot.](https://help.gocapable.com/migration/rolling-back-a-migration.html)

[Migration optionsThe Keep source macros switch.](https://help.gocapable.com/migration/migration-options.html)

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_A rehearsal with a review. The review is the point._