HubSpot User Management Overview

HubSpot provides comprehensive user management capabilities to control who can access your portal and what they can do. This guide covers HubSpot-specific user administration for agencies, teams, and enterprises.

User Management Basics

What is a HubSpot User?

A user in HubSpot is anyone with login access to your HubSpot portal, including:

• Internal team members (marketing, sales, service)
• Agencies and consultants
• Contractors and freelancers
• Partners with limited access

User Seats and Pricing

HubSpot users are limited by your subscription:

Free & Starter:

• Limited to 2 users (Free) or varies by plan
• Upgrade for more users

Professional & Enterprise:

• Includes set number of seats
• Purchase additional seats as needed

Note: Some roles (e.g., Sales seats) require specific hub subscriptions.

Types of Users

Internal Users

Team Members:

• Full-time employees
• Require seat licenses
• Can have various permission levels

Access:

• Full portal access (depending on role)
• Can access CMS, Marketing, Sales, Service tools
• Assigned to specific teams

External Users

Agency/Consultant Access:

• Partner accounts with delegated access
• Don't count against your seat limit
• Can have restricted permissions

Website Contributors:

• Limited CMS access
• Can edit content but not settings
• Useful for contractors, writers

User Roles Overview

HubSpot has several predefined roles. See Roles & Permissions for detailed breakdown.

Common Roles

Custom Roles

Enterprise only: Create custom roles with specific permissions:

• Choose exact tools users can access
• Control granular permissions
• Create role templates for teams

Where to Access User Management

HubSpot Portal Settings

1. Click Settings (gear icon) in top navigation
2. Navigate to Users & Teams
3. Tabs available:
   • Users - Add, edit, remove users
   • Teams - Organize users into teams
   • Permission Sets - Custom permissions (Enterprise)

Quick User Actions

Add User:

• Settings → Users & Teams → Add User

Edit User:

• Settings → Users & Teams → Click user name → Edit

Remove User:

• Settings → Users & Teams → Click user → Actions → Deactivate

User Management Best Practices

1. Principle of Least Privilege

Give users only the permissions they need:

• Start with minimal access
• Add permissions as needed
• Regular audit of user permissions

Example:

• Blog writer → Website Contributor (not Super Admin)
• Content editor → Website Editor
• Agency partner → Specific tool access only

2. Use Teams for Organization

Group users by:

• Department (Marketing, Sales)
• Function (Content, Design)
• Location (Office location)
• Project (Campaign teams)

Benefits:

• Easier permission management
• Content ownership tracking
• Reporting by team

3. Regular User Audits

Monthly review:

• Active users still need access?
• Permissions still appropriate?
• Former employees deactivated?

Compliance:

• Required for SOC 2, ISO 27001
• Best practice for security
• Reduces unnecessary seat costs

4. Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Requirement: Highly recommended for Super Admins

Setup:

1. User profile → Security
2. Enable 2FA
3. Use authenticator app or SMS

Enterprise: Can require 2FA for all users

5. Document User Roles

Maintain documentation of:

• Who has what role
• Why they have that access
• When access was granted
• Review date

Common User Management Scenarios

Scenario 1: Adding Agency Access

Need: Give agency CMS access without using seats

Solution:

1. Agency creates HubSpot Partner account
2. You grant delegated access from Settings
3. Agency logs in through partner portal
4. Doesn't count against your user limit

See Adding Users.

Scenario 2: Content Team Setup

Need: Multiple writers and editors for blog

Solution:

• Writers: Website Contributor role (blog posts only)
• Editors: Website Editor role (all content)
• Manager: Marketing or Super Admin role

Create "Content Team" in Teams for organization.

Scenario 3: Contractor Access

Need: Temporary access for contractor

Solution:

1. Add user with minimal permissions
2. Set calendar reminder for access review
3. Deactivate when project ends
4. User seat can be reassigned

Scenario 4: Multi-Site Management

Need: Different users for different business units

Solution (Enterprise):

• Use partitioning to separate data
• Create teams per business unit
• Assign content by team
• Use permission sets for access control

Security Considerations

Access Control

Critical settings to protect:

• Site Header/Footer HTML (tracking codes)
• DNS settings
• Domain connections
• Billing information
• User management

Recommendation: Only Super Admins should access these.

API Keys and Tokens

Private App Access Tokens:

• Used for integrations and API calls
• Manage in Settings → Integrations → Private Apps
• Only create with necessary scopes
• Regular rotation recommended

Caution: Never share API keys publicly or commit to code repositories.

Session Management

HubSpot sessions:

• 12-hour timeout (default)
• Can't customize timeout
• Users must re-authenticate after timeout

Best practice: Log out of shared computers.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Enterprise feature: Integrate with identity provider

• Google Workspace
• Microsoft Azure AD
• Okta
• OneLogin

Benefits:

• Centralized user management
• Enforced security policies
• Easier onboarding/offboarding

User Seats and Billing

Understanding Seat Limits

Seats included in subscription:

• Varies by plan (Starter, Professional, Enterprise)
• Separate seats for Marketing, Sales, Service, CMS

Example:

• Marketing Professional: 3 paid user seats
• Need 5 users? Purchase 2 additional seats

Managing Seat Allocation

Check current usage:

1. Settings → Users & Teams → Users
2. Top right shows "X of Y users"

If at limit:

• Deactivate unused users
• Purchase additional seats
• Evaluate user roles (some don't require seats)

Cost Optimization

Strategies:

• Deactivate inactive users promptly
• Use agency partner access instead of seats
• Assign minimal necessary roles
• Regular user audits

Monitoring User Activity

Activity Logs

View user actions:

• Settings → Users & Teams → Activity Log
• See user logins, changes, exports

Audit trail includes:

• User additions/removals
• Permission changes
• Settings modifications
• Data exports

Retention: 90 days (Professional), longer for Enterprise

Login History

Track authentication:

• Last login time
• Login frequency
• Failed login attempts

Security monitoring:

• Unusual login patterns
• Multiple failed attempts
• Logins from new locations

HubSpot Teams

Creating Teams

1. Settings → Users & Teams → Teams
2. Click Create team
3. Name team
4. Add users
5. Save

Team Use Cases

Content ownership:

• Assign pages/posts to teams
• Filter content by team
• Track team performance

Reporting:

• View analytics by team
• Compare team productivity
• Attribution by team

Collaboration:

• Shared content calendars
• Team-specific workflows
• Internal notifications

Integrations and User Management

Connected Apps

Manage in Settings → Integrations → Connected Apps

Users can connect personal accounts:

• Gmail
• Google Calendar
• Microsoft Outlook
• Slack

Admin control:

• Can disable specific integrations portal-wide
• View which users connected what

Marketplace Apps

Installed apps may:

• Request specific user permissions
• Have own user management
• Sync with HubSpot users

Review: Settings → Integrations → Marketing → Installed apps

Compliance and Governance

GDPR and Data Access

User rights:

• Access own data
• Export data
• Data retention policies

Admin responsibilities:

• Control who can export contact data
• Monitor data access
• Implement data handling policies

Audit Requirements

For compliance (SOC 2, ISO, HIPAA):

• Regular user access reviews
• Document permission changes
• Maintain activity logs
• Enforce MFA for admins

Troubleshooting

User Can't Log In

Check:

1. User is active (not deactivated)
2. Email is correct
3. Password reset sent
4. Not SSO issue (if applicable)
5. HubSpot status page (no outage)

User Can't Access Feature

Verify:

1. User role includes permission
2. Feature available in subscription
3. No team restrictions
4. No custom permission sets blocking access

Seat Limit Reached

Solutions:

1. Deactivate inactive users
2. Purchase additional seats
3. Use agency partner access
4. Evaluate if user needs account

Next Steps

Learn more about specific user management tasks:

• Roles & Permissions - Detailed role breakdown
• Adding/Removing Users - Step-by-step guides

For general HubSpot concepts, see HubSpot CMS Hub Overview.