Create custom signals

Summary

Custom signals allow you to define buyer intent triggers in plain language and identify companies that match those criteria — from hiring updates and RFP postings to product announcements.

You can automatically start or stop tracking custom signals based on buyer intent saved views, Target Account status, lifecycle stages, segments, and workflow actions. Automated tracking helps you apply custom signals to companies that meet your criteria while controlling custom signal credit usage with an account-level monthly limit.

Before you get started

Understand requirements

Please note the following:

• To create or track custom signals, you need HubSpot Credits.
• To track companies, you need Data Enrichment permissions.
• To create, edit, or delete custom signals, you need Edit access within Buyer Intent permissions.

Understand limitations & considerations

Please note the following:

• The company you want to track doesn't require a domain. However, a domain can improve the accuracy and quality of the signals HubSpot detects.
• HubSpot backfills matches from the last 90 days for companies you select to track.
• Automated tracking for custom signals uses HubSpot Credits.
• To control monthly usage, set an Action-level Limit for custom signal tracking.

Understand custom signals

A custom signal is a buyer cue that you define in plain language. HubSpot agentically researches the public web, such as company websites, articles, transcripts, posts, and filings, for matches against the companies you're tracking. Each match is emitted as an event for the associated company.

Each detected signal includes:

• The signal name you defined.
• A summary of what was found, including why the signal was triggered.
• Source citations, including the URLs that triggered the signal.
• The signal date.

Tracking is configured per custom signal. When you create a custom signal, you select which companies it should monitor. This is independent of the companies you're tracking for standard intent signals. HubSpot will backfill matches from the last 90 days for the companies you select.

Create a custom signal

To create a custom signal:

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent directly.
2. Click the Signals tab, then click My signals.
3. Click Create custom signal.
4. Describe the signal in plain language. For example:
   • CISO hire: when a company hires a Chief Information Security Officer with a background in cybersecurity.
   • Agency growth: when an agency wins a large enterprise contract with a Fortune 1000 brand.
   • Data breach: when a company discloses a third-party data breach or supply chain vulnerability in the news.
   • Missed targets: when a company announces a missed earnings report that specifically cites sales execution or long sales cycles as the cause.
5. Review the prompt validation results. HubSpot indicates whether the prompt is likely to produce results.
6. Review the auto-preview, which shows sample matches against companies you already track. The auto-preview runs in the background and uses no credits.
7. Click Create signal.
8. Select the companies that the signal should monitor. Learn more about tracking companies for a custom signal.

Please note: HubSpot determines how often each signal refreshes based on the signal type. Signals refresh at least weekly. HubSpot also runs an initial scan when you track a new company for a custom signal.

Get portal-specific signal recommendations

If you're not sure what to track, HubSpot can recommend custom signals based on your ideal customer profile and company information.

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent directly.
2. Click the Signals tab.
3. Click My signals.
4. Under Recommended, review the suggested prompts.
5. Click View signal to review and edit a recommendation before creating it.

Track companies for a custom signal

Each custom signal has its own tracked-company list. After you create a custom signal, HubSpot prompts you to select which companies it should monitor. You can change the tracked-company list for any custom signal at any time.

Choose a source

In the tracking confirmation dialog box, select a source:

• All companies in CRM: select specific company records or every company record in your CRM for this signal.
• All tracked companies: select companies that are already monitored for standard intent signals or custom signals.
• Companies in segments: select one or more existing company segments. Then, select specific companies from those segments or the entire segment.

Tip: check the TRACKING STATUS column in the modal table to see if a company is currently monitored and hover over the status to view which specific signals are actively tracking it.

After you select the companies to track, the signal begins scanning and HubSpot backfills matches from the last 90 days for the selected companies.

Automatically track custom signals

You can automatically start or stop tracking custom signals when companies meet specific criteria. In addition to manually selecting companies, you can automatically track custom signals from buyer intent saved views, Buyer Intent settings, and workflows.

Automatically track companies from a buyer intent saved view

When a company enters a saved view in the Visitors or Research tab, you can automatically track it for all active custom signals.

