How to Create Custom Events in Hubspot for Precise Tracking

Custom events in Hubspot let you capture specific user actions that go beyond standard page views and form submissions. By defining your own events, you can track product usage, conversions, and key behaviors directly inside Hubspot reports and workflows.

This guide walks you through how to create, manage, and report on custom events using the events tool so you can build reliable, behavior-based analytics.

Understanding Hubspot Custom Events

Before setting up events, it is important to understand how they work in your Hubspot account and where they are used.

Custom events allow you to:

• Track user behavior that is not captured by default analytics.
• Measure product interactions, such as clicks or feature usage.
• Trigger automation based on specific event completions.
• Create detailed reports based on event properties.

You can create code-based events (sent from your site or app) and behavioral events defined inside your Hubspot account.

Requirements for Using Hubspot Custom Events

Access to custom events depends on your subscription tier and permissions. In your Hubspot account you must:

• Have a plan that includes the custom events feature.
• Have permission to edit tracking and reporting tools.
• Be able to install or modify tracking code on your website or app for code-based events.

Check your account settings to confirm that the events tool is available, and coordinate with a developer if you need help implementing the tracking calls.

Types of Hubspot Custom Events

There are two core types of custom events you can configure in Hubspot, depending on how data is sent and what you need to track.

Code-Based Hubspot Custom Events

Code-based events are triggered from your website, web app, or server using the Hubspot tracking code or API. They are ideal when you must track:

• Actions inside a logged-in application.
• Custom conversions not tied to standard forms.
• Specific product events like upgrades or cancellations.

To implement these, a developer sends an event name and optional event properties to Hubspot when the action occurs.

Behavioral Events Inside Hubspot

Behavioral events are defined directly in Hubspot based on criteria like page visits, clicks on tracked elements, or form interactions.

Examples include:

• Visited a key product or pricing page a certain number of times.
• Clicked a tracked CTA or button on your site.
• Submitted a specific form or viewed a particular resource.

These events are managed within the Hubspot interface and do not always require custom code, which makes them faster to configure for many marketing and sales teams.

How to Create Custom Events in Hubspot

Follow these steps to create a new event in your Hubspot account.

Step 1: Open the Hubspot Events Tool

1. Log in to your Hubspot account.
2. Navigate to your reporting and data tools.
3. Open the section dedicated to events or custom tracking.

In this area you will see a list of existing events, their status, and performance.

Step 2: Choose the Event Type

When creating a new event you will typically be prompted to choose the event type. Options commonly include:

• Custom code-based event sent through your tracking code or API.
• Behavioral event driven by criteria like page views, clicks, or form submissions.

Select the option that best matches how you plan to track the action in Hubspot.

Step 3: Configure Basic Event Details

Next, define the core attributes of your custom event:

• Event name: A clear, descriptive label such as Product signup completed or Pricing page CTA click.
• Event type or category: Helps keep reporting organized.
• Description: Optional notes to document what the event means in your Hubspot account.

Use a consistent naming convention so your team can understand events at a glance.

Step 4: Define Event Conditions or Triggers

The next step depends on whether it is a code-based or behavioral event.

• For code-based events: You typically specify the event name and any expected properties. The actual trigger happens when your site or app sends the event to Hubspot.
• For behavioral events: You configure rules inside Hubspot, such as:
  • URL or URL pattern of the page to track.
  • Element or CTA that must be clicked.
  • Form that must be submitted.
  • Number of times the behavior must occur.

These conditions tell Hubspot exactly when to log the event.

Step 5: Add Event Properties

Event properties let you capture structured data alongside the event, such as:

• Plan type or product tier selected.
• Revenue amount or value of the action.
• Device, location, or feature used.

Define the property names, field types (text, number, boolean, etc.), and any constraints so reports and automation in Hubspot can use this data consistently.

Step 6: Save and Implement the Event

After the configuration is complete:

1. Click to save or publish the event in Hubspot.
2. For code-based events, share the event name and property schema with your developer.
3. Have your developer send test events using your tracking code or API.
4. Confirm that data starts appearing in your event logs and reports.

For behavioral events, perform the tracked action yourself and verify that Hubspot records it correctly.

Managing and Editing Hubspot Custom Events

Once events are live, you can manage them directly in the events dashboard.

• View a list of all events and their recent activity.
• Filter by event type, status, or created date.
• Edit event names, descriptions, or conditions if requirements change.
• Disable or archive events you no longer need to track.

Regular reviews help you keep your Hubspot tracking clean and focused on the behaviors that matter most.

Reporting on Custom Events in Hubspot

Custom events become truly powerful when you use them in reporting and automation.

Hubspot Reports Using Custom Events

You can use custom events as data sources in your reports to analyze:

• Total count of a specific event over time.
• Trends by device, plan, or other event properties.
• Conversion rates between key stages defined by events.

Use custom reports and dashboards to visualize how your tracked actions support your marketing, sales, and product goals.

Automation and Workflows with Hubspot Events

Events can also trigger workflows so that you respond automatically when users complete high-value actions. For example:

• Send emails after a Feature activated event occurs.
• Notify sales when a High-intent pricing view event is logged.
• Update lifecycle stages when critical product usage milestones are reached.

This helps your team turn event data in Hubspot into timely, personalized engagement.

Best Practices for Reliable Hubspot Event Tracking

To keep your implementation scalable and easy to maintain, follow these best practices:

• Use a clear naming convention for all events and properties.
• Document the purpose and trigger for every event in a shared reference.
• Limit events to actions that directly support reporting or automation goals.
• Work closely with developers to validate code-based event implementation.
• Test events in a staging or low-traffic environment before full launch.

With a structured approach, your Hubspot custom events will provide accurate, actionable data across teams.

Additional Resources

For the original product documentation and the latest details, review the official Hubspot knowledge base article on custom events here: Hubspot custom events documentation.

If you need expert help designing a scalable tracking plan or optimizing reports, you can also explore consulting services at Consultevo.

By implementing a thoughtful custom event strategy in Hubspot, you gain precise visibility into user behavior and can build smarter, data-driven campaigns across your entire customer journey.

Need Help With Hubspot?

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