HubSpot seat types: understanding the different seat options
HubSpot has three main seat types that determine what users can do within the platform.
Choosing the right seat is important because different users need different levels of access depending on how they use HubSpot.
View-Only Seat
A View-Only Seat is designed for people who need visibility into HubSpot but don't need to edit information or actively manage tools.
This can be suitable for directors, executives and other stakeholders who primarily need to review information such as dashboards, reports or KPIs.
Example: A CFO who needs to review performance reports without making changes within HubSpot.
Core Seat
A Core Seat is designed for users who actively work within and manage HubSpot.
It gives users the ability to perform activities such as:
- Editing data
- Building assets
- Managing workflows
- Running reports
Core Seats can be suitable for marketers, administrators, developers and operations teams responsible for managing campaigns, data or system settings.
Example: A marketing manager creating and sending emails, or an operations lead maintaining integrations.
Sales & Service Seat
A Sales & Service Seat is designed for users working directly in sales or customer service.
It includes the capabilities of a Core Seat, alongside additional features used for selling and supporting customers.
These can include:
- Calling
- Emailing
- Playbooks
- Ticket management
- Forecasting
- Conversation routing
This seat can be suitable for sales representatives and customer support teams who use HubSpot as part of their day-to-day customer interactions.
Example: A sales representative prospecting within HubSpot, or a support agent managing live chats and tickets.
Choosing the right HubSpot seat
The most important question to ask when assigning a seat is:
What does this person actually need to do in HubSpot?
A user's daily activities should determine the seat they need rather than their job title alone.
For example, two people with similar job titles may need different seats if one simply reviews information while the other actively creates, edits or manages work within HubSpot.
Understanding what each person needs to do will help you choose the most appropriate seat for their role.