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent directly.
2. On the Visitors or Research tab, create or select a saved view.
3. In the left sidebar menu, click a saved view from the dropdown menu, then select Add new companies.
4. If applicable, select the option to backfill companies that are already in the saved view.

Companies that enter the saved view will be tracked for active custom signals in addition to standard intent signals.

Automatically track companies from Buyer Intent settings

Use account-level rules to start or stop custom signal tracking based on company criteria.

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent directly.
2. Click the Signals tab.
3. Click Automated Tracking.
4. Configure the rules for starting or stopping custom signal tracking.

You can start tracking when a company:

• Is marked as a Target Account.
• Enters a selected lifecycle stage, such as Lead or SQL.
• Gains membership in one or more selected segments.

You can stop tracking when a company:

• Enters a selected lifecycle stage, such as Customer.
• Exits one or more selected segments.

Automatically track companies from workflows

Use workflow actions to start or stop tracking specific custom signals for enrolled companies.

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Automation > Workflows. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Automation > Workflows directly.
2. Create or edit a company-based workflow.
3. Add the Track custom signals or Stop tracking custom signals action.
4. Select the custom signal or signals to track or stop tracking.
5. Configure the remaining workflow settings, then turn on the workflow.

Set a credit limit for custom signal tracking

Set a monthly credit limit to help control credit usage from automated custom signal tracking.

1. In your HubSpot account, click your account name in the top right corner, then click Account & Billing. Then, under Usage & Limits, select HubSpot Credits.
2. In the Manage usage by feature section, click Intent.
3. Set the limit for custom signal tracking.

The limit acts as a monthly account-level cap, regardless of how many custom signal automations are active.

Track companies for a custom signal

Each custom signal has its own tracked-company list. After you create a custom signal, HubSpot prompts you to select which companies it should monitor. You can change the tracked-company list for any custom signal at any time.

Choose a source

In the tracking confirmation modal, select a source:

• All companies in CRM: pick some company records or every company record in your CRM for this signal.
• All tracked companies: pick companies that are already monitored for standard intent signals or custom signals. This assists in applying a new custom signal across all existing tracked accounts.
• Companies in segments: pick one or more existing company segments. Then, opt to track some companies from those segments, or the entire segment.

Tip: check the TRACKING STATUS column in the modal table to see if a company is currently monitored and hover over the status to view which specific signals are actively tracking it.

Once you select your companies to track, the signal begins scanning and HubSpot backfills matches from the last 90 days for the selected companies.

Track companies for a custom signal from other places in HubSpot

You can also start or stop tracking companies for a custom signal from the same locations you already track from for intent signal tracking:

1. From buyer intent, select companies on the Research or Visitors tab and click Track intent signals.
2. From the Intelligence tab or buyer intent CRM card of a company record, click Track signals on this company.
3. From a company segment or index, use the More dropdown menu and select Activate intent signals or use the row.
4. From a company import, select the Track for intent signals option in the post-import summary.

In any of these flows, the tracking confirmation modal includes a Signals dropdown menu that lists every signal type available for the selected companies. This includes standard signal categories alongside each of your active custom signals. Select which signals (including any custom signals) the companies should be tracked for, then confirm.

You can also start or stop tracking companies from the same locations where you track companies for intent signals:

• From Buyer Intent, select companies on the Research or Visitors tab, then click Set up autotrack.
• From the Intelligence tab or the Buyer Intent CRM card on a company record, click Track signals on this company.
• From a company segment or index, use the More dropdown menu and select Activate intent signals, or use the row.
• From a company import, select the Track for intent signals option in the post-import summary.

In these flows, the tracking confirmation dialog box includes a Signals dropdown menu that lists every signal type available for the selected companies. This includes standard signal categories and active custom signals.

View companies with custom signals

You can view custom signals from the Signals tab within Buyer Intent:

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent directly.
2. To view detected custom signals across tracked companies, on the Signals tab, select one or more custom signals using the Signal type filter.
3. To track more companies with the same custom signal, find the signal in the table, click the three vertical dots icon, then click Track more companies in the pop-up box.
4. Select the companies to track.

