HubSpot Custom Objects: Step-by-Step Guide

Data fuels nearly every part of how your business serves customers and makes decisions. In fact, global data creation reached over 120 zettabytes in 2023, with much of it tied to sales, support, and marketing systems. However, data only becomes valuable when your tools enable you to organize and utilize it effectively.

Inside HubSpot, you can structure your data using the HubSpot custom objects pipeline. This feature lets you move beyond default CRM fields and design objects that reflect your actual business operations. For example, you can track memberships, licenses, or service requests, each with custom fields, rules, and relationships to contacts, deals, or tickets.

In this guide, you'll learn how to create custom objects in HubSpot, define custom properties, and build a system that actually fits your business. Whether you're managing customer data, internal workflows, or external partner records, you’ll have complete control.

Understanding HubSpot Custom Objects

HubSpot includes standard objects, such as Contacts, Companies, Deals, and Tickets. While these work for many use cases, some businesses need to track other types of records that don’t fit into these categories. That’s where HubSpot custom objects come in.

Custom objects let you define and manage data types specific to your business, such as properties, events, locations, or assets. Each record in a custom object works just like a standard one, so you can associate it with contacts or deals, create reports, trigger workflows, and use it in automation.

You can also create a HubSpot custom objects pipeline to track each custom record through a process, similar to how you move deals through a sales pipeline. For example, a car dealership wants to manage its active inventory and sold vehicles in HubSpot. They create a custom object called Cars and set Model as the primary display property.

They then build a custom pipeline with stages such as New, In Inventory, Under Offer, and Sold, allowing them to track the status of each car throughout the sales process.

Each car record includes detailed information like make, year, VIN, and price. Team members log inquiry calls or emails on the car’s record and associate each one with contacts and deals during active negotiations.

The dealership also uses workflows to assign sales reps when a new inquiry comes in, and runs reports to see how long cars stay in each stage or which models close fastest.

What is a Custom Objects Pipeline?

A custom objects pipeline is a visual tool in HubSpot that tracks custom records through specific stages in a process. Each stage indicates where a record stands, enabling teams to follow progress and manage work without confusion.

Custom objects function like HubSpot's standard objects, such as deals or tickets, but are designed for data unique to your business. For example, you can create a pipeline for records like vehicles, courses, orders, or properties, and move each item through steps that match your workflow.

Just like a deal pipeline tracks sales stages from lead to close, a custom objects pipeline might track a course from development to launch, or a property listing from review to published. These stages help teams stay focused on what’s next.

You can create a custom pipeline when your process has distinct steps that don't fit into an existing pipeline. If multiple teams use the same process, they can share a single pipeline and manage access with permissions.

When and Why You Should Use Custom Objects

Use HubSpot custom objects when your business needs to track data that doesn't fit into standard objects like Contacts, Deals, Companies, or Tickets. This feature is available only to Enterprise users and becomes essential when your workflows involve complex assets, services, or operational steps.

Here are a few use cases where custom objects work best:

• A learning platform creates a Course object to track progress, sessions, and instructors for each student, something a standard deal can't represent.
• A real estate company uses a Property object to track property status, showing activity, buyer interest, and scheduled viewings, going beyond what tickets or deals can support.
• A managed service provider builds a Service object to manage ongoing subscriptions, linking them to contracts, companies, and service-level agreements.

Custom objects help businesses avoid patchwork solutions like workarounds or spreadsheets. They bring structure and clarity, especially for teams managing large volumes of custom data.

You can build workflows that act on custom object field updates, send emails based on their status, or assign owners as records move through pipeline stages. Since they work seamlessly with HubSpot’s automation and reporting tools, custom objects help you scale without leaving the platform.

How to Set Up a Custom Object in HubSpot (Step-by-Step)

Creating a custom object in HubSpot lets you store and manage data specific to your business. Whether you’re tracking properties, services, or events, follow these five key steps to get started.

