HubSpot user setup: managing users, seats, teams and permissions
User setup in HubSpot defines who can access your account, what they can do and how activity and notifications are structured.
Proper configuration of users, seats, permissions, teams and notifications helps protect your data, supports efficient collaboration and ensures users only have access appropriate to their role.
User management is handled from Settings → Users & Teams and should be reviewed regularly as roles, responsibilities and subscriptions change.
HubSpot guide:
Add and remove HubSpot users
User seats
User seats define which tools a user can access within HubSpot and are directly linked to your subscription and billing.
Different seat types provide access to different functionality, and the number of paid seats available may depend on your HubSpot contract.
Key considerations
- Seat availability is linked to your subscription and billing limits
- Assigning a paid seat when it is not required can increase costs
- Seat usage should be reviewed regularly, particularly for inactive users
HubSpot guide:
Add and remove HubSpot users
Adding users
Admins can invite new users to the HubSpot account and assign the appropriate seat, team, permissions and notification profile.
Users are added from Settings → Users & Teams and receive an invitation by email.
During setup, admins can assign:
- A seat type, where required
- Teams
- Permission sets or presets
- A notification profile
Key considerations
- Only assign paid seats where the user's role requires them
- Use permission presets where appropriate to maintain consistency
- New users should be given only the level of access required for their role
HubSpot guide:
Add and remove HubSpot users
Removing or deactivating users
When someone leaves your organisation or no longer requires HubSpot access, their account should be removed or deactivated promptly.
This helps reduce security and compliance risks.
When removing access, you may need to:
- Deactivate the user
- Remove paid seats
- Reassign records they own, such as contacts, deals or tickets
Key considerations
- Reassign CRM record ownership before removing a user where required
- Removing a user can free up their seat for reuse
- Inactive users should be reviewed regularly
HubSpot guide:
Add and remove HubSpot users
Managing seat changes over time
User requirements can change as roles and responsibilities develop.
Admins may need to:
- Upgrade or downgrade seat types
- Remove paid seats from inactive users
- Reallocate seats to new team members
Seat changes can affect billing, tool access and data ownership, so changes should be controlled and documented.
Teams
Teams allow you to group HubSpot users logically, for example by department, region or business function.
Teams can be used to support access control, ownership and reporting.
Key considerations
- Teams should reflect your organisational structure
- Teams can be used within permissions, reporting and automation
- Poorly structured teams can make access control and reporting more difficult to manage
HubSpot guide:
Create and manage teams
Permission sets
Permission sets define what actions users are allowed to perform in HubSpot.
This can include permissions for activities such as:
- Viewing data
- Editing data
- Exporting data
- Deleting data
Permission sets can help organisations apply the principle of least privilege by giving users only the access required for their role.
Key considerations
- Permissions should be based on roles rather than individual preferences
- Admin and other sensitive permissions should be limited to a small number of appropriate users
- Permissions should be reviewed regularly, particularly when responsibilities change
HubSpot guide:
Create permission sets
Permission presets
Permission presets allow admins to assign predefined permission configurations to users.
They can help improve consistency and reduce manual setup errors when onboarding multiple users.
Key considerations
- Presets should align with standard roles such as Sales Rep, Marketer or Admin
- Changes to a preset may affect multiple users
- Presets can support more scalable user management as your organisation grows
HubSpot guide:
Create and manage permission presets
Notification profiles
Notification profiles control which in-app and email notifications users receive.
Creating role-appropriate notification profiles can help reduce unnecessary notifications and give users a more manageable HubSpot experience.
Key considerations
- Excessive notifications can reduce adoption and effectiveness
- Notification profiles should be tailored to different roles
- Users can still personalise notifications within the options available to them
HubSpot guide:
Create and manage notification profiles
Governance and responsibility
User and seat management is an important part of maintaining a secure and well-governed HubSpot account.
Your organisation should:
- Review users and seats regularly
- Avoid assigning unnecessary paid seats
- Handle leavers and role changes promptly
- Restrict sensitive permissions appropriately
- Keep access aligned with users' current responsibilities
HubSpot provides the tools for managing access, but your organisation is responsible for ensuring user access is configured correctly.
What to remember
Good user setup is about giving each person the access they need without providing unnecessary permissions or paid functionality.
Regularly reviewing users, seats, teams, permissions and notifications can help reduce security risk, control costs and keep your HubSpot account easier to manage as your organisation changes.