If your sales and marketing teams are stuck in the “copy-paste and pray” cycle between Salesforce and HubSpot, you’re not alone. Mapping fields between these two platforms is confusing, easy to mess up, and, if you’re unlucky, can trigger data chaos that takes weeks to clean up. This guide is for anyone who’s been handed the “just sync it” project—and wants to do it right the first time.
We’ll walk through how to actually map Salesforce fields to HubSpot using Syncari, an integration tool that promises to make this less painful. I’ll share what actually matters, which features to ignore, and how to avoid blowing up your contact database.
Before You Start: Know What You’re Up Against
Let’s be clear: mapping Salesforce fields to HubSpot isn’t magic. The data models are different, field names rarely match up perfectly, and every company’s setup is a little weird.
Here’s what you need before you start:
- Admin access to Salesforce, HubSpot, and Syncari.
- A list of the actual fields you care about syncing. Not every field, just the ones you use.
- A sense of who “owns” the data if there’s a conflict.
- 30 minutes to an hour where nobody is pinging you.
Pro tip: Don’t try to sync everything. Start with core fields—think First Name, Last Name, Email, Company Name, Lead Status. You can always add more later.
Step 1: Get Your Salesforce and HubSpot Accounts Connected in Syncari
First, you need Syncari talking to both platforms. This step is mostly click-work, but don’t rush it. If you mess up permissions here, nothing else will work.
1.1 Connect Salesforce
- In Syncari, go to the Data Sources area.
- Click Add Source and choose Salesforce.
- Enter your Salesforce login. Use a dedicated integration user if you can—don’t use your personal admin account.
- Grant only the permissions Syncari needs (usually read/write on the objects you’ll sync).
- Test the connection before saving.
1.2 Connect HubSpot
- Repeat the process for HubSpot: Add Source > HubSpot.
- Log in and authorize Syncari.
- Again, use a dedicated integration user if possible.
What can go wrong:
The most common issues here are permission errors and expired tokens. If Syncari can’t see your custom fields, double-check that the integration user has API access to them.
Step 2: Inventory Your Fields (Don’t Skip This)
You’re tempted to just start mapping fields. Don’t. Take ten minutes to list the fields you actually want to sync. This will save you a week of headaches later.
- In Salesforce: Export a list of fields from the object you care about (usually Leads or Contacts).
- In HubSpot: Do the same for Contacts (or Companies, if you’re syncing those).
What to look for:
- Fields with similar names but different formats (e.g., “Lead Status” in Salesforce vs. “Lifecycle Stage” in HubSpot).
- Fields that exist in one system but not the other.
- Picklists/dropdowns—these almost never match up one-to-one.
Pro tip:
Mark which fields are required in either system. Syncing into a required field that’s blank will throw errors.
Step 3: Create Your Field Mappings in Syncari
This is the meat of the process. Syncari tries to auto-map fields when possible, but double-check everything. Automation here is only as smart as your Salesforce and HubSpot setups—so, not very.
3.1 Start a New Sync
- In Syncari, create a new Sync Pipeline.
- Pick the objects to sync (e.g., Salesforce Leads ↔ HubSpot Contacts).
3.2 Map the Fields
- Syncari will show you both sets of fields.
- For each field you want to sync, drag and drop to map Salesforce fields to HubSpot fields.
- For fields that don’t exist on one side, you can:
- Skip them (often the right move)
- Create a custom field in HubSpot (can get messy, use sparingly)
- Use Syncari’s transformation features (for things like combining First and Last Name)
What works:
Mapping simple text and number fields is usually smooth. Problems start with picklists, dates, and custom fields.
What doesn’t:
Trying to sync every field. You’ll end up with a mess of unmapped or broken fields, and nobody will know what’s going where.
Step 4: Handle Data Types and Field Values
Not all fields are created equal. Salesforce and HubSpot often use different data types—especially for dates, numbers, and picklists.
- Picklists:
- Make sure the values match. “Qualified” in Salesforce might be “Sales Qualified Lead” in HubSpot.
- Use Syncari’s value mapping to translate between options.
- Dates:
- Double-check time zones. Salesforce is often UTC, HubSpot might use local time.
- Emails:
- These should be 1:1, but watch out for duplicates or formatting issues.
- Owner fields:
- “Owner” in Salesforce is usually a user, but in HubSpot it may be an email or name. Map carefully.
Pro tip:
If in doubt, run a test sync with just a couple of records first. Check how the data lands in HubSpot before syncing your whole database.
Step 5: Set Up Sync Rules and Conflict Handling
This is where things get tricky. What happens if the same field is updated in both systems at the same time? Who wins?
- Choose a Source of Truth:
- For each field, decide which system “owns” it. For example, maybe Salesforce owns Lead Status, but HubSpot owns Email Subscription.
- Set Up Conflict Rules in Syncari:
- You can usually pick: “Salesforce wins,” “HubSpot wins,” or “most recent change wins.”
- Be explicit. Don’t leave it on default unless you like surprises.
What to ignore:
Don’t try to set up fancy bidirectional syncs for every field on day one. Start simple—one-way sync for most fields, and add complexity later if you really need it.
Step 6: Test Your Field Mapping
Never trust a sync you haven’t tested. Run a small batch (5–10 records) through your new mapping.
- Watch for:
- Fields that don’t populate
- Weird formatting (dates, picklists)
- Duplicates or overwrites
- Check both Salesforce and HubSpot to see how the data looks.
If something’s off:
Go back to Syncari and adjust your mappings or value translations. Don’t be afraid to delete and start over—better now than after 10,000 records go sideways.
Step 7: Turn On the Sync (and Monitor Closely)
Once your test runs look good, fire up the real sync. But don’t walk away just yet.
- Monitor the first few sync cycles closely.
- Set up alerts for errors (Syncari will usually email you if something fails).
- Check for silent failures—fields that look fine but aren’t updating as expected.
Pro tip:
Keep a log of what you mapped, when you did it, and any weird workarounds. Future you (or your replacement) will thank you.
Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
- Trying to sync too much too soon. Start with a handful of critical fields. Add the rest later.
- Ignoring field formats. If a field is a picklist in Salesforce but a free-text in HubSpot, you’ll get junk data.
- Not communicating with your team. If Marketing adds a new field in HubSpot, and you’re not syncing it, someone will be grumpy.
- Assuming auto-mapping is correct. It rarely is. Double-check.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Don’t try to build the perfect sync on round one. The best integrations are simple, well-documented, and easy to update when (not if) things change. Get the basics right, test, and add complexity only as you need it.
If you hit a wall, remember: most field mapping headaches are caused by trying to do too much. Start with the essentials, make sure it works, and build from there. Good luck—and back up your data before you start.