Dynamic property fields

[yatishm]

Hi there

1. Is it possible to have contact and company (or any record really) properties to be dynamic? Eg. to create a field call "department" and have it populate a dropdown type listing departments our custom API can provide?

2. Can the HubSpot user property be filtered by a certain number of users? Or potentially by a custom user field / team? Eg. Create a role field per Hubspot user? Or list only users in a team for the HubSpot user property?

Thank you

[MFrankJohnson · Accepted solution]

Original Questions>>

1. Is it possible to have contact and company (or any record really) properties to be dynamic? Eg. to create a field call "department" and have it populate a dropdown type listing departments our custom API can provide?

2. Can the HubSpot user property be filtered by a certain number of users? Or potentially by a custom user field / team? Eg. Create a role field per Hubspot user? Or list only users in a team for the HubSpot user property?

Short Answer: No. Not built-in native HubSpot functionality.

Longer Answer:
Sounds like you're trying to apply HubDB dynamic page-building concepts to core HubSpot Contact or Company properties.

Help answer your question? If so, remember to accept this solution now.

Best,
Frank

Chief HubSpot Consultant

---

MFrankJohnson.com | Perfect HubSpot Series | Connect on LinkedIn

Help find posts quickly ... accept this solution now.

[Phil_Vallender · Accepted solution]

Hi @yatishm 

It looks to me like #1 might be possible with the create/update contact properties API. Since you mention using an API to provide the values, I'm assuming this might be possible for your team. Take a look at the Update a contact property API documentation. 

#2 - Are you talking about the contact owner property here? 

Hope this helps.

[yatishm]

Thanks @Phil_Vallender - yeah, seems the update contact property does the job.

Yeah, I am referring to the hubspot user property field type. So I wonder if instead of a dropdown with a list ALL the current users on CRM, we could rather have only a selected number of them filtered by a 'tag' of some sort. Eg.

If we want to associate a project manager property to a company for example, we can list only project managers in the dropdown. I guess the 1st questions answer could be used here hey?

@MFrankJohnson Why would you say it is destructive? Is it because of the fact that on updating a property it replaces the values instead of appends?

Thank you

[MFrankJohnson]

"... dynamically modify a property's options once created. (potentially very destructive)"

Yes. That comment speaks to your original question #1 ...

"1. Is it possible to have contact and company (or any record really) properties to be dynamic? Eg. to create a field call "department" and have it populate a dropdown type listing departments our custom API can provide?"

Dynamically modifying a property's OPTIONS once created (and used) could easily destroy (or make invalid) existing data in the CRM. HubSpot even warns you when making changes to existing options via the UI. Doing so en mass via the API could be "potentially very destructive".

For example ...

-1- A property named 'Department' (using your example) has 'Information Technolgy' listed as an option, and 'Information Technology' is selected as the Department for a few hundred Contacts.

-2- Now, we go in (either manually or via the API) and update the OPTION 'Information Technology' to 'IT'.

Result: Since 'Information Technology' is no longer a valid option, all Contacts which previously had 'Information Technogy' selected now have an invalid Department. This is just one potentially destructive scenario we encounter when dynamically updating options for a property.

[yatishm]

Thanks @MFrankJohnson 

Yeah, thought as much and am aware of that as a case that it could be risky. Do you perhaps know of the usage of that scenario. I.e having a dynamic property that is updated or at least up to date with correct data real time. Amongst current Hubspot CRM users?

It is an attractive and useful feature I would say but am a unsure of the stability of trying it out.  I.e. if fields a updated in a controlled and consistent manner, it may be valuable and advised? All I am trying to get at is that automation trumps manual updates 🙂

[MFrankJohnson]

Good point @Phil_Vallender -- the Update a Contact Property API call will 'update' a contact property.

While we can CREATE a Contact Property via the API, don't see a way to dynamically modify a property's options once created. (potentially very destructive)

Hope that helps.

Best,
Frank

Chief HubSpot Consultant

---

MFrankJohnson.com | Perfect HubSpot Series | Connect on LinkedIn

Help find posts quickly ... accept this solution now.

[MFrankJohnson · Accepted solution]

Original Questions>>

1. Is it possible to have contact and company (or any record really) properties to be dynamic? Eg. to create a field call "department" and have it populate a dropdown type listing departments our custom API can provide?

2. Can the HubSpot user property be filtered by a certain number of users? Or potentially by a custom user field / team? Eg. Create a role field per Hubspot user? Or list only users in a team for the HubSpot user property?

Short Answer: No. Not built-in native HubSpot functionality.

Longer Answer:
Sounds like you're trying to apply HubDB dynamic page-building concepts to core HubSpot Contact or Company properties.

Help answer your question? If so, remember to accept this solution now.

Best,
Frank

Chief HubSpot Consultant

---

MFrankJohnson.com | Perfect HubSpot Series | Connect on LinkedIn

Help find posts quickly ... accept this solution now.