The HubSpot Data Model
The HubSpot data model — the Smart CRM — is how HubSpot stores your business as objects, properties and associations. Standard objects (contacts, companies, deals, tickets) plus custom objects hold records; properties hold their fields; and associations link records together so every team works from one connected source of truth.
Key takeaways
- Objects = record types (contacts, companies, deals, tickets, custom objects).
- Properties = the fields on a record; associations = the links between records.
- All reporting runs off this one model — clean structure is what makes HubSpot trustworthy.
Objects: the building blocks
| Object | Represents |
|---|---|
| Contacts | Individual people |
| Companies | Organizations |
| Deals | Revenue opportunities |
| Tickets | Support / service requests |
| Custom objects | Anything specific to your business model |
Properties and associations
Properties are the fields that describe a record (a contact's lifecycle stage, a deal's amount). Associations are the relationships between records — a contact works at a company, a deal is associated with both. Association labels add meaning to those links (e.g. “decision maker,” “billing contact”).
Why the model matters
Every list, report and automation in HubSpot reads from this structure. If objects, properties and associations are modeled to match how your business actually works, reporting is trustworthy and automation is reliable. If they're not, no dashboard will save you — which is why data-model design is the foundation of any serious implementation.
Frequently asked questions
What objects does HubSpot have?
The standard CRM objects are contacts, companies, deals and tickets, plus activities and — on higher tiers — custom objects you define for your own business model.
What is the HubSpot Smart CRM?
Smart CRM is HubSpot's name for the unified data layer underneath all its hubs — the single set of objects, properties and associations that Marketing, Sales and Service all share.
What's the difference between standard and custom objects?
Standard objects (contacts, companies, deals, tickets) ship with HubSpot. Custom objects let you model records unique to your business — like subscriptions, properties or shipments — with their own properties and associations.
Related service: Design your HubSpot data model with Superwork