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A step-by-step guide on HubSpot custom objects covering examples of various industries, how to create, uses, features, limitations, and third-party tools.
We recently got into a unique case with a client who was using the phone number as a unique identifier for leads in CRM but in HubSpot, we couldn't replicate that option. Now, using custom object options, we can create a custom object for "People"(even for the cases of multiple people with the same email) and associate contacts with people where needed. It's a complicated configuration but can be helpful.
Companies from the manufacturing sector, when trying to leverage HubSpot as their core system for the organization for sales and support, they used to face multiple limitations with customization concerning objects. Now, they can manage plenty of their needs within Hubspot. Common use-cases for the manufacturing sector are provided below:
Contracts |
Manufacturing contacts can be handled and tracked within HubSpot UI using custom objects. |
Payments |
Payment collection can be streamlined with its own object. |
Suppliers |
An Object for suppliers can be created to associate them with closed deals and customers. |
Order Management |
Production or manufacturing orders can be tracked using a custom object for orders.
|
Warranties |
Warranties can be managed for each deal or customer using custom objects. |
Many educational institutes are using HubSpot but they faced many limitations in the past, due to custom object issues.
Courses |
Students’ enrollment in courses can be managed efficiently using a custom object for courses. |
Instructors |
Just like service providers for marketplaces, instructors are important for educational institutes and institutes can now associate them with students (contacts) and courses. |
Education Records |
Educational records like certifications, semesters, grades, etc. can be handled now using their custom objects. |
Custom objects can be used in many other industries and business functions, too. Some other common examples of using them are:
Quotes or Proposals |
Manage projects with HubSpot UI by creating a custom object for the project and managing that in the pipeline. |
Team Members |
For assigning multiple team members to one deal or company, custom objects for team members can be used. |
Custom objects can be associated with all or specific standard objects e.g. a custom object “Project” can be associated with contacts, companies, and deals or you can configure it in a way that it can only be associated with deals to make it a sub-section of the deal.
Additionally, two custom objects can be associated with each other e.g. assuming we have an agency providing different programs and handling multiple events within the program, we can create two Custom Objects and associate them with each other.
Custom objects also have one-to-many relationships with standard or other custom objects.
Object-based workflows: We can use custom object-based workflows in workflow-tool like deals and companies. Although, date-focused workflows are only available at the contact level and not available in custom objects.
Triggers in workflows: We can create workflows using the custom object properties as triggers in new object-based workflows. We can also use standard associated objects in triggers. E.g. in the case of the custom object "Project," we can use deal-based or contact-based properties as triggers if they are associated with a custom object.
Actions Available: We can create custom object entries via workflows or copy or enter data into custom objects entries like the standard objects of contacts or deals.
Like standard object properties in HubSpot, automated emails have the option to use custom objects properties as tokens. E.g. if you have a custom object for "Lawyer", you can send an email with the tokens of "Lawyer".
Unfortunately, at the moment, we don't have the option to use custom object tokens in sales templates and consequently, those tokens can't be used in HubSpot sequences. As a workaround, you can create some custom properties at the contact level and save selected data into contacts from a custom object using workflows. It’s definitely not an ideal case but can be used in most cases.
HubSpot also introduced an option to create programmable emails. It’s in beta and will be rolled out in the future for all customers. It will definitely be a game-changer for the clients looking for advanced configurations in email capability. Within programmable emails, you can use tokens from custom objects like HuBL and can send a dynamic email. E.g. landlords can get the status of all of their properties in an email every Monday.
Before creating any object, you need to make a detailed schema structuring to identify which objects you need and what type of associations those objects need to have based on your business requirements.
Custom object option is a two-edged sword. We can leverage that to create a powerful system or we can over-complicate the situation and make a mess in HubSpot, a tool which is preferred over others mainly because of its ease of use.
Once you define your business requirements, data structure, and object schema, your next step will be the creation of objects in HubSpot.
Can we create a custom object in HubSpot UI? No, we must go to HubSpot developers docs or third-party tools to create a custom object.
Do you need a developer to create a custom object? No, one can manage that without development skills but need good expertise with HubSpot. Custom objects can only be created via API but creation isn’t a complicated task at all. With basic knowledge of API, you can easily create a custom object in HubSpot.
You can go to HubSpot Developer Docs and using your API key and the provided documentation, you can define and create a custom object in your CRM account.
You can also use a third-party tool Easy Custom Object available in HubSpot marketplace. It can help you define, customize and manage your custom objects without any coding knowledge.
Once you define your custom object, the next step is to define your custom object properties in HubSpot, and the good news is that you can create properties for custom objects using HubSpot UI as you do for Contacts, Deals, and Companies.
In the case of import, HubSpot treats custom objects like the standard ones and allows the import of custom objects data like other standard objects. In the case of the custom object, internal IDs use to work as a unique identifier just like deals, and for the association of data with standard objects, we can use those IDs.
Similarly, all data or view-specific data related to any custom object can be downloaded via the general export option.
That's not all; some other cool stuff related to custom objects:
We have tried to cover all the aspects of HubSpot objects based on their current status but the features are evolving. If there is a query or suggestion, please do let us know and our consultants will respond asap.
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