Like any good HubSpot user, you’re updating your records and keeping tabs on the information your teams need to move a deal along. Yet when you check up on a record, the data you’ve stored is nowhere to be found.
You're left wondering "Why does 'Lead status' show up on contact records but not company records?" or "How come the contact property for 'Company name' is blank if I already filled out this information on the company record?"
Sound familiar? These are common and totally valid questions among HubSpot users. So what’s the solution?
First, there are some things you need to know about HubSpot.
- HubSpot stores information on different objects, all of which may intersect. These are:
- Associated objects do NOT automatically sync. That means an update to a company record will not be reflected in the contact records of its stakeholders.
To see certain information reflected on multiple or all associated objects, you’ll need to copy property values from one object to another.
HubSpot’s workflows tool allows you to automatically copy property values in bulk. By creating a rule that ensures the properties from your source object (like a company) will be displayed and filled out accordingly on an associated object (like the contacts associated with that company), you can let automation take over and maintain consistent data all around.
That might sound like gibberish now, but you'll be a workflow pro by the end of this post. Let’s break it down.
HubSpot Properties: The Basics
HubSpot stores information for different types of records using
default properties (created by HubSpot) and
custom properties (created by you). Although different types of objects can be associated with one another, their properties
do not automatically sync -
more when not to copy properties here. This is where your handy dandy workflow comes in to map data from one record onto another.
But before we get too technical, here are a few terms to get familiar with:
Source property:
The property that you would like to copy a value from
Target property type:
The
type
of property you would like to copy the source property value to (ie. Company, Contact, Deal, Ticket)
Target property: The property that you would like to copy the source property value to
Why (and when to) copy property values
Scenario 1: Lead Status
Let's say your sales reps are updating a contact's Lead Status throughout the sales process. When another contact from the same company comes into HubSpot, your reps will want to see your progress reflected on the company object. The solution? A workflow that copies the contact property value for Lead Status onto the company object.
This is a pretty straightforward fix since Lead Status is a HubSpot default property that exists as the same field type for both contacts and companies.
Scenario 2: Pain Point
More often, however, you'll be using this type of workflow for custom properties, which do not necessarily exist across every object type.
This might be the case with forms that include specific fields such as "What is your biggest pain point?". Since only individuals, rather than entire companies, fill out web forms, this information would be stored on a contact record. But a B2B company would benefit from having this information in the associated company record. Doing so would involve the same workflow as the first scenario, but this time there's a small catch.
With a custom property like "What is your biggest pain point?", the source property must have a corresponding target property with a
compatible field type
on the target object. So if your "biggest pain point" contact property has a drop-down field type, you'll add a "biggest pain point" property with a drop-down field type
with identical options
to the company level.
Warning:
The source and target properties
must be identical
. Even once the property has been copied over with a workflow, any changes made to the source property will need to be repeated on the target property. In this example, if a new option was added to the "biggest pain point" drop-down menu on the contact level, you'll need to add that new option to the company property. Otherwise, the properties will not copy over successfully.
When not to copy properties
Wouldn't it be so much more convenient if associated records could sync
sans workflow? Well, not necessarily (although it would've saved me from writing a blog post 🤷)
There are several circumstances in which you would
not want contact and company property values to copy over. It's important to be mindful of the target property type when building this workflow, as some contact information may be irrelevant or confusing on a company record and vice versa.
Here are a few examples:
- Lead status: If you're building relationships with multiple stakeholders from the same company, having the contact's lead status copy onto the company level would undermine the varying stages of each relationship and could jeopardize your connections altogether.
- Phone number: A contact's phone number is probably different than the company's head office number.
Do you really need to copy property values?
Great question! Short answer? Not always.
Long answer: You have options. The copy property values workflow may seem like the best solution to view relevant information across all associated objects, but depending on the case, it may be more work than necessary. We recommend building this workflow if you expect to create lists or generate reports based on the property you're dealing with.
If you only need to view the property values, you can still get the information you need to see using the "Preview" function that appears on the righthand sidebar of any contact record.
How to copy property values with a workflow
Let's get down to business, shall we?
Before you get started:
Ensure that the source property has a corresponding property with a compatible field type on the object type you're targeting. If it does not, create one.
To create a custom property (if you need to):
- In your HubSpot account, click the settings icon ⚙️ in the main navigation bar
- Navigate to CRM > Properties on the menu bar to the left
- Click the Create a Property button in the upper right
- Customize your property by selecting Object type and Group, then add a label and description
- Click Next
- Click the Field type dropdown menu to select a field type that is compatible with your source property, customize accordingly (ie. drop-down options should be the same)
- Click Create
Create a workflow to copy the properties from source to target:
- Go to Workflows in the main navigation and click the Create a Workflow button.
- Start from scratch and choose the record type that you wish to enrol as the workflow type, then click Next.
- Set the enrolment triggers. Filter by type, navigate to the property you wish to copy, then select is known. Apply filter and Save.
- To choose an action, click the + icon and under Property Management, select Copy property value. From these drop-down menus, select the Source property, the Target property type, and the target property.
Not sure what these terms mean? Go back to the basics
- Review your workflow. Decide if you wish to enrol existing contacts in the workflow - we recommend you do, but this may vary.
- Turn on your workflow.
The Company name property on contact records does not automatically populate with the name of the associated company. This completed workflow is used to copy the name from the company object to the Company name property on its associated contacts.
With almost endless automation possibilities, workflows take the "ugh" out of managing your CRM data. Setting up a workflow to copy key information across associated objects will help you to keep clean, consistent records that make cross-team collaboration a cinch.
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