# form overwrite lifecycle property or not?

**URL:** <https://community.hubspot.com/t/form-overwrite-lifecycle-property-or-not/36587>\
**Category:** Tips, Tricks & Best Practices\
**Tags:** crm\
**Created:** [May 2, 2021, 6:43am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/form-overwrite-lifecycle-property-or-not/36587 "2021-05-02T06:43:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MollyJanet](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/mollyjanet/32/79644_2.png) [@MollyJanet](https://community.hubspot.com/u/MollyJanet)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2021, 6:43am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/form-overwrite-lifecycle-property-or-not/36587/1 "2021-05-02T06:43:03Z")

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If I have a contact that is at Lead, MQL stage or later, and they decide to come to the site and fill out a contact us form, or gateable content form, which has a hidden field to set lifecycle to Subscriber…will that overwrite the stage for my contact, or does HS prevent the backwards step from such automation? [Tweakbox](https://tweakbox.mobi/)

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**Author:** ![karstenkoehler](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/karstenkoehler/32/68554_2.png) [@karstenkoehler](https://community.hubspot.com/u/karstenkoehler)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2021, 6:58am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/form-overwrite-lifecycle-property-or-not/36587/2 "2021-05-02T06:58:13Z")

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Hi @MollyJanet,

Forms can only set a contact’s _Lifecycle stage_ property to a value that is further down the funnel. A form would not be able to override and set it to a lesser value.

Hope this helps!

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**Author:** ![jamesle](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/jamesle/32/97247_2.png) [@jamesle](https://community.hubspot.com/u/jamesle)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/form-overwrite-lifecycle-property-or-not/36587/3 "2021-05-03T15:42:32Z")

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HI @MollyJanet !

HubSpot does prevent a backwards step for lifecycle stages via form submission. Lifecyle stages in general are a ratcheting system that should only move forward.

In order to set a lifecycle stage backwards, you would need to have a workflow clear the current lifecycle stage value then set it to the desired lifecycle stage value.