Sync Continuity on an Integration (Sugar)

[JTaylor048]

Hey Hubspotters. 

Myself and my team are looking to improve our understanding of the logic behind our Sync. 

Firstly, when 'Record A' is merged into 'Record B' on Hubspot, does 'Record B' keep the same record ID post-merge, as well as its original relationship to 'Record B' on the alternative system? Or does the merging of Records A & B create in effect, a 'Record C'?

Secondly, it seems after a lot of merging on both sides over several months, we effectively have a loose duplicate of merged records on the 'other' side. Does anyone have any data-safe or effective ways to manage this, beyond exporting and mass deleting them?

Thirdly, the category "This record didn't sync because of a HubSpot error." - is it possible to get a greater breakdown of what this error might be? 

If anyone can find an effective and concise bit of documentation on Integration and Sync management I would be more than grateful - it feels very much like we can only see and control half of the factors involved in the sync, and there are other pieces of logic we need to take into account. 

Thank you, 
Jamie T

[danmoyle · Accepted solution]

Hi @JTaylor048 and welcome to the Community! I tested merging Record A into Record B, and the newly merged contact retained Record B's Record ID. 

As for the duplicates on the Sugar side, I'd rely on what @BérangèreL shared to see how to maange that with the integration. 

• Is the sync two-way? Should HubSpot and Sugar be reconciling the contact records?
• What is the sync relying on for the data - record ID or email (HubSpot uses email as the unique identifier)? 

I might also look into third-party integrations tool like Skyvia or Insycle, which may offer more advanced sync and deduplication features.

Hope that helps! 

[JTaylor048]

Hey @danmoyle & @BérangèreL, thanks for such prompt and thoughtful responses. 

@BérangèreL the documentation you sent across has been gleefully disseminated - particularly the pieces detailing the underlying default logic of merges. Much appreciated.

As per the record ID we had tested this somewhat, and it reflects what you have both stated, although when loading 'Record B' the URL in the browser seems to correct itself for a moment, post-merge, before returning to its original value. I'll happily put that down to a trick of the light and box that question off. 

The sync is indeed 2 way, for Deals, Contacts and Accounts. Domain is the common identifier we have opted for.  Not all fields are mutually exclusive, and for the time being the sync prioritises Sugar information on all three. We are essentially seeing records from both sides dropping into no-mans-land when they lose their counterpart, and I am somewhat reticent to mass delete where required. In terms of solutions I will scout out Skyvia or Insycle and weigh up the cost and risk Vs conscientious mass deletion. 

I would like to potentially set rules in place for records past a certain lifecycle stage / status, for instance keeping and reconnecting contacts past SQL stage that have been removed on Sugar's side. Is this feasible?

[danmoyle]

@JTaylor048 For the question on syncing specifics, I'd look into having an inclusion list (I know it's something that works in Salesforce) to manage the sync past a certain lifecycle stage. So I'd look into the documentation to see if that's something Sugar<>HubSpot can do. Apologies, but I haven't used that integration personally so I can't confirm with confidence an answer there. 

[BérangèreL]

Hi @JTaylor048, I hope that you are well!

Great questions, thanks for asking the Community!

1. Merging records
When merging contacts, it will not create a contact C, it will merge into either the contact A or the contact B, depending on what you choose.

Here is an article "What happens when I merge records?" that might be of interest to you.

2. Clean data with Sugar integration
Here is the documentation about the Sugar integration that might help you.

3. Sync error "This record didn't sync because of a HubSpot error."
For this type of error, I would recommend connecting with HubSpot Technical Support, as Support is included in your subscription and they will be able to provide real-time assistance for this matter, including hopping on a screenshare if necessary.

Also, I'd love to put you in touch with some of our Top Experts and some of the Community Members who also use Sugar: Hi @hkampen, @NSepp, @TylerMoll, @ERahman-FC, @johnelmer, @Jnix284 and @danmoyle do you have suggestions to help @JTaylor048, please?

Thanks so much and have a lovely day!

Best,
Bérangère