Configure buyer intent in Hubspot step by step

Buyer intent data in Hubspot helps your sales and marketing teams quickly identify prospects who are actively researching your brand so you can prioritize outreach and improve conversions.

This guide walks through how to configure intent topics, manage alerts, and use contact lists based on intent signals, following the official workflow and settings.

What buyer intent in Hubspot can do for you

Buyer intent data surfaces when prospects research your company across third-party websites and ad networks that participate in Hubspot partner ecosystems.

With proper setup, you can:

Identify accounts showing strong research behavior.
Alert sales reps when activity spikes.
Build lists that segment contacts by intent level.
Improve lead scoring and follow-up timing.

Configuration is controlled in your reporting and data settings. Access to the feature depends on your subscription and connected integrations.

Accessing buyer intent settings in Hubspot

Before adjusting topics or alerts, you must navigate to the buyer intent configuration area inside Hubspot.

Sign in to your account as a user with appropriate permissions.
Open your settings menu from the main navigation.
Browse to the reporting or data management section where buyer intent is listed as an option.
Select the buyer intent configuration screen to view current topics, sources, and alert rules.

The exact labels and navigation may vary depending on language and account type, but the buyer intent section will centralize all intent-related settings.

Configuring intent topics in Hubspot

Intent topics define what types of research behavior matter for your organization. Configuring these topics ensures that Hubspot only surfaces relevant interest signals.

Review default intent topics in Hubspot

Most accounts start with a set of default intent topics based on common business themes and industries. To review them:

Open the buyer intent settings page.
Locate the list of active topics and any example keywords or categories.
Check which topics are enabled and which are disabled.

Reviewing default topics helps you understand how data will initially be categorized and which signals may or may not be useful for your teams.

Create or adjust custom intent topics

To capture more precise signals, you can usually fine-tune or add topics that match your products, solutions, or target verticals.

Select the option to add or edit a topic.
Enter a short, clear name that describes the research theme.
Add relevant keywords or rules (if available) that define when the topic should be triggered.
Save your changes and confirm that the topic appears in the active list.

Use business-specific terminology and product categories in your custom topics so that intent data corresponds directly to your sales and marketing focus.

Managing buyer intent alerts in Hubspot

Alerts notify team members when an account or contact hits a certain threshold of research activity. Setting these up correctly in Hubspot helps you act on intent quickly.

Decide who should receive Hubspot alerts

First, determine which roles or teams should be notified about intent spikes:

Account executives responsible for target accounts.
Business development reps (BDRs or SDRs) qualifying new leads.
Marketing operations monitoring campaign performance.
Customer success managers tracking existing customers.

Plan the routing logic before configuring the rules to avoid sending noisy or irrelevant notifications.

Configure intent notification rules

To set up alerts in the buyer intent settings:

Open the alerts or notifications section under buyer intent.
Choose whether alerts are based on:

Specific intent topics, or
Overall intent intensity, or
Account-level research activity.

Select the audience or team members who should receive the alert.
Define conditions that trigger notifications, such as:

Intent level reaching a defined threshold.
Activity over a set time period (for example, the last 7 days).
Topic engagement by contacts from a defined company list.

Choose delivery channels if available, such as email alerts or in-app notifications.
Save the rule and test with a sample record if the tool provides a test mode.

Keep your initial rules simple, then refine thresholds and recipients as you gather more data about how often alerts fire and how your team responds.

Using buyer intent with contact lists in Hubspot

Intent data becomes much more powerful when you connect it to segmentation and automation. In Hubspot, contact lists can be driven by filters that reference buyer intent properties.

Create a contact list based on intent level

To build a simple list driven by intent signals:

Navigate to the lists tool in your account.
Click to create a new active list.
Add a filter based on available buyer intent properties, such as:

Intent score or level.
Last intent activity date.
Associated company’s intent intensity.

Define thresholds, for example “intent level is high” or “intent score above a certain value.”
Save the list and review the contacts that match the criteria.

This type of list can be used to prioritize outreach or enroll contacts in targeted nurture sequences.

Segment audiences by Hubspot intent topics

You can also segment by specific topics to personalize messaging:

Create a new active list focused on a single topic.
Use filters that reference the chosen buyer intent topic or category.
Combine topic filters with lifecycle stage or pipeline stage.
Save and name the list clearly, for example “High intent – security software topic.”

These lists allow you to align email sequences, ads, or sales cadences with the exact themes your prospects are researching.

Best practices for buyer intent in Hubspot

Once your configuration is in place, ongoing maintenance keeps the data useful and actionable.

Align with sales and marketing: Review topics, alert rules, and list filters with both teams so everyone understands how intent signals are generated and used.
Start with a small set of topics: Too many topics can create noise. Begin with a core group that directly maps to major product lines or industries.
Monitor alert volume: If recipients get too many alerts, they may start ignoring them. Adjust thresholds and frequency based on feedback.
Incorporate into scoring: Use intent properties in your lead scoring model to prioritize prospects already showing strong interest.
Iterate quarterly: Revisit topics and rules regularly as your go-to-market strategy evolves.

Where to learn more about Hubspot buyer intent

For additional configuration details, advanced options, or UI screenshots, see the official documentation on configuring buyer intent data in your account at this Hubspot buyer intent setup article.

If you want help designing an intent-driven go-to-market strategy, you can also consult a specialist team. A good starting point is Consultevo, which focuses on revenue operations, automation, and CRM optimization.

By carefully configuring topics, alerts, and contact lists, you ensure buyer intent data in Hubspot becomes a reliable signal for prioritizing accounts, coordinating sales and marketing, and converting high-intent prospects at the right time.

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Hupspot buyer intent setup guide