The 7 Most Common HubSpot Mistakes – and How to Avoid Them

Whether you’re brand new to HubSpot or you’ve been using it for a while and just feel like something isn’t quite clicking, chances are, you’re not alone. HubSpot is powerful – like really powerful – but that power can also make it pretty easy to get things a bit wrong.

The good news? Most mistakes are totally fixable. Even better? You can dodge a lot of them just by knowing what to look out for.

In this post, we’ll run through seven of the most common HubSpot mistakes, why they cause problems, and what you can do instead. You’ll also get a few tips from experienced freelancers who’ve seen it all before – and helped fix it.

Let’s dive in.

1. Importing messy data

"We'll just upload our spreadsheet and tidy it up later."
— Famous last words

Messy data is the #1 CRM killer. If your contact records are riddled with duplicates, typos, and missing information, everything that happens after that (marketing, sales, reporting) is on shaky ground.

Common issues:

• Multiple versions of the same contact

• First and last names in the same field

• No clear owner or lifecycle stage

• Company info stored on the contact record (or vice versa)

Why it matters: If your sales team doesn't trust the data, they won’t use the system. And if your marketing emails are going to “John Smithsssss” with no company listed, your brand takes a hit.

What to do instead:

• Clean your spreadsheet before importing – remove duplicates, split names properly, and use standard formats.

• Use import templates – HubSpot provides templates for a reason.

• Create custom properties if you need them, and label them properly.

• Always map the fields carefully during import.

Freelancer tip:

“Always test your import with 10–20 rows before doing the full upload. It takes five minutes and could save hours of cleanup.” – Amira, HubSpot data specialist

2. Overcomplicating your pipeline(s)

HubSpot gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to pipelines. You can add stages, customise labels, even build multiple pipelines for different types of deals. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Common issues:

• 12+ deal stages no one understands

• Stages that sound vague (e.g. “Qualified?” or “Almost Closed”)

• Multiple pipelines with no clear difference

Why it matters: An over-complicated pipeline slows down your sales team. They stop updating deals, reports get skewed, and you lose visibility on what’s actually happening.

What to do instead:

• Keep your pipeline lean – aim for 5–7 meaningful stages.

• Use clear, action-based stage names – “Call booked”, “Proposal sent”, “Contract signed”.

• Review pipelines quarterly – remove anything not being used.

• Train the team on what each stage means and what triggers a move.

Freelancer tip:

“If your team can’t move a deal without asking, your pipeline is too vague. Each stage should be obvious and actionable.” – Tom, sales enablement freelancer

3. Automating everything too early

Ah, automation – the shiny lure of HubSpot. And it is amazing… but only when it’s done right. Too many people dive into workflows without understanding how they’ll affect contacts.

Common issues:

• Auto-enrolling contacts into multiple workflows at once

• Using if/then branches for everything (creating a maze of logic)

• Triggering emails to the wrong people

Why it matters: Bad automation annoys leads, confuses your team, and creates loads of extra work trying to figure out what went wrong.

What to do instead:

• Start with simple workflows – e.g. send follow-up email after form submission.

• Map it out first – draw your logic on paper or in a tool like Whimsical.

• Test with internal contacts – send everything to yourself before it goes live.

• Set clear naming conventions so you know what each workflow does.

Freelancer tip:

“Always include an internal notification step before sending anything to a lead. That way, if it’s wrong, at least you know about it first.” – Jess, HubSpot automation expert

4. Ignoring the notes and activity history

HubSpot’s contact records are packed with value. Every email, call, form submission, and note can help your team understand what’s happening with a lead or customer. But many businesses barely use this feature – or worse, they enter info outside HubSpot.

Common issues:

• No notes after a call or meeting

• Important info buried in someone’s inbox

• No visibility on deal activity

Why it matters: When teams can’t see what’s been said or done, they make mistakes, repeat themselves, or worse – miss opportunities.

What to do instead:

• Add notes immediately after interactions – short and sweet is fine.

• Use @mentions to loop in teammates when needed.

• Encourage email logging – connect inboxes so everything’s tracked.

• Pin key notes on records for quick reference.

Freelancer tip:

“Make it a team habit. Every call ends with a quick note. Every email gets logged. It only takes 20 seconds, but it adds huge value later.” – Raj, HubSpot trainer

5. Not training your team properly

You can have the best setup in the world, but if your team doesn’t know how to use HubSpot (or why they should), it won’t stick. This is probably one of the biggest reasons CRMs “fail”.

Common issues:

• Teams avoid using HubSpot and revert to spreadsheets

• People don’t update deal stages or contact info

• Sales and marketing don’t use the same definitions

Why it matters: If the system isn’t used consistently, your data falls apart. And your reporting? Useless.

What to do instead:

• Run hands-on training sessions, not just slide decks

• Tailor training to roles – don’t give everyone the same overview

• Create a simple playbook or cheat sheet for daily use

• Set clear expectations – using HubSpot should be part of the job

Freelancer tip:

“Most clients need 3–4 short sessions, spaced out. Don’t try to teach everything in one go – it won’t stick.” – Lucy, HubSpot onboarding specialist

6. Forgetting to customise properties

Out of the box, HubSpot gives you loads of default properties. But to make it really work for your business, you need to add custom properties that reflect how you think about leads, deals, and customers.

Common issues:

• Teams writing info in random fields because there’s no proper one

• Notes like “has budget” or “referred by” buried in free text

Why it matters: Without custom properties, you can’t filter, segment, or report accurately. Your database ends up feeling like a messy drawer.

What to do instead:

• Create standard fields for things you track often (e.g. project type, budget, source)

• Use dropdowns or checkboxes instead of free text where possible

• Label and group custom properties clearly

• Limit who can edit certain fields to avoid mistakes

Freelancer tip:

“Ask your team: what do you wish you could filter contacts by? That’s the property you need.” – James, CRM implementation freelancer

7. Ignoring reports until it’s too late

You’ve got all this amazing data sitting in HubSpot – but if you’re not checking in on it regularly, you’re flying blind.

Common issues:

• No dashboard set up

• Using random reports that came with the system

• No one knows what metrics actually matter

Why it matters: Without good reporting, you don’t know:

• Where your leads are coming from

• What your best salespeople are doing

• What’s holding up deals

What to do instead:

• Create dashboards for different roles (sales, marketing, leadership)

• Focus on a few key metrics – don’t overwhelm yourself

• Use filters to segment data meaningfully

• Review weekly in team meetings

Freelancer tip:

“A good dashboard should answer questions before you even ask them. Keep it clean and focused.” – Danielle, HubSpot reporting specialist