How do you switch HubSpot partners without losing momentum?
Secure Super Admin, billing, private apps and integration accounts before you give notice, then start the new partner on a portal audit.
Switch HubSpot partners in three moves. First, confirm you control the portal: at least two of your own people are Super Admins, HubSpot bills your business directly, and you know which integrations, code and accounts the current agency built or holds. Second, collect everything on a handover checklist before anyone gives notice. Third, start the new HubSpot partner with a portal audit, so they work from what is actually there.
Most of the momentum lost in a switch comes from things nobody listed: a private app token tied to an agency user, a Zapier account in the agency's name, theme files on their side, DNS records only they can change. Get those found and moved while the outgoing agency is still engaged and friendly, and the new partner can be building within the month.
- Before you give noticeRead the agreement, make two of your people Super Admins and check the HubSpot billing page.
- Week 1Give notice in writing with the handover checklist. The new partner starts the portal audit.
- Week 2Receive the handover pack. Rotate private app tokens, move integration workflows, confirm DNS logins and test each change.
- Week 3Walkthrough with both partners on open work. The new partner presents audit findings and a first-quarter plan.
- Week 4Remove the outgoing agency's users, confirm the partner change with HubSpot, then the new partner starts building.
Our worked example. The full plan, with what to check in each week, is further down this post.
Be fair to the agency you are leaving. Plenty of switches are about fit, budget or a change in what you need. Treat the handover as a normal project with a checklist and a date, and most agencies will help you do it properly.
Is it time to switch, or is it a scope problem you'll take with you?
On discovery calls we hear a few honest reasons for wanting a new HubSpot agency. "We've run out of hours with our current agency." "They haven't given us the confidence to invest more." One business had three agencies giving it conflicting advice at once. Another had been through four Salesforce partners before it came to HubSpot.
Some of those are reasons to switch. Some are problems that will follow you to the next partner. A quick test:
| What you are seeing | Usually a partner problem | Usually a scope problem you'd take with you |
|---|---|---|
| Hours run out every month | Work is slow, estimates keep missing, or time goes on rework | Nobody owns a priority list, so every request is urgent and the block gets spent on small jobs |
| Low confidence to invest more | No plan you can read, no reporting on what changed, advice you cannot check | No agreed outcome or numbers to judge any partner against |
| Conflicting advice | The partner cannot explain the reasoning behind a recommendation | Several agencies each own a slice and nobody owns the whole portal |
| Builds break after launch | No testing, no documentation, no handover to your team | Your team never adopted the process the build was designed around |
If most of your answers sit in the right-hand column, fix ownership and priorities inside your business first. A new partner with the same brief will hit the same wall. If several businesses have failed with several partners, the common factor is usually the brief.
What do you own, and what does the agency own?
The portal and the data are yours. HubSpot's terms of service say the customer owns and retains all rights to its Customer Data. Everything around the data needs checking.
- Super Admins. Only a Super Admin can make another user a Super Admin. If the only Super Admins are agency staff, fix that first, while relations are good. Aim for two people in your business.
- Billing and the HubSpot contract. Check your billing page. HubSpot's terms allow a Solutions Partner to buy on a client's behalf, in which case the partner is responsible for the order form. If the agency holds the subscription, moving it to your business is a conversation with HubSpot and the agency, and it needs to happen before the agreement ends.
- The partner relationship in HubSpot. HubSpot ties a managed partner relationship to partner users in your portal. It ends when those users are removed. HubSpot's own help pages currently disagree on whether that is immediate or 60 days after the last activity, so ask your HubSpot account manager to confirm the change and when it takes effect.
- Private apps and API keys. Only Super Admins can create private apps. HubSpot's developer docs warn that if the user who created one is removed, some API calls using its token fail with a permissions error. Rotate those tokens under a user from your business before the agency's users go.
- Integrations on the agency's accounts. A Zapier, Make or cloud hosting account in the agency's name is theirs. Zapier lets you copy Zaps to another account, but copies arrive switched off, webhook URLs change and every app connection has to be re-authenticated.
- Custom code and website theme files. In Australia, IP created by a contractor belongs to the contractor unless the contract says otherwise, according to IP Australia. Check your agreement for an assignment of IP in custom code, modules and themes, or at least a licence that survives the end of the agreement.
- Domains and DNS. Your website and email sending domains connect to HubSpot through DNS records. Make sure the registrar and DNS account are in your business's name and you hold the login.
- Documentation. Workflow logic, property definitions, integration field maps and the reasons behind decisions. If it was never written down, ask for a walkthrough recording.
The same questions apply to AI tools an agency builds for you. Our post on who owns the AI system after the partner leaves covers that side.
Sources: HubSpot Customer Terms of Service, HubSpot Developers, Zapier Help Center and IP Australia, as listed under Sources.
Not sure who holds the keys to your portal?
We can go through Super Admins, billing, private apps and integrations with you in a short call.
