How to Customize the Record Preview Sidebar in HubSpot

The customer success workspace in HubSpot lets your team work faster by tailoring the record preview sidebar to show the exact information you need at a glance. By configuring this sidebar, customer success managers and reps can quickly review context, update properties, and move through queues without opening full records every time.

This guide explains how the preview sidebar works in the customer success workspace, what can be customized, and the steps you must follow to optimize it for your team.

What the HubSpot Customer Success Workspace Sidebar Does

In the customer success workspace, the preview sidebar is the panel that appears when you click into a record from a queue or view. Instead of sending you to the full record page, HubSpot displays a condensed layout with high-priority information.

This preview panel helps you:

• See critical properties without leaving your workspace.
• Log activities such as notes, calls, tasks, and emails.
• Navigate associated records like contacts, companies, tickets, or deals.
• Maintain focus while working through service or success tasks.

The sidebar layout is controlled by configuration settings that determine which sections and properties are visible to users working in the customer success workspace.

Key Concepts for HubSpot Preview Sidebar Configuration

Before changing the preview sidebar in the customer success workspace, it helps to understand a few core concepts about how layout configuration works inside HubSpot.

Record Types Supported in the Workspace

Within the customer success workspace, the preview sidebar applies to record types that appear in your queues and views. Common examples include:

• Contacts
• Companies
• Tickets
• Deals (depending on your setup)

Each record type can have its own specific layout. That means you can show different information in the contact preview sidebar than in the ticket preview sidebar.

Difference Between Global and Workspace Layouts in HubSpot

In the CRM, HubSpot allows admins to manage record sidebars globally. However, the customer success workspace can reference a specific set of layouts designed for success teams. Depending on your subscription level and configuration, you may:

• Use the same sidebar layout across the CRM and the success workspace.
• Use workspace-specific layouts targeted to the needs of customer success users.

The options available will align with your account’s features and user permissions.

Permissions Needed to Edit Layouts in HubSpot

To customize the preview sidebar in the customer success workspace, your user must have the correct permissions. Typically this includes:

• Settings access for the CRM or service tools.
• Permission to edit record customization or UI layouts.
• Admin-level access, depending on how your HubSpot account is controlled.

If you cannot see layout options, contact your HubSpot administrator to update your permissions.

Step-by-Step: Access the HubSpot Customer Success Workspace

To adjust how the preview sidebar behaves, start by navigating into the workspace where your customer success team spends their time.

1. Sign in to your HubSpot account with an admin or configuration-level user.

2. In the main navigation, go to the area where the customer success workspace is available. This may appear under Service, Customers, or a similar label, depending on your portal.

3. Select the Customer Success Workspace to open the queue-based view your team uses for daily work.

4. Open any record from the list or queue to confirm how the current preview sidebar appears.

Once you know which record type you want to adjust, you can move on to editing the layout settings.

How to Configure HubSpot Preview Sidebar Layouts

The preview sidebar uses layout settings defined at the record level. You will typically customize these from the CRM settings panel, and they then surface inside the customer success workspace.

Open Record Customization Settings in HubSpot

1. Click the settings icon in your HubSpot navigation.

2. In the left sidebar, go to the Objects section.

3. Choose the object type whose sidebar you want to change, for example Contacts or Tickets.

4. Open the area for managing Record customization or Record sidebars (the precise label may vary by account version).

You should now see configuration options for the primary record page and the preview sidebar layouts.

Select the Correct Sidebar Layout for HubSpot Workspaces

In many configurations, you can manage multiple sidebars or layout variations. When adjusting settings for the customer success workspace, make sure you target the layout used for preview mode.

1. Locate any tab or section labeled for Preview, Workspace, or a specific team layout.

2. Confirm whether this sidebar is associated with the customer success workspace users.

3. If multiple layouts exist, choose the one mapped to the success team or to the pipeline they use.

Once the correct layout is open, you can adjust which sections and properties appear.

Customize HubSpot Preview Sidebar Sections and Properties

The preview sidebar is made of sections, each containing specific properties or modules. Careful selection keeps the panel focused and easy to scan while still giving reps enough context.

Reorder and Rename Sections in HubSpot

To make the most important information appear at the top of the preview, adjust section order and labeling.

1. Drag and drop sections to move them higher or lower in the sidebar.

2. Optionally rename sections to match customer success workflows, such as Account Health, Renewal Details, or Recent Engagement.

3. Remove any sections that customer success reps do not need in preview mode.

Keep the section list compact so users do not have to scroll excessively in the HubSpot preview panel.

Add, Remove, or Reorder Properties

Within each section, decide which properties should be visible and in what order.

1. Use the Add property or similar option to insert fields that matter for your team, such as lifecycle stage, health score, renewal date, or primary contact.

2. Remove properties that are redundant or rarely referenced in success conversations.

3. Drag properties to reorder them, placing high-impact fields at the top of each section.

As you adjust these options, HubSpot will show a preview so you can verify how the layout will appear in the customer success workspace.

Consider Read-Only and Editable Fields in HubSpot

Some layouts allow you to control whether certain fields can be edited directly from the preview sidebar. For customer success workflows, consider:

• Allowing edits on health-related fields that need frequent updates.
• Keeping core identifiers, such as unique IDs, read-only.
• Ensuring required properties are visible so reps can complete them quickly.

Balancing read-only and editable fields prevents accidental changes while ensuring important updates can happen directly from the HubSpot preview panel.

Testing the HubSpot Customer Success Preview Experience

After updating the layout, validate how everything behaves in a real workspace session.

1. Return to the Customer Success Workspace.

2. Open different records that your team typically handles, such as active tickets, renewals, or onboarding accounts.

3. Review the preview sidebar to confirm that critical properties, sections, and associations are easy to see.

4. Try logging a note or editing a key property to ensure the workflow feels smooth.

If anything feels cluttered or essential context is missing, go back to the layout settings and refine the structure.

Best Practices for HubSpot Customer Success Sidebar Design

To keep the preview sidebar efficient and user-friendly, follow a few design principles tailored for customer success teams.

• Limit noise: Show only the properties required for quick decisions or updates.
• Group by workflow: Organize sections by how reps work, such as Context, Health & Risk, Renewal, and Engagement.
• Use clear naming: Rename sections so new team members can immediately recognize where to look.
• Align with playbooks: Ensure the sidebar surfaces data referenced in your internal playbooks and success processes.

Revisit the layout regularly as your team’s strategy and data model evolve inside HubSpot.

Where to Learn More About HubSpot Sidebar Configuration

For the most detailed and up-to-date configuration steps, always refer to the official documentation for the customer success workspace. You can find the original guide on customizing the record preview sidebar directly on the HubSpot Knowledge Base: view the official article.

If you want expert help implementing scalable CRM, workspace, and process improvements, you can also partner with a HubSpot-focused consultancy such as Consultevo to design customer success workspaces that match your unique lifecycle and product model.

By carefully configuring the record preview sidebar in your customer success workspace, you ensure that every HubSpot user on the team has instant access to the information they need, without losing focus or speed as they support customers.

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