HubSpot is powerful when configured properly and a mess when it's not. Set up your instance correctly from the start so your data stays clean and your team trusts the system.
I've onboarded dozens of companies onto HubSpot, and I can tell you this: how you set up your account in the first week determines whether HubSpot becomes your growth engine or just another tool nobody uses properly.
This playbook walks you through the foundational setup that every HubSpot account needs, regardless of whether you're using Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, or both. We're talking teams, users, permissions, domain connection, tracking code, brand assets, and the integrations that actually matter.
These are the exact steps I take my clients through during onboarding. If you're reading this as a client, we're going to work through these chapters together. If you're doing this yourself, I've documented everything so you don't miss the critical bits that come back to bite you three months later.
The goal here isn't to use every feature HubSpot offers. It's to configure the essentials properly so that when you start building campaigns and pipelines, your data is clean, your team has the right access, and nothing breaks.
Let's get your account set up properly.
Configure the core settings that affect everything else in HubSpot: timezone, currency, and default properties. Then connect your website and advertising platforms so data starts flowing into your CRM from day one.
Set up users with the right access levels before they start working in HubSpot. Understand how seats work, create teams that match your organisation, and configure permissions so people see what they need without accessing what they shouldn't.
Upload your visual identity so every email, quote, and document that leaves HubSpot looks consistent. Set default colours, fonts, and logo placement once, then let templates do the work.
All in one CRM with marketing, sales and service, strong when you want one system that teams adopt.
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