topic Mass Delete Contacts in Tips, Tricks & Best Practices

Mass Delete Contacts

SThompson74 — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:53:01 GMT

We have abut 25,000 contacts that we want to mass delete. They have no contact owner or activities associated with them. What is the best way to bulk delete contacts that have no activity or associations?

Re: Mass Delete Contacts

karstenkoehler — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:56:21 GMT

Hi @SThompson74,

Bulk deletion is easiest done from the index page: https://knowledge.hubspot.com/records/delete-crm-records#perform-a-restorable-delete-from-the-object-index-page

If you already have you records identified, it's just a few clicks then.

Make sure to think twice about contacts in your selection you might want to keep (exclude customers, contacts with a known next activity date, an open deal, an open ticket, currently in nurturing etc).

Best regards!

Re: Mass Delete Contacts

SamCBarth_LAIRE — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 20:45:29 GMT

@SThompson74 From the contact's table view, you can create a filter of the contact's you want to delete, check the box in the top left of the table and then select all records

From there you can bulk delete - I would recommend exporting these filtered contact's beforehand as a backup

Re: Mass Delete Contacts

EmmaAtKiwi — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:50:23 GMT

Hi @SThompson74! In addition to bulk deleting contact with no ower or activity, you can also set up a workflow to automatically delete contacts like this in the future, so you don't end up with 25k languishing in your portal!

For the enrollment trigger, use Contact Owner is Unknown AND Last Activity Date is Unknown, and consider using Create Date is more than XX number of days. That way you're not deleting new contacts before your team has a chance to reach out!

Re: Mass Delete Contacts

CC_x — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:28:09 GMT

Hello!

I’m in the process of cleaning up our CRM and would like to mass delete contacts that aren’t relevant to us. Many of these were created via the Chrome Sales extension; therefore, agencies we’ve worked with in the past, as well as other one-off/random contacts our commercial team has engaged with but who aren’t actually relevant prospects, clients, or lapsed clients were added to the CRM.

What are the best practices for building a list of these types of contacts to remove?

Which filters would you recommend to identify and segment them into a list?
Is it best practice to first check/review them in a list before removing via a workflow?

Thanks so much!

Re: Mass Delete Contacts

CFAMILYFUNDSL — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 14:59:38 GMT

The system is not allowng me to delete the contacts. When it asks if you wnt to delete the 25 items; only the cancel icon is activated. The delete one stays dull. I'm a single user.

Re: Mass Delete Contacts

chighsmith — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:12:19 GMT

Hi @CC_x,

Thank you for posting to the Community!

I understand that you are in the process of streamlining and organizing your contacts within HubSpot.

I'd like to tag in a Community Champion that may be able to provide some guidance here. Hi @karstenkoehler! Do you have any suggestions for @CC_x on cleaning up Contacts in Hubspot?

Thank you!

Cassie, Community Manager