Update and filter contacts using traffic source properties

Based on actions taken by the contact, HubSpot automatically updates the Original and Latest Traffic Source values. You can also edit these values manually. Once you know a contact’s Original or Latest Traffic Source, you can use source and source drill-down properties to segment your contacts in HubSpot tools, such as lists and workflows.

This article explains how to view and use the Original and Latest Traffic Source properties, which tell how contacts first and most recently connected with your business. If you want to understand how records were created, use the record source properties instead.

Understand HubSpot's automatic updates to traffic source values

When a visitor lands on your site, HubSpot tracks their activity and identifies them as a unique visitor by setting tracking cookies in their browser. These tracking cookies allow HubSpot to automatically update your contacts' source property values.

Original Traffic Source

HubSpot can track a visitor's activity on your site even before they are added as a contact to the CRM. Once the visitor is added as a contact, HubSpot will try to associate the new contact record with any previously tracked activity. If HubSpot is able to match a new contact with previously anonymous visitor activity, the Original Traffic Source property will update to reflect the source of the contact's earliest visit to your site.

The following scenario is an example of when a contact's Original Traffic Source value would change:

1. In March, a visitor lands on your site for the first time by clicking a Google search result. HubSpot sets tracking cookies in their browser.
2. They browse a few pages on your site, but do not submit a form. HubSpot tracks their site activity using cookies and can identify them as the same visitor if they revisit your site. However, the visitor is not yet a contact in your HubSpot CRM.
3. In September, the contact submits a form on your site.
4. The contact's tracking cookies are passed through the form submission and HubSpot associates the contact with their previous site activity.
5. The contact's Original Traffic Source is set to Organic search. This is because their first interaction with your site was via the Google search, which was earlier than the form submission.

Latest Traffic Source

Unlike Original Traffic Source, a contact's Latest Traffic Source may be updated many times as they continue to interact with your content. After the original Latest Traffic Source value is set, the value will update automatically only if a new session has been created for the contact. This includes the following scenarios: 

• The contact views or submits one of your forms, not including forms on meetings scheduling pages.
• The contact visits your website via one of the possible sources.

For example, if a contact visits your website from a link on your social media, their Latest Traffic Source will be updated automatically to Organic social. If a user then imports a file which includes the same contact, the contact's Latest Traffic Source will not update because an import doesn't create a new session.

Manually update a contact's Original or Latest Traffic Source value

You cannot edit the Original or Latest Traffic Source property options, but you can manually change a contact's source value to any of the existing traffic sources. If you edit a contact’s Original or Latest Traffic Source, the source drill-down properties will be cleared.

If you have Edit access for contacts, you can:

• Edit the traffic source property values from within an individual contact record.
• Edit the traffic source property values of multiple contacts in bulk.
• Edit the traffic source property values of contacts in a workflow using the Set a property value action (Professional and Enterprise only).

Segment contacts using traffic source properties

You can use Original and Latest Traffic Source property values and the drill-down values to segment contacts in HubSpot tools such as saved views, lists, workflows, and custom reports.

To find a contact's value for the traffic source properties:

• In your HubSpot account, navigate to Contacts > Contacts.
• Click the name of a contact.
• At the top of the About this contact section, click Actions, then select View all properties. 
• In the search bar, enter Original Traffic Source or Latest Traffic Source to find the properties.