1. Define the object schema and purpose

Start by planning what your object will represent and what information it needs to store. Your schema must include:

• Object name (e.g., “Course,” “Property,” “Asset”)
• Properties to hold record data
• Associations to other objects (Contacts, Companies, Deals, etc.)

When choosing a name:

• It must begin with a letter and use only letters, numbers, or underscores
• You can’t change the name or label later
• Avoid long labels, as they may get cut off in the UI

2. Create the object using the API or the Ops Hub UI

You can create the object either through the CRM API or via HubSpot’s Ops Hub Enterprise UI (if available).

To use the API, send a POST request to: /crm/v3/schemas

In your request body, define the schema with:

• Name
• Labels
• Required properties
• Primary display property
• Searchable properties
• Associations

Here’s an example JSON body for a custom object called Car:

{

  "name": "car",

  "labels": {

    "singular": "Car",

    "plural": "Cars",

    "primaryDisplayProperty": "model"

  },

  "primaryDisplayProperty": "model",

  "properties": [

    {

      "name": "model",

      "label": "Model",

      "type": "string",

      "fieldType": "text",

      "required": true

    },

    {

      "name": "year",

      "label": "Year",

      "type": "number",

      "fieldType": "number"

    },

    {

      "name": "status",

      "label": "Status",

      "type": "enumeration",

      "fieldType": "dropdown",

      "options": [

        {"label": "New", "value": "new"},

        {"label": "Used", "value": "used"},

        {"label": "Sold", "value": "sold"}

      ]

    },

    {

      "name": "is_active",

      "label": "Is Active",

      "type": "boolean",

      "fieldType": "checkbox"

    },

    {

      "name": "purchase_date",

      "label": "Purchase Date",

      "type": "datetime",

      "fieldType": "date"

    }

  ],

  "associations": [

    {

      "associatedObjectType": "CONTACT",

      "name": "car_to_contact"

    },

    {

      "associatedObjectType": "COMPANY",

      "name": "car_to_company"

    },

    {

      "associatedObjectType": "DEAL",

      "name": "car_to_deal"

    }

  ]

}

This schema defines the Car object with key fields like model (the primary display property), year, status (dropdown with options), is_active (checkbox), and purchase_date (date). It also connects the car object to Contacts, Companies, and Deals within HubSpot.

You can create and edit this schema using HubSpot’s Ops Hub UI if you prefer a no-code interface. Remember, once you create the object, its name can’t be changed, so choose carefully.

3. Add properties and field types

Once the custom object schema is created, define the properties that store the actual data on each record. These fields determine what kind of information users can enter or update.

Each property has:

• A name (used internally and in the API)
• A label (what users see in the interface)
• A type 
  
  • Strings (e.g., names or models)
  • Numbers (e.g., value, quantity, or year)
  • Booleans (e.g., isActive or yes/no flags)
  • Dates (e.g., startDate or purchaseDate)
  • Dropdowns (enumeration) (e.g., status or category options)
• A fieldType (e.g., text input, dropdown, date picker)

By default, HubSpot sets type as string and fieldType as text unless you specify otherwise.

There are four special categories of properties to define in your schema:

• primaryDisplayProperty: The main identifier for each record, shown in lists and search (e.g., “Vehicle Model” or “Course Title”).
• secondaryDisplayProperties: Additional fields shown on the record preview below the primary property. The first one (if it's a supported type) also becomes a filter on the object’s index page.
• requiredProperties: These must be completed when creating a record, helping enforce consistency and prevent incomplete data.
• searchableProperties: These fields are indexed in HubSpot's search, so users can find records based on those values.

You can have up to 10 unique value properties per custom object, ideal for items such as serial numbers, IDs, or codes that must be unique.

To change or remove a display property, you'll need to delete it and recreate it without the display flag. So, it's essential to plan carefully before finalizing your schema.