The handover checklist
Send this to the outgoing agency as one request, with a date. Most of it takes them an afternoon.
| Item | Why it matters | Ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Super Admin access | Without it you cannot change users, private apps or permissions | Two of your staff made Super Admin, confirmed in Users and Teams |
| HubSpot subscription and billing | Whoever holds the order form controls renewals and changes | Confirmation the subscription is billed to your business, or a plan to move it |
| Private apps and tokens | Integrations can fail when the creating user is removed | A list of every private app, what uses it, and tokens rotated under your user |
| Integration accounts (Zapier, Make, hosting) | Automations stop when the agency's account is closed | Account list, copies or exports of every workflow, and the field maps |
| Custom code, modules and themes | The contractor may own the copyright unless your agreement assigns it | Source files, a repository or Design Manager export, and written confirmation of IP terms |
| Domains and DNS | Website and email sending depend on these records | Registrar and DNS logins in your name, plus a list of HubSpot-related records |
| Workflows and properties | The next partner needs to know what runs and why | A list of active workflows with owners, and any property naming rules |
| Open work | Half-finished builds are where things break | Status of every open task, and what is safe to switch off |
| Documentation and recordings | Saves the new partner rediscovering decisions | Build notes, diagrams, and a recorded walkthrough of the portal |
How should you brief the new HubSpot partner?
Start with a portal audit. Before a new partner builds anything, they should look at what is in the portal: users and logins, workflow health, data quality, integrations and reports. You can run a first pass yourself with our HubSpot adoption audit.
Then give the new partner three things: the audit, the handover pack, and a ranked list of the three outcomes you most need in the next quarter. Say which advice from past agencies you followed and which you ignored, and why. That history stops the new partner repeating a recommendation your team already tried.
Ask the new partner to tell you what they would leave alone. A partner who wants to rebuild everything in month one is resetting your momentum, whatever their intentions.
Hourly blocks, monthly partnership or a project?
The buying model shapes how the next relationship feels, so pick it on purpose.
| Model | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly block | Small, unpredictable requests, and businesses with a strong internal HubSpot owner | Hours go on small jobs, and nobody plans ahead because every hour is billed |
| Monthly partnership | Ongoing support with a roadmap, regular reporting and one team who knows the portal | Paying for capacity you do not use if nobody sets priorities on your side |
| Project | A defined build with a clear finish, such as a migration, an integration or a new pipeline | What happens after go-live: who fixes things and who trains new staff |
Many businesses switching partners do best with a short project first, to fix what the audit finds, followed by a monthly partnership once both sides know the portal. Whatever you choose, agree what response times you can expect. Our post on support SLAs worth asking for lists the ones that matter.
A 30-day transition plan
- Before you give notice. Read your agreement for the notice period, IP clauses and anything owed. Make two of your people Super Admins. Check the HubSpot billing page.
- Week 1. Give notice in writing and send the handover checklist with a due date. Ask the new partner to start the portal audit.
- Week 2. Receive the handover pack. Rotate private app tokens, move or copy integration workflows, and confirm DNS and registrar logins. Test every integration after each change.
- Week 3. Walkthrough call with both partners on open work. The new partner presents audit findings and a first-quarter plan.
- Week 4. Remove the outgoing agency's users and confirm the partner change with HubSpot. Check every workflow and integration once more, then let the new partner start building.
If the notice period is longer than 30 days, use the extra time. Keep the outgoing agency on maintenance only and let the new partner do the audit and plan in parallel.
What about contract notice periods?
Notice periods in agency agreements vary widely, so read yours before you say anything. Check four clauses: the notice period, whether unused hours expire or carry over, who owns the IP in work delivered, and whether the agency must help with handover and at what rate. If the agreement says nothing about handover, agree a fixed fee for it in writing up front.
The same questions are worth asking before you sign with the next partner. Our guide to choosing an implementation partner in Australia covers the ownership and exit terms to agree at the start.
Frequently asked questions
Do I own my HubSpot portal if an agency set it up? Your business owns its data under HubSpot's terms. Check that your own staff are Super Admins and that HubSpot bills your business, because those decide who controls the portal day to day.
How do I change my HubSpot partner? The managed partner relationship is tied to the partner's users in your portal and ends when they are removed. HubSpot's help pages disagree on whether that is immediate or after 60 days, so confirm the change with your HubSpot account manager.
Will my integrations break when the old agency leaves? They can. Private app tokens may fail when the user who created them is removed, and automations in the agency's Zapier or Make account stop when that account closes, so move both before removing their access.
Who owns custom code an agency wrote for us in Australia? IP Australia says IP created by a contractor belongs to the contractor unless the contract says otherwise. Check your agreement for an IP assignment or licence covering code, modules and themes.
How long does it take to switch HubSpot partners? About 30 days is realistic for most portals if you send a handover checklist with your notice and start the new partner on an audit in the first week.
Sources
- HubSpot Customer Terms of Service, HubSpot, for ownership of Customer Data and Solutions Partners buying on a client's behalf.
- Manage user permissions, HubSpot Knowledge Base, for who can assign Super Admin.
- Manage Partner employee access to client accounts, HubSpot Knowledge Base, for ending a managed relationship after 60 days.
- Earn Managed MRR credit, HubSpot Knowledge Base, for removing partner users ending a managed relationship immediately.
- Private apps overview, HubSpot Developers, for Super Admin access, token rotation and failures when the creator is removed.
- Copy assets to another account, Zapier Help Center, for what changes when Zaps move accounts.
- Who owns intellectual property?, IP Australia, for contractor ownership of IP.
Want a second pair of eyes on your handover, or a new HubSpot partner who starts with an audit? See our RevOps and HubSpot work, or talk to us.
Switching HubSpot partners soon?
We will walk through your checklist and tell you what to secure before you give notice.