How HubSpot's New Object Permissions Save Your Data

Good news: HubSpot's latest permission updates are here to save your data (and your sanity) from well-meaning but overzealous team members everywhere.

HubSpot has introduced granular, object-specific permissions that transform how you manage your CRM access. These new controls allow administrators to separate two critical functions from general editing rights:

1. Creation Permissions: Control who can create new records for each object type

2. Merge Permissions: Determine who has the authority to combine existing records

These permissions apply across all major HubSpot objects:

• Contacts

• Companies

• Deals

• Tickets

• Custom Objects

Why This Matters

Let's face it your HubSpot instance is only as powerful as the data it contains. Before this update, administrators faced a frustrating dilemma:

• Option A: Give team members edit access, but accept the risk of duplicate creation and improper merges

• Option B: Restrict access entirely, creating bottlenecks and workflow inefficiencies

This "all or nothing" approach forced many organisations to choose between data integrity and team productivity. The result? Either messy databases or frustrated employees.

With object-specific permissions, you can finally have both clean data and an empowered team.

Real-World Scenarios

These new permission controls unlock numerous workflow possibilities that simply weren't available before:

Marketing Team Management

Allow your marketing specialists to update contact information and engagement history without creating new records that might duplicate existing ones.

Sales Team Efficiency

Enable sales representatives to merge deals when they discover duplicates, but prevent them from merging company records that might affect multiple relationships.

Customer Service Optimisation

Give support staff the ability to edit ticket details while restricting their ability to create new company records that might conflict with your sales data.

Data Team Specialisation

Empower your data specialists with merge capabilities across all objects while limiting creation rights to prevent accidental record generation during cleanup operations.

Implementation Guide

If you're an administrator ready to take control, here's how to implement these new permission settings:

1. Navigate to Settings in your HubSpot account

2. Select Users & Teams

3. Choose the team or user whose permissions you want to modify

4. Look for the new toggles for "Create" and "Merge" permissions for each object type

5. Customise access according to your organisation's needs and user roles

Important Note: By default, anyone who previously had edit permissions for an object will automatically have create and merge permissions for that same object. You'll need to manually adjust these settings if you want to restrict either function.

The Fine Print: What to Know

While this update significantly improves your control over HubSpot data management, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:

• Changes to Custom Objects and these new permissions won't immediately appear in the permissions history page (HubSpot is working on adding this visibility)

• Users with the "Super Admin" role will continue to have full access to all functions

• These permissions apply at the object level, not the property level

Beyond Permissions: Building a Data-Conscious Culture

While these new controls provide powerful technical guardrails, the most effective data management strategy combines technology with team education. Consider these complementary approaches:

1. Create clear data standards that define when new records should be created versus when existing ones should be updated

2. Develop merge protocols that outline which information takes precedence when combining records

3. Implement regular data audits to identify and address issues before they multiply

4. Provide ongoing training to help team members understand the importance of data hygiene

The Bottom Line: From Chaos to Control

This update isn't about restricting your team—it's about empowering them to work confidently within appropriate boundaries. By implementing these new permission controls, you can:

• Maintain cleaner, more reliable CRM data

• Reduce time spent on data cleanup and deduplication

• Increase confidence in reporting and analytics

• Improve cross-departmental collaboration

• Enhance overall CRM adoption and satisfaction

With object-specific permissions, you can finally say "no" to data chaos without saying "no" to your team. It's a seemingly small change with enormous implications for data quality and operational efficiency.

So go ahead, take the keys back from "Steve," and enjoy a tidier, more productive HubSpot experience. 

Need a hand implementing permission controls? Reach out for a chat!