To view details for a specific company, click the company name. The signal appears on the activity timeline of the company record alongside standard intent signals.

To view source citations, click to expand the signal event. Each cited URL is clickable.

Understand custom signal types and categories

All custom signals appear under the Custom signals category in Buyer Intent and downstream apps, including workflows, scoring, and segments.

When you use custom signals as workflow triggers or segment filters, they appear under the Custom signals category alongside standard intent signals.

Complete actions with custom signals

You can use custom signals anywhere standard intent signals are supported.

Use custom signals in segments

When creating a company segment, select a custom signal under the Event filter category to dynamically include companies that match the signal.

Use custom signals in workflows

You can trigger a workflow when a custom signal fires for a tracked company. You can also use workflows to start or stop tracking custom signals for enrolled companies.

Automatically set up a workflow

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent directly.
2. Click the Signals tab.
3. Click My signals.
4. Click the bell icon next to a signal.

This automatically opens a preconfigured workflow with internal email notifications populated with key signal metadata, including the company name, signal name, summary, and source URL.

Manually set up a workflow

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Automation > Workflows. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Automation > Workflows directly.
2. Click Create workflow, then select From scratch.
3. Choose Company-based.
4. Select the Custom Signals trigger group.
5. Set your desired custom signal or signals as a trigger.
6. Add actions, such as assigning an owner, sending a notification, enrolling a company in a sequence, or updating properties.

Use custom signals in lead scoring

You can add custom signal events to a score group so that detected signals raise or lower a company's score.

2. Open the score group that you want to edit.
3. Click + Add criteria, then select Event.
4. Select Custom signals, then choose the specific signal.
5. Assign a point value.
6. Click Save.

Manage custom signals

You can manage custom signals by editing, pausing, or deleting them.

Rename a custom signal

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent directly.
2. Click the Signals tab, then click My signals.
3. Find the signal, then click Edit.
4. Rename the signal.
5. Click Save.

Pause a custom signal

You can pause a custom signal for all tracked companies. HubSpot will stop scanning for that signal on those companies.

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent directly.
2. Click the Signals tab, then click My signals.
3. Find the signal, then click the three vertical dots icon.
4. In the pop-up box, click Pause signal.

To resume a paused signal, repeat the steps above, then click Resume signal. In the dialog box, click Resume tracking.

Please note: resuming a signal consumes HubSpot Credits.

Delete a custom signal

Deleting a custom signal stops future scans for that signal. Historical signal events that were previously recorded remain on company record activity timelines and in the table on the Signals tab. These events can still be referenced in segments, workflows, and lead scoring.

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent directly.
2. Click the Signals tab, then click My signals.
3. Click the edit icon, then click Delete.

Untrack companies for custom signals

You can review which companies are tracked for specific custom signals and stop tracking them from the Billing tab.

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Marketing > Buyer Intent directly.
2. Click the Signals tab, then click My signals.
3. Click the Billing tab.
4. Click the Tracked for dropdown menu to filter companies by specific standard or custom signals.

To stop tracking companies:

• Bulk untrack: select the checkboxes next to the companies, then click Untrack at the top of the table.
• Individual untrack: next to a company, click the Signals dropdown in the row, such as 3 signals >, then click Untrack next to the signal you want to remove.

In the Stop tracking intent signals? dialog box, confirm which signals to remove, then click Update tracking.

Filter records with custom signals

When creating filter criteria for workflow triggers or segments, the following event is available for each active custom signal:

• [Custom signal name] detected: the company matched the criteria defined in the signal prompt.

Each custom signal event includes the following filterable properties:

• Signal date: when the match was detected.
• Source URL: the citation or citations that triggered the signal.
• Source summary: the text snippet that triggered the signal.

Related articles

• Use intent signals
• Configure buyer intent
• How to Use Buyer Intent Data to Identify Companies Ready to Buy
• Understand HubSpot Credits and Billing
• Use Prospecting Agent