Original Source via Custom Property Best Practice

[TLarson5]

Hey everyone, 

Looking for some ideas or best practices around the follwing scenario, specifically how to keep it as "clean" as possible. 

So my current org uses Wistia for both video management and for webinars. When I look at records created via the wistia integration, they come in as follows: 

• Original Traffice Source = Offline sources
• Original Traffic Source Drill-down 1 = INTEGRATION
• Original Traffic Source Drill-down 2 = Wistia

As you can gather, right now I'm unable to differentiate between records created by the wistia webinars we run and the records who fill out a form at the end of a video play. 

I know you can't edit the above properties, and I'll probably have to create custom ones & stamp values via a workflow to be able to split the 2 audiences - to know who was created from webinar activities vs a video form submission. 

If I go this path, is it recommended to mirrio all 3 original source values with custom properities? If I'm currently using a contacts created by day report, will I be able to scoop these up in that report and use the custom proprties to be able to show the 2 different activities in that report? 

Again, looking for ideas here. Thanks!

[Markestac]

Hi @TLarson5,

I'd agree with Karsten's response here. I would aim for minimal redundancy to avoid confusion and reduce room for error in your lists and reports.Let your reporting requirements guide your setup:

1) If you're okay using the existing Original Source Drill-down 2 (which shows Wistia), then you only need to clone that one.

2) But if your reporting requires seeing "Wistia" as the main Source (level 0), then you'd need to replicate all three levels though that does introduce more complexity.

When setting up workflows to stamp your custom fields, don’t forget to set the correct re-enrollment triggers for example, based on "is known" to catch repeat interactions.

Let me know if you want help creating workflow or custom fields.

Thank you! 

[ArisudanTiwari]

Hi @TLarson5 ,

You’re right,  HubSpot’s default Original Source fields are great for broad attribution, but they don’t offer enough detail to separate things like Wistia webinar signups vs. video form fills.

The best approach is to use custom properties and workflows to tag contacts based on what they actually did. Just be careful not to overcomplicate things, as @karstenkoehler  also pointed out.

Here's a simple way to go about it:

1. Decide how much detail you need
If “Wistia Webinar” vs. “Video Form” is enough, one custom property (like Custom Source Detail) might do the trick. If your reporting needs more structure, you can mirror all three source levels, just know that’s more to manage.

2. Use workflows to tag contacts
Base them on things like form name, page URL, or video title. Then stamp your custom property with values like “Webinar” or “Video Form.”
Don’t forget to enable re-enrollment (based on "property is known") so updates aren’t missed.

3. Keep it clean
Use consistent naming and, if you’re on Enterprise, set those custom fields to read-only for non-admins.

4. Use in reporting
Custom source fields work great in filters and breakdowns, like “Contacts created by day,” split by source.

5. Add UTM tags
If possible, use UTM parameters in your Wistia forms or links to make tagging even more accurate.


Helpful HubSpot resources:

https://knowledge.hubspot.com/properties/create-and-edit-properties
https://knowledge.hubspot.com/workflows/create-workflows
https://knowledge.hubspot.com/workflows/add-re-enrollment-triggers-to-a-workflow
https://community.hubspot.com/t5/Reporting-Analytics/Track-UTM-Parameters/m-p/776761
https://knowledge.hubspot.com/properties/restrict-view-edit-access-for-properties

[karstenkoehler · Accepted solution]

Hi @TLarson5,

Overall, I would aim for as little redundancy here as possible. Everything that you maintain unnecessarily is a source of confusion (when building lists, reports etc) and potentially error.

I would mostly let your reporting requirements inform your decision. For example, if you're fine with looking at drill-down 2 to identify whether a contact was created through Wistia, then only create a clone of that drill-down 2 property. If however you want to be able to distinguish on level 0, you would of course have to also clone level 0 and 1.

It's not necessarily wrong, it just adds more complexity to your portal.

In any case, when you do set up the workflows to copy the information over, make sure you don't forget the correct re-enrollment settings (re-enroll based on "is known"). Also, it looks like you're on an Enterprise subscription in which case I would set the property clones to view-only for everyone but super admins: https://knowledge.hubspot.com/properties/restrict-view-edit-access-for-properties

Best regards