4. Set visibility and permissions

You can control who sees or edits the object by setting user permissions once it’s live. Use team-level permissions (available in Professional and Enterprise accounts) to restrict access by team or role.

This prevents overlap when multiple departments use the same object type but handle different records.

5. Connect it with other HubSpot objects

Associate your custom object with Contacts, Companies, Deals, or even other custom objects. These associations allow workflows, reports, and views to reflect relationships across your CRM.

HubSpot automatically links custom objects to core activities, such as emails, notes, and calls. For any additional information, define associations in the schema or update them later via the API.

Creating and Managing Custom Object Pipelines

To build a custom pipeline: 

• You must have access to Edit property settings. 
• You’ll go to the object’s settings, select the Pipelines tab, and click Create pipeline. 

• Then, name the pipeline and define the stages that reflect your unique process.

In HubSpot, pipelines are used to track the progress of records through specific stages. Each object in HubSpot comes with its own default pipeline and pre-set stages:

• Leads use a Lead Pipeline with five stages: New, Attempting, Connected, Qualified, and Disqualified.
• Deals follow a Sales Pipeline with seven stages, each tied to a probability:
  
  • Appointment Scheduled (20%)
  • Qualified to Buy (40%)
  • Presentation Scheduled (60%)
  • Decision Maker Bought-In (80%)
  • Contract Sent (90%)
  • Closed Won (100%)
  • Closed Lost (0%)

These probabilities calculate weighted values in the board view by multiplying total deal amounts by the stage percentage.

• Tickets use a Support Pipeline with four statuses: New, Waiting on Contact, Waiting on Us, and Closed.

(Note: Ticket stages are labeled as statuses but function the same as pipeline stages.)

• Appointments come with five stages: Scheduled, In Progress, Completed, Canceled, and Rescheduled.
• Courses are divided into two stages: Open and Closed.
• Listings also use two stages: Open and Closed.
• Services follow three stages: New, In Progress, and Closed.
• Orders have two stages by default: In Progress and Contract Signed.

You can customize any of these pipelines by adding, renaming, reordering, or removing stages as Open or Closed (or assign probabilities if you’re working with deals). For each stage, you can also set up conditional properties, which are fields users must fill out when moving a record into that stage.

To customize an existing pipeline:

• Go to Settings > Objects, select your custom object.
• Click the Pipelines tab, then choose the pipeline you want to edit.
• To add a new stage, click + Add stage, enter a name, and select whether it’s Open or Closed.
• For Deals, also assign a deal probability (used in sales forecasting).

• To reorder stages, drag and drop.
• To delete a stage, ensure that no records are assigned to it and remove any conditional logic.
• Use the Conditional stage properties column to control what users see or are required to complete at each stage.
• Click Save once you’re finished.

You can create multiple pipelines per object if needed, for example, to represent different workflows, teams, or product lines.

Automating Workflows with Custom Objects

Custom object automation lets you trigger actions as records move through your pipeline stages. You can create workflows that save time, reduce manual updates, and improve team response. To automate actions based on custom object pipeline stages, you must have Super Admin or Account access permissions.

To set up workflow automation triggered by custom object pipeline stages, go to Settings > Objects > Custom Objects, select your object (Pets), then open the Pipelines tab. From the pipeline you want to automate, click the Automate tab.

From here, add workflow actions to specific pipeline stages. For example:

• When a Pet record moves to the "Grooming Pipeline" stage, you can:
  
  • Create a task for the adoption coordinator to contact the potential adopter.
  • Send an automated email with the pet’s profile and next steps.
  • Update the record’s status property to “Awaiting Pickup.”

Each workflow can include delays, branching logic, internal notifications, property updates, or CRM tasks. You can edit any step later or leave notes for teammates using the comments option.

Connecting automation to your Pets custom object pipeline keeps your adoption process organized and scalable, without needing constant manual updates.

