Plan your HubSpot - Salesforce implementation

Before connecting the Salesforce integration to HubSpot, plan how data should sync between the two platforms. Determine which records and fields should sync, which platform should control specific data, and how record ownership should be managed. Planning these decisions in advance helps you establish how data will be created, updated, and maintained across both platforms to avoid sync errors.

For example, you might decide to sync only marketing qualified leads from HubSpot to Salesforce, use Salesforce as the source of truth for sales-owned fields, and sync opportunity revenue to HubSpot for attribution reporting.

For a one-time data migration from Salesforce to HubSpot rather than an ongoing sync, learn more about using HubSpot Smart Transfer.

Please note: before connecting your production Salesforce organization to HubSpot, test your sync settings using a Salesforce sandbox, HubSpot developer test account, or HubSpot sandbox account. Learn how to connect your Salesforce sandbox to HubSpot.

1. Define your goals and scope

Start by defining the business outcomes you want to achieve by connecting HubSpot and Salesforce. These goals will help you determine which Salesforce and HubSpot objects and records need to sync.

Examples of focused goals include:

• Send qualified marketing leads from HubSpot to Salesforce.
• Make Salesforce sales data available in HubSpot.
• Give Salesforce users visibility into HubSpot activity and record timelines.
• Use Salesforce revenue data for HubSpot attribution and reporting.
• Reduce manual data entry for teams between HubSpot and Salesforce.

2. Review key integration concepts

Before planning the sync configuration, review how HubSpot and Salesforce objects correspond and how the integration controls which records and field values sync. Understanding these concepts will help you make the record, field, and source-of-truth decisions in the following sections.

Please note: Salesforce campaigns don't have a direct equivalent in HubSpot. Although HubSpot has a campaigns tool, it serves a different purpose and doesn't offer the same functionality as the Salesforce Campaign object.

3. Determine which records should sync

Before connecting the integration, decide which records should sync between HubSpot and Salesforce and whether records should be created and updated in either of the two platforms.

Consider the following questions:

• Should all HubSpot contacts sync with Salesforce?
• Should only qualified contacts sync with Salesforce?
• Should Salesforce leads, contacts, accounts, and opportunities sync with HubSpot?
• Should Salesforce opportunities sync with HubSpot deals for revenue reporting?
• Should the integration use an inclusion segment to keep Salesforce clean?

For example, if your Marketing team should only send qualified leads to Salesforce, use HubSpot lead scoring to identify marketing qualified leads in HubSpot, then use an inclusion segment to sync only those contacts to Salesforce.

4. Select which Salesforce user will connect the integration

The connected user or integration user is the Salesforce user that you use to connect the integration. The connected user's Salesforce permissions determine what HubSpot can do in Salesforce through the sync. When HubSpot creates, updates, or syncs records in Salesforce, those actions are performed according to the connected user's permissions.

For example, if the connected user doesn't have permission to view the lead object in Salesforce, leads won't sync to HubSpot. HubSpot also won't be able to create or update lead records in Salesforce through the sync.

Review the required permissions to connect the Salesforce integration.

If you change the connected user later, the new user must have Salesforce permissions equal to or greater than the previous user. Learn how to change your Salesforce connected user.

5. Determine how Salesforce data maps to HubSpot

Before creating properties or objects for Salesforce data, determine which existing HubSpot data structure best represents the information. Use standard HubSpot properties where possible, and create custom properties or objects only when the data requires a different structure.

Before creating a custom property, check whether a standard HubSpot property already exists. Reusing standard properties improves reporting, workflows, segmentation, and consistency across HubSpot.

If you’re considering creating a custom object in HubSpot for Salesforce data, consider first whether the data:

• Represents a distinct business entity.
• Has its own lifecycle or status.
• Needs multiple records per contact, company, or deal.
• Requires its own properties and associations.
• Must be reported on independently.

6. Define the source of truth and plan field mappings

Determine which platform should be the source of truth when HubSpot and Salesforce contain different values for the same information. You don't need to use one platform as the source of truth for all information. For example, Salesforce may be the source of truth for sales stages and revenue, while HubSpot may be the source of truth for marketing engagement and nurture status.

Defining this ownership before configuring field mappings helps determine how values should sync between HubSpot and Salesforce.

For each field mapping, document the following:

• The HubSpot property to sync with Salesforce.
• The corresponding Salesforce field that it should sync with.
• The sync rule that determines how field values should sync between HubSpot and Salesforce.

When selecting a sync rule, review the available options:

• Use Salesforce unless blank: Salesforce is the source of truth unless the Salesforce field is empty.
• Always use Salesforce: Salesforce always overwrites the HubSpot value.
• Two-way: the most recent update from either platform is used.
• Always use HubSpot: HubSpot always overwrites the Salesforce value.
• Use HubSpot unless blank: HubSpot is the source of truth unless the HubSpot property is empty.

7. Plan record ownership

Decide which platform should assign and update record owners. Where possible, use one platform as the primary source for ownership logic to reduce conflicting assignments between HubSpot and Salesforce.

To determine which platform should manage record ownership, review the following questions:

• Should Salesforce assign owners for leads, contacts, accounts, and opportunities?
• Should HubSpot assign owners for marketing-created contacts?
• Should owner changes sync with Salesforce?
• Should assignment logic run in HubSpot workflows, Salesforce automation, or both?
• What should happen when a record is reassigned in one platform?

Learn more about how owner sync works and contact owner assignment behavior.

8. Plan activity and engagement sync

The integration offers two types of activity sync. The Timeline sync is one-way from HubSpot to Salesforce and syncs HubSpot events as Salesforce tasks. The Activity sync is two-way and supports tasks, sales emails, calls, and meetings, with options for deduplication, selective sync, and associations.

Determine which sales and marketing activities users need to access in HubSpot and Salesforce. Then select the activity sync method that supports those activities and the required sync direction.

Review the following activity types:

• Marketing email activity
• Form submissions
• Sales emails
• Calls
• Meetings
• Notes
• Tasks

Next steps

After reviewing the steps for planning your HubSpot-Salesforce connection, connect the Salesforce integration to HubSpot.