How to Delete a Conversations Inbox in Hubspot

Deleting a conversations inbox in Hubspot is a permanent action, so it is important to understand exactly what happens to your messages, channels, and routing rules before you remove an inbox from your account.

This step-by-step guide walks you through when you can delete an inbox, how to prepare your account, and the exact steps to complete the process safely.

Before You Delete a Hubspot Inbox

Not every conversations inbox can be deleted. Hubspot places some limits on which inboxes are removable and what must be done first. Review these points before you start:

• You can only delete custom inboxes that you have created.
• You cannot delete the default inbox that comes with your Hubspot account.
• Once deleted, the inbox cannot be restored.
• Connected channels may be disconnected or transferred, depending on type.

Taking time to review open conversations and connected tools ensures you do not lose important context when you remove a Hubspot inbox.

Impact on Messages When You Delete a Hubspot Inbox

When you delete a conversations inbox, Hubspot does not delete the underlying records, but the way they appear to users changes.

• Threads will no longer display in the conversations inbox view that was removed.
• Contact records, company records, and associated tickets remain available.
• Past emails, chats, and logs are still accessible from the relevant records in your CRM timeline.

This means you retain historical data for reporting and context, even though the inbox itself is gone.

Connected Channels and Workflows in Hubspot

Each Hubspot inbox can have several connected channels. Before deleting, you should understand what happens to each type:

• Email channels: disconnection stops new emails from arriving to that inbox.
• Chat channels: removing a chat channel stops new website chats from routing to the deleted inbox.
• Facebook Messenger or other social channels: new messages will no longer route to the inbox once it is deleted.
• Routing rules and assignment settings associated with the inbox are removed.

If you use workflows that depend on conversations inbox properties, review them before you delete the inbox to avoid broken routing or assignments in Hubspot.

Step-by-Step: Delete a Conversations Inbox in Hubspot

Follow these steps to delete a custom conversations inbox. You must have the correct permissions to edit inboxes and channels in Hubspot.

1. Open the Hubspot Conversations Settings

1. Log in to your Hubspot account.
2. In the main navigation bar, click Settings (the gear icon).
3. In the left sidebar menu, navigate to Inbox > Inboxes.

You will see a list of all available inboxes in your Hubspot portal, including the default inbox and any custom inboxes.

2. Select the Hubspot Inbox You Want to Remove

1. From the list of inboxes, locate the custom inbox you intend to delete.
2. Click the name of the inbox to open its detailed settings.

Review the connected channels, routing rules, and users assigned to this inbox. If necessary, document these settings so you can re-create them in another Hubspot inbox later.

3. Review and Manage Connected Channels

Before confirming deletion, confirm which channels are tied to this inbox:

• Email addresses
• Chatflows or website chat widgets
• Facebook Messenger or other social messaging channels

If you still need to receive messages on any of these channels, connect them to a different Hubspot inbox first. This ensures that new messages continue to route correctly after deletