Use subscriptions to store recurring revenue data

Last updated: March 13, 2025

Available with any of the following subscriptions, except where noted:

Customers can use subscriptions to store recurring revenue data. Import existing subscriptions, and create subscriptions that get stored as a standard object.

Once a subscription record is created, it can be used throughout HubSpot to associate to other records, create lists, update workflows, and streamline renewal management.

Import subscriptions

Learn how to import existing subscriptions as records below.

Before you import

Before you start an import:

You must have Import permissions, and Edit permissions for the object record you're importing into HubSpot.
Learn more about objects, records, properties, and how to manage your CRM database in HubSpot.
Set up your import files and confirm you have all the required fields. Properly setting up your files helps you avoid import errors or incorrect data being added to your CRM. You can refer to sample import files to help you get started.

The import process

To watch an overview on how to import into your HubSpot account, check out the video below:

Once you've set up your files, to import subscriptions into HubSpot:

In your HubSpot account, navigate to Commerce > Subscriptions.
Click Import in the top right of the Subscriptions index page.
On the Imports page, click Start an import.
Select Import file from computer, then click Next. You can also select Repeat a past import to complete an import with the same properties as a previous import.
Select Subscriptions, then click Next.

If you're importing two objects/activities, learn more about the import process for more than object.

Click choose a file, then select your import file. To generate an example file based on your selected objects, click Download example file.
Click the Choose how to import Subscriptions dropdown menu, and select how to import your data:

- Create and update Subscriptions: the import will create new records and activities, as well as identify and update existing records. To create new records or activities, your file must contain the required properties for that object/activity. To update existing records, your file must contain a unique identifier.
- Create new Subscriptions: the import will only create new records and activities. Existing records in the import file will be ignored. To create new records or activities, your file must contain the required properties for that object/activity.
- Update existing Subscriptions only: the import will only update existing records. New records or activities in the import file will be ignored. To update existing records, your file must contain a unique identifier.
If you're importing data in a language other than your default language, click the Select the language of the column headers in your file dropdown menu and select the language. Selecting the correct language enables HubSpot to better match your column headers to existing default properties. If there is no match in your selected language, HubSpot will search for an English property to match.
Click Next.
On the Map columns in your file to subscriptions properties screen, HubSpot will map the columns in your file to the selected object or activity's properties based on the header, the header language, and the property name. If you’ve imported two files, there'll be a mapping page for each object or activity.
The Mapping Guide displays the properties needed to create or update the objects or activities. If your file is missing subscription names, you should fix your import file and restart the import to avoid errors.
Learn more about the mapping process.

If you’re updating existing records, or want to avoid duplicates while associating cross-object records, learn about mapping the correct uniaue identifier.

If you're updating records, select the checkboxes in the Manage existing values column to prevent the import from overwriting records’ existing property values. When this is selected for a property, the import won't update the property for records that already have a value, but will update the property for new records or existing records with no current value for the property.
- To prevent the import from overwriting existing values for individual properties, select the Don’t overwrite checkbox in the row of the property.
- To prevent the import from overwriting existing values for all properties included in the import, select the checkbox at the top of the table.

If you’re importing and associating objects, to import association labels (Professional and Enterprise only):
- Click the dropdown menu in the Import as column, then select Association label. Importing a new association label will not overwrite an existing association label. The imported label will be added to the record as an additional association label. Learn how to manually remove an association label from a record.
- When importing two objects, the HubSpot property column will automatically populate the object relationship for the objects you're importing (e.g., Subscription and Contact). If you're importing more than two objects, select the two objects whose relationship the association labels describe.

Once all columns are mapped, or set to Don't import column, click Next. If you've imported two files, map the second object or activity's properties, then click Next.
Enter your import details:
- Enter an Import name.
- If your files include multiple unique value properties, click the Property to use to find existing [objects] dropdown menu and select the property you want to use to update or deduplicate records. This option won't appear if you've also included Record ID because it'll automatically supersede the other unique identifiers.
- If you're importing contacts, in addition to subscriptions, learn how to create a list from the import.

- If you're importing date or date and time properties, click the Date format dropdown menu and confirm how the date values in your spreadsheet are formatted. For date and time properties, click the Time zone dropdown menu to confirm the time zone the property should use when imported.
- If you're importing a file with a number property, click the Number format dropdown menu and confirm which country's number format to use for your data.
If any properties in the import are used in existing lists or workflows, to review the usage, click the number of lists or workflows. In the right panel, you can filter by specific properties or click the name of a list or import to review it.
Click Finish import.

Once imported, you can view new and updated records each object's home page. If your import contained errors, learn how to resolve import errors. You can also view, analyze, and complete actions with your previous imports, including creating a list, viewing, or deleting imported records.

Subscription properties

Add custom subscription properties

Store relevant data on the subscription object using custom properties. To add a custom property:

In your HubSpot account, click the settings settings icon in the top navigation bar.
In the left sidebar menu, navigate to Properties.
Click the Select an object dropdown and select Subscription properties.

In the upper right, click Create property.

Please note: the number of custom properties you can create depends on your HubSpot subscription. If you downgrade to HubSpot's free tools, you can view and edit existing custom properties but cannot create new properties if you already exceed the limit.

Enter the property information.
Enter any additional information, if you have selected a field that needs it.
Set rules for your property.
Click the Sensitive data tab (Enterprise only) to customize the property's sensitivity settings.
To review how your property will look and work, click the Preview tab.
Once you’re done, click Create in the top right.

Edit subscription properties

Follow these steps to edit a property.

Turning invoice creation on or off for a subscription

Turn on setting to allow user to choose to turn invoice creation on or off

By default, when creating a subscription that automatically sends recurring invoices to customers, invoices will automatically be sent on the billing date. In subscription settings, you can turn on an option to allow the user to choose between sending, or not sending invoices automatically.

To turn on the setting:

In your HubSpot account, click the settings settings icon in the top navigation bar.
In the left sidebar menu, navigate to Objects > Subscriptions.
Under Invoice creation, click to toggle the Display option to turn off invoices inside the create subscription tool switch on, then click Save.

Turn invoice creation on or off when creating a subscription

With the setting turned on, when creating a subscription you can choose whether to have invoices created automatically, or not:

In your HubSpot account, navigate to Commerce > Subscriptions.
In the upper right, click Create subscription.
Click Automatically send recurring invoices to customers.
Add your subscription details.
From the Invoice creation dropdown menu:
- Select Automatically create invoices on every billing date to send automated invoices for the subscription.
- Select Never create invoices or collect payments for this subscription to turn off invoices for the subscription.
This setting will be saved to the Invoice creation property of the subscription.

Editing and updating subscriptions

Once your subscription is set up, you can make edits, or update a subscription.

Editing a subscription with invoice creation turned on

To edit a subscription with invoice creation turned on, refer to these steps.

Editing a subscription with invoice creation turned off

To edit a subscription with invoice creation turned off:

In your HubSpot account, navigate to Commerce > Subscriptions.
Learn how to filter and set up saved views.
Click the name of the subscription you'd like to edit.
In the right panel, click a property to edit it, make your changes, then click Save.

Associating the subscription with other objects