Reporting on Custom Objects in HubSpot

You can use HubSpot’s reporting tools to analyze data stored in your custom objects and uncover trends, activities, or performance metrics. These custom reports help you monitor outcomes and make better decisions based on real-time CRM data.

With single object reports, you can break down your custom object records by any property. For instance, if you use a Pets custom object, you can create a report showing the number of pets by breed, adoption status, or intake date.

These reports function similarly to standard object reports, supporting filters, grouping, and visualization options such as bar charts, pie charts, and tables. You can track volume over time, assess workload, or highlight stage movement in a custom object pipeline.

Currently, reporting has a few limitations. You can’t yet build cross-object reports that compare custom objects with standard ones (like Contacts or Deals) in the same chart without using workarounds.

To address these reporting gaps:

• Use list memberships and workflows to copy key properties from custom objects into standard objects.
• Create custom dashboards that house multiple single-object reports side by side.
• Leverage external reporting tools (like Excel or Looker Studio) using HubSpot's export or API features if you need advanced joins or comparisons.

Reporting on HubSpot custom objects pipeline performance lets you spot delays, track conversion trends, and surface insights that help teams prioritize more effectively.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Custom Objects

When working with custom objects, avoid these common errors to maintain a scalable and easily manageable system.

• Poor Naming Conventions: Using unclear or inconsistent names for objects and properties causes confusion. Always pick simple, descriptive names that everyone understands and can easily reference.
• Missing Associations: Failing to link custom objects to relevant standard objects, such as Contacts or Deals, limits your ability to view related data and run meaningful reports. Always define clear associations upfront.
• Unclear Field Mapping: Failing to plan how data fields relate between objects can lead to mismatched or duplicated information. Map your fields carefully before creating properties to avoid clutter and errors.
• Skipping Documentation: Not documenting your custom object setup, including property definitions and pipeline stages, can cause trouble when onboarding new team members or troubleshooting issues. Maintain clear documentation for reference.

By following these best practices, you ensure your HubSpot custom objects stay organized, connected, and easy to update as your business grows.

Unlock Your CRM’s Full Potential with Custom Objects

If standard HubSpot CRM objects like contacts, companies, deals, and tickets don’t fit your business needs, forcing all data into them can complicate marketing and create costly errors. This leads to missed insights that could drive smarter decisions. Custom objects and pipelines offer powerful solutions, but only when properly configured.

For example, Kula, a leading SaaS company, used multiple engagement tools alongside their CRM, which made sales activities complex. TripleDart Digital consolidated their entire system into HubSpot, enabling automated lead routing, accurate reporting with insightful dashboards, and greatly enhancing overall efficiency.

Whether you’re just starting with custom objects or facing challenges with a tangled pipeline, having the right expertise makes all the difference. That’s why TripleDart Digital offers a range of services tailored to your needs:

• HubSpot Custom Object Setup
• Pipeline Strategy & Automation
• RevOps Design & Consulting

This way, we help fast-growing teams unlock the full potential of HubSpot through custom CRM architecture, object modeling, and RevOps alignment. 

To achieve the same results for your business, book a demo with us today!

FAQs

Can I associate custom objects with standard HubSpot objects?

Yes, you can link custom objects to standard objects like Contacts, Companies, Deals, and Tickets. This helps create relationships and enables richer data connections within your CRM.

Are there any limitations to using custom objects pipelines?

Custom object pipelines require Enterprise access. You can create multiple pipelines, but avoid duplicates unless processes differ. Also, editing stages need careful management to prevent data loss or broken workflows.

How can I automate processes using custom objects pipelines?

You can set workflows triggered by pipeline stage changes. Automations include task creation, status updates, and email notifications, which improve efficiency and ensure timely follow-ups based on custom object events.

What are the best practices for managing custom objects pipelines?

Keep pipelines simple and aligned with business processes. Regularly review stages, maintain clear naming conventions, avoid unnecessary duplicates, and leverage automation wisely to enhance tracking and minimize manual work.