Creating a report on the change in history of a custom property

[Juliaaa]

Hi Community,

I would like to make a report that shows how a value of a custom property has changed over time.

For example, I created a custom company property (type: number) called, "Registered Users". On the first day of each month, I update this property for a number of companies. Let's say that for company HubSpot, the property was changed based on the following:

May 1st - Registered Users = 50

June 1st - Registered Users = 60

July 1st - Registered Users = 45

I would like to build a line graph on that particular company will show the number of Registered Users across time (X axis - date by month / Y axis - number count). Or alternatively, I would like to build a table graph on all companies (rows - Company Name / columns - date by month).

The main point is that the property value might change each month and I would like to see how that property has changed over time.

Is this possible in HubSpot? Many thanks in advance for your replies!

[TomM2 · Accepted solution]

Hey @Juliaaa this wouldn't currently be possible, HubSpot reports work off the current value of a property, which would overwrite the older properties. 

So if this property changes from "50" to "60" it doesn't recognise that as a "growth" it would just recognise it as a new value.

If it is just for a single company record, you can easily get the historical information though, if you navigate to the company record, find your property and hover over it, there should be a "see history" button which will show you all historical values and their change date. There's a great article on this here. 

[ImpactPilot]

Hi There

We have built a solution (in beta) for this in ImpactPilot.io where you can take a property and then visualise it over time.

How it works:
1. Determine properties that you want to visualise over time (company record only for now)

2. Build a graph

3. Embedd graph in HubSpot

Demo video here: https://secure.vormats.com/engage/cb9549b9-6c17-4a12-9c0b-275af741620a

You can sign up to the beta by emailing support@impactpilot.io

[DaveParry]

Neat solution - thanks @ImpactPilot . I hope HubSpot don't go and develop the functionality natively now! Given progress to date on this, I think you are safe. Any indications on pricing at this stage? I have developed a hack (see below) where the values are stored in custom objects, but this needs Enterprise - whereas yours will work all the way down to Starter right?

I like the filters active in the embedded chart too.

I know I am being greedy here, but can you embed it on the Overview tab of an object (such as a company) and have it auto filter to that record (as it does with native HubSpot reports?)

Dave

[ImpactPilot]

Thanks @DaveParry .

We actually would not mind this being built natively in HubSpot; we're a customer success add-on for HubSpot and this was one of the main blockers for CS teams to work in HubSpot so we added it.

At the moment it's free of charge in the beta program for one month. We ask for feedback in return 🙂

Re embedding on the object itself: it's actually something we're looking to doing but figuring out the best way forward. 

[DaveParry]

You can achieve this if you have Sales Ent and Ops Pro. Create a Custom Object for the data you want to report on, then have a scheduled workflow create a record at a set interval. You can then report on the custom object. If you add this to the overview tab of a deal, it is especially effective!

Dave

david.parry@wellmeadow.co.uk

[WRowland9]

Dave - interesting I hadn't thought of a new Custom Object being created for the "Registered Users" monthly use case that @Juliaaa mentions in her original post above.  So for her use case - you would suggest a Custom Object called "Registered Users" that is associated to the relevant Company standard object somehow - and then every Month a workflow runs to create a new record for that Custom Object ?

[DaveParry · Accepted solution]

Exactly Walter. If the workflow creating the custom object is triggered by a company object (e.g. create date is known) then it will form the association for you.

I tend to create a non-unique field for the new object with the record id of the associated object (the company), and also set a date property for the snapshot date as well as the value itself (in this case 'registered users').

This then charts nicely in a custom report. As I said above, you could even then put this in the overview tab of the original object (the company) and it will filter just for that object for you. Neat.

Shout if someone needs a walk through.

[AKo1]

Hi @DaveParry, I definitely need a bit of a walk through if you're able.

I'm trying to acomplish the exact same thing as the original poster. I have ops pro and sales enterprise. Can you help break it down for me in simpler terms or attach some screenshots of the workflow and reports?

I'm freshly back to Hubspot after a few years, and am getting stuck on the workflow creation stage and how to create a record for just that one property and to have that associated with the specific company to then later report on. 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[WRowland9]

@DaveParry  - seems like HubSpot is heading in the right direction w/ their new private beta called "Property Change Event" - have you had a chance to check this out?

Instructions for Property Change Event beta 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bC3Uxy3SB2JTqW-ZKTyLP_ODkWo0V-8EMGwn27iyEyQ/edit#heading=h.oc4fq...

[DaveParry]

@WRowland9 - sounds interesting. Thanks for tagging me. I'll check it out.

[NElkayam]

Very basic functionality which must be supported OOB and IS supported by most of the CRM's - not sure why HS manage the data but not allow reporting

[TomM2 · Accepted solution]

Hey @Juliaaa this wouldn't currently be possible, HubSpot reports work off the current value of a property, which would overwrite the older properties. 

So if this property changes from "50" to "60" it doesn't recognise that as a "growth" it would just recognise it as a new value.

If it is just for a single company record, you can easily get the historical information though, if you navigate to the company record, find your property and hover over it, there should be a "see history" button which will show you all historical values and their change date. There's a great article on this here. 

[BZekowski]

Is this still not possible?

[Juliaaa]

Thanks Tom! Some food for thought - it would be great if HubSpot would come up with a feature that lets you build reports on the history change of a custom property.