HubSpot Custom Objects: When and How to Use Them

When Standard Objects Are Not Enough

HubSpot provides standard objects: Contacts, Companies, Deals, Tickets, and Products. For most B2B companies, these cover 90% of data needs. However, some businesses need to track entities that do not fit standard objects: properties (real estate), projects (agencies), subscriptions (SaaS), locations (multi-site businesses), or certifications (training companies). Custom objects extend HubSpot’s data model to match your business reality.

Custom Objects vs Workarounds

Before custom objects existed, companies used workarounds: storing non-standard data in custom properties on contacts or companies, using deal pipelines to track non-deal processes, or maintaining separate spreadsheets. Custom objects are cleaner but require HubSpot Enterprise tier.

Common Custom Object Use Cases

Subscriptions (SaaS): Track subscription records separately from deals. A contact can have multiple subscriptions with different products, start dates, renewal dates, and MRR values. Associate subscriptions with contacts and companies for complete account view.

Properties (Real Estate): Track property listings with fields for location, price, type, status, and features. Associate properties with contact records (buyers, sellers, agents) and deal records (transactions).

Projects (Agencies): Track client projects with status, budget, timeline, and deliverables. Associate projects with company records and contact records. Use project pipeline stages for delivery tracking.

Locations (Multi-site): Track individual business locations separately from the parent company. Each location can have its own contacts, deals, and service records while rolling up to the company level.

How to Create Custom Objects

Custom objects are created through the HubSpot API (not the UI). The process involves:

1. Define the schema. Object name, properties (fields), and association types (which standard objects it connects to). Plan this carefully – schema changes after data is populated are disruptive.

2. Create via API. Use HubSpot’s Custom Object API to create the object definition and its properties. This requires developer resources or a HubSpot partner with API experience.

3. Configure in HubSpot. Once created, custom objects appear in the CRM interface. Configure views, create workflows, and build reports that include the custom object data.

4. Populate data. Import existing data or set up workflows to create custom object records automatically based on triggers (deal close creates a subscription, form submission creates a project).

Limitations to Know

Enterprise only. Custom objects require HubSpot Enterprise tier for any hub. This is the primary cost consideration.

API creation required. You cannot create custom object schemas through the HubSpot UI. Initial setup requires API calls.

Object limits. Enterprise accounts can create up to 10 custom object definitions with up to 1,000 properties per object.

Conclusion

Custom objects are the right solution when your business tracks entities that do not fit Contacts, Companies, Deals, Tickets, or Products. They provide clean data architecture, proper associations, and full reporting capabilities. However, they require Enterprise tier and API setup. For simpler needs, custom properties on existing objects may suffice.

Need custom objects in HubSpot? Talk to Widelly about custom object design, API configuration, and data model architecture for your specific business needs.

HubSpot Custom Objects: The Business Cases That Justify Them

Custom objects in HubSpot are appropriate when your business tracks a type of entity that does not fit Contact, Company, Deal, or Ticket. Common business cases: Subscription object (for SaaS companies tracking customer plan details, ARR, renewal date, and tier independently of the original deal), Project object (for professional services firms tracking each client engagement as a discrete object with deliverables, timeline, and billing status), Property object (for real estate companies tracking physical assets associated with company records), Equipment object (for manufacturing or field service companies tracking installations at customer sites), and Loan Application object (for financial services companies tracking the status of each application in progress). Each custom object can have its own properties, its own pipeline (for stage-tracking), its own automation, and its own associations to standard objects.

Custom Object vs Custom Properties: When to Use Each

Custom properties extend the data model for existing objects (adding more fields to Contact, Company, Deal, or Ticket records). Custom objects create entirely new entity types. Use a custom property when: you need to track additional information about a Contact, Company, Deal, or Ticket that does not exist as a native property. Use a custom object when: you need to track an entity type that has its own lifecycle, its own records, its own pipeline stages, and its own relationships to multiple other objects. The test: if you can describe what you need to track as “more information about a contact or company,” use custom properties. If you need to track “a separate thing that is associated with contacts and companies,” use a custom object.

Frequently Asked Questions

Custom Objects in Practice: 3 Real Implementation Examples

Example 1 – SaaS company Subscription object: a HubSpot Subscription object stores each customer’s plan name, MRR, ARR, contract start date, renewal date, and plan tier. Associated with the customer Company record. A workflow monitors the renewal date and creates a renewal deal 90 days before expiry. Reports on the Subscription object show ARR by plan tier, renewal risk by days to expiry, and expansion opportunity by feature usage tier. Example 2 – Manufacturing Equipment Installation object: a custom Equipment Installation object records each unit of equipment installed at a customer site, including serial number, installation date, last service date, warranty expiry, and service contract status. Associated with the customer Company and linked to Service Hub tickets raised for that specific unit. The CS team can see every installation at a customer site and its service history in a single view. Example 3 – Professional Services Engagement object: a law firm created a custom Engagement object for each client matter, tracking matter type, billing model, total fees, open date, and close date. Associated with the client Company and responsible partner Contact. Reports show matter volume by type, average fees by practice area, and client relationship depth (number of active matters).

Custom Object Implementation Considerations

• Plan the data model before building: sketch the custom object’s properties, pipeline stages, and associations before creating it in HubSpot to avoid having to restructure after data is added.
• Start simple and expand: build the custom object with the 5-8 most important properties first. Add more properties over time as the team identifies what data they actually use.
• Train the team on custom object navigation: custom objects do not appear in the standard top navigation – the team needs to know where to find them (in the CRM Objects section of the navigation).
• Configure custom object reports separately: custom object data appears in the custom report builder, not in standard reports. Build the key custom object reports immediately after go-live so the team has the data visibility they expected.

Custom Objects: The 60-Day Build Plan

A structured 60-day plan for implementing a new custom object in HubSpot. Days 1-5: requirements definition. Document the object’s name, the properties it needs, its pipeline stages (if any), and its associations to standard objects. Get sign-off from the primary user team before building. Days 6-10: build the custom object in HubSpot (Settings > Objects > Custom Objects). Create all required and optional properties. Configure the pipeline if needed. Days 11-20: test with 5-10 real records. Import or create sample records, verify property display, test association to standard objects, and build the 1-2 most important reports for this object. Days 21-30: train the team. A 60-minute group training session covering: how to create and find custom object records, how to associate them with contacts and companies, and how to interpret the primary reports. Days 31-60: monitor adoption. Review the custom object record creation rate weekly. If adoption is below the expected volume, interview the team to identify whether the friction is in how to create records or in the perceived value of doing so.