Are you prepared to integrate HubSpot & Salesforce? Do this first!
HubSpot–Salesforce integration prep: data models, sync rules, governance.
Installing the HubSpot–Salesforce integration can feel as easy as clicking a few buttons.
But rolling it out without preparing your data, processes, and team first is asking for trouble.
Clean groundwork is what makes the integration stick.
1. Understand the HubSpot and Salesforce contact data model
The biggest difference to sort out before syncing is how each platform handles contacts.
In Salesforce, new prospInstalling the HubSpot–Salesforce integration can feel as easy as clicking a few buttons.
But rolling it out without preparing your data, processes, and team first is asking for trouble.
Clean groundwork is what makes the integration stick.
1. Understand the HubSpot and Salesforce contact data model
The biggest difference to sort out before syncing is how each platform handles contacts.
In Salesforce, new prospects enter as Leads. Once qualified, those Leads convert into Contacts, while creating Accounts and Opportunities in the process.
In HubSpot, all prospects enter as Contacts. Their progress through the sales funnel is tracked using the Lifecycle Stage property, which runs from Lead to Customer.
To align the two systems, build a Lifecycle Stage picklist in Salesforce on both the Lead and Contact objects.
This keeps progression in sync:
- Salesforce Leads map to HubSpot stages like Subscriber, Lead, Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL), or Sales Qualified Lead (SQL).
- Salesforce Contacts map to HubSpot stages like Opportunity, Customer, or Evangelist.
We have a thorough guide on mapping Salesforce Objects to HubSpot Lifecycle Stages if you’re interested.
Tip: Before syncing, clear out archived picklist values in Salesforce. HubSpot still reads them as active, which can clutter your dropdowns.
2. Map the handoff from HubSpot to Salesforce
Most companies end up running marketing out of HubSpot, while sales and account management live in Salesforce.
That split makes sense, but only if the handoff is clearly defined.
Think of it like writing job descriptions for each platform. HubSpot owns early-stage lead nurturing and qualification. Salesforce owns pipeline management, closing, and account success.
Writing this down makes it part of your marketing and sales SLA and gives you a framework for future automation and data discussions.
3. Discuss governance and industry requirements
HubSpot is hosted on AWS and is secure, but it isn’t designed for HIPAA or FISMA compliance. That means industries like healthcare or financial services need to be especially careful.
If your industry requires strict data protection, use Selective Sync to prevent sensitive information from entering HubSpot.
Tip: Create a dedicated integration user in Salesforce to own the HubSpot connection. It keeps the sync stable, avoids access issues if employees leave, and prevents admin-level security risks.
Also note: HubSpot and Salesforce support teams won’t configure this for you. You’ll either need a partner experienced in building integration users for regulated industries or pay for HubSpot’s technical services (sold in 4-hour blocks at $1,500, currently $375/hour).
Access management: Audit who actually needs cross-platform visibility. Not every HubSpot user needs a Salesforce license (and vice versa). Keeping permissions lean reduces both cost and confusion.
4. Audit automations, validation rules & required fields
Automations: Check Salesforce Process Builder and Flows. Make sure nothing interferes with HubSpot data syncing in or out.
Validation rules: Review active rules for any object syncing with HubSpot. Pay special attention to Leads and Contacts. A validation rule that requires a field value before saving will block HubSpot from creating records. This often surfaces as “Custom Code errors” inside HubSpot.
Required fields: List out every required field on your Lead and Contact objects. New HubSpot Contacts syncing to Salesforce need values for these fields.
You can either:
- Make those fields mandatory in HubSpot forms, or
- Use HubSpot workflows to populate them automatically.
For example, if Salesforce requires State and Country, create a workflow that copies IP State and IP Country into those fields so prospects don’t have to type them in.
Formula fields: HubSpot can’t detect Salesforce formula field updates automatically. If a formula field’s value changes, HubSpot won’t see it until the record itself updates. The workaround: create a hidden workflow-updated field in Salesforce that mirrors your formula result and syncs to HubSpot.
Also bookmark the most common HubSpot–Salesforce integration errors and fixes so you can spot issues fast.
5. Plan for activity sharing
Sales teams want to see marketing activity on their leads and customers, and HubSpot syncs this natively.
Activities like form submissions or marketing emails can flow into Salesforce as tasks.
But every activity shows up as a Salesforce task, and that can clutter timelines quickly.
Choose carefully what you sync. In most cases, only form submissions and marketing email sends are worth sending over.
Tip: HubSpot logs every email open and click as a task. Unless you tune your HubSpot–Salesforce sync triggers carefully, your reps will drown in noise.
6. Define HubSpot contact creation in Salesforce
HubSpot stores all prospects and customers as Contacts, while Salesforce separates them into Leads and Contacts.
That creates a fork in the road: when HubSpot creates a new record in Salesforce, should it be a Lead or a Contact?
For most companies, the right choice is Create a Lead in Salesforce.
That keeps qualification and conversion workflows intact.
Some organizations skip Leads entirely and only use Contacts. In that case, select Create a Contact in Salesforce.
7. Implement the HubSpot–Salesforce integration
Once your data model, governance, automations, and sync rules are clearly defined, you’re ready to install the integration.
Before you flip the switch, review sync settings for each property. You can choose to:
- Prefer Salesforce unless blank
- Always use Salesforce
- Two-way sync
- Don’t sync
This helps you avoid overwriting important data unintentionally.
With the foundation in place, implementation becomes much smoother AND you avoid the messy backtracking that happens when teams jump in too early.
Note: HubSpot still can’t natively sync Salesforce Products. If you rely on SKUs or Product IDs, create a custom field in HubSpot to track them.
Where to go from here
You’ve got two good paths.
If you want to keep digging, our Knowledge Bank is full of HubSpot–Salesforce integration guides drawn from real projects. It’s the fastest way to learn what usually breaks and how to fix it before it costs you time.
Or, if you’ve had your fill of reading and just want the mess off your plate, Talk to Tate.
At RevBlack, we live and breathe HubSpot–Salesforce integrations so you don’t have to.
