Format Data in Hubspot Workflows: Complete How‑To Guide

Managing clean, consistent data in Hubspot workflows is essential if you want reliable automation, accurate reporting, and smooth integrations across your CRM. This guide explains how to use the Format data workflow action to standardize and transform your data without leaving your automation canvas.

By the end, you will know how to configure each formatting option, which properties you can update, and the key limitations to keep in mind when designing workflow logic.

What the Hubspot Format Data Action Does

The Format data action lets you transform values in workflow branches before they are copied into another property or used in later actions. It does not change the original source value directly; instead, it outputs a formatted version that you can then write into a target property.

Common use cases include:

• Normalizing capitalization for names or company fields.
• Cleaning phone numbers to a consistent structure.
• Extracting parts of a property value, such as country codes or domains.
• Converting between text, numbers, and date formats within workflow logic.

This action is available in center‑on‑a‑date and most other workflow types that support property updates.

How to Add the Hubspot Format Data Action

To start using the action, add it like any other workflow step.

1. Open your desired workflow in Hubspot.

2. Click the + icon on the workflow canvas where you want the transformation to occur.

3. In the action panel, search for Format data.

4. Select the action to add it to the workflow branch.

Once the action is on the canvas, you can configure which properties to format and how to handle the output.

Configure Hubspot Properties to Format

Inside the action, you will choose one or more properties whose values you want to transform. The properties available depend on the workflow object type (contacts, companies, deals, tickets, or custom objects).

For each property you configure, you will specify:

• The source property that contains the original value.
• The formatting rule (for example, capitalization change or trimming).
• The target property where the formatted value will be stored.

You can reuse the same target property for multiple format operations if they run in sequence and you understand how later steps may overwrite earlier ones.

Hubspot Text Formatting Options

When working with text fields, Hubspot provides several formatting choices in the Format data action. These are useful for cleaning inconsistent entries created by form submissions, imports, or integrations.

Capitalization Controls in Hubspot

Available capitalization options typically include:

• Make all uppercase – converts every letter to uppercase.
• Make all lowercase – converts every letter to lowercase.
• Capitalize first letter – capitalizes only the first letter of the string.
• Capitalize each word – capitalizes the first letter of each word (common for names or titles).

Use these options to standardize fields such as first name, last name, company name, or job title before inserting them into emails or reports.

Trim and Clean Text Values

Depending on the property and configuration, you can also remove unnecessary characters from the beginning or end of a string. Typical cleanup steps include:

• Removing leading or trailing spaces.
• Standardizing punctuation or special characters in codes and IDs.
• Stripping unwanted symbols before converting text to numbers.

Text cleanup is especially helpful when values are manually entered or synced from external tools.

Hubspot Number and Date Formatting

Numbers and dates often arrive in your database in multiple styles, which can break calculations or filters. The Format data action helps normalize these values.

Format Numeric Properties in Hubspot

For numeric properties, you can:

• Convert a numeric string into a true number type.
• Strip non‑numeric characters, such as commas or currency symbols, before storing the value.
• Prepare numeric values for calculations in later workflow steps.

Always map the final formatted value into a target property with the correct field type (for example, number or calculation property) to avoid errors.

Standardize Dates in Hubspot Workflows

Date and date‑time properties can be aligned to a consistent format so they work with date‑based workflow enrollment, delays, and reporting. Common operations include:

• Converting text representations of dates into actual date properties.
• Removing time components when only the date is needed.
• Mapping external system date formats into the standard used in your Hubspot account.

Always confirm the time zone and display format used in your account so the formatted date values behave as expected.

Advanced Hubspot Use Cases for Format Data

Beyond basic cleanup, the Format data action makes more advanced automation possible by generating structured values you can reference later in the workflow.

Standardize Lead Source and Lifecycle Data

You can normalize inconsistent values for lead source, campaign names, or lifecycle stages. For example:

• Unify text variations like “Web form”, “web-form”, and “Web Form” into a single standardized value.
• Prepare data for mapping into dropdown or single‑select properties to maintain strict data consistency.

This supports clean segmentation, campaign attribution, and funnel reporting.

Prepare Data for Integrations and APIs

When integrating Hubspot with external tools, the Format data action helps ensure properties match the expected structure on both sides. Use it to:

• Conform values to external naming conventions.
• Strip characters that are not allowed in target systems.
• Normalize country codes, language codes, or currency indicators.

These transformations reduce sync errors and simplify custom code actions or API calls.

Limitations of Hubspot Format Data Actions

Before you rely on Format data actions in critical workflows, keep in mind several constraints.

• Action order matters: The formatted value is only available after the step executes. Place the action before any step that references the updated target property.
• No direct overwrite of some system fields: Certain default properties may be read‑only or restricted; use separate custom properties when needed.
• Type compatibility: Ensure the target property type is compatible with the formatted data (for example, do not write text into a number‑only field).
• Testing required: Always enroll test records and review their property histories to confirm transformations behave as intended.

If you hit a limitation, you can often combine Format data actions with Copy property value, If/then branches, or custom code actions to reach more complex outcomes.

Step‑by‑Step Example: Clean Up a Name Field in Hubspot

Here is a simple example workflow pattern that leverages the Format data action.

1. Create a helper property
   Set up a custom single‑line text property, such as Clean First Name.

2. Add a Format data action
   Select the original First name property as the source and choose Capitalize each word as the rule. Set Clean First Name as the target property.

3. Copy cleaned value back if needed
   Optionally add a Copy property value action to copy Clean First Name into the main first name field, or reference the helper property directly in personalization tokens.

4. Test with sample contacts
   Enroll a few records with inconsistent first name capitalization and verify the resulting values.

This pattern can be adapted for company names, job titles, and other free‑text properties.

Best Practices for Using Hubspot Format Data

To keep your workflows scalable and maintainable, follow these recommendations.

• Document transformations: Add clear descriptions and internal notes to each Format data action so teammates understand why it exists.
• Use clearly named helper properties: Prefix or suffix helper fields (for example, Normalized or Clean) to make reporting and mapping easier.
• Limit chained changes: Avoid long chains of actions that repeatedly rewrite the same property; instead, consolidate related transformations where possible.
• Review property histories: Regularly inspect how values change over time to catch unexpected behavior.

Where to Learn More About Hubspot Format Data

You can explore more detailed technical documentation and examples in the official knowledge base article on workflow formatting here: Format your data with workflows.

If you want strategic help designing scalable workflow and data architectures, the team at Consultevo specializes in CRM consulting, automation, and process optimization.

Using the Format data action correctly will keep your records standardized, simplify segmentation, and make every downstream automation in your Hubspot account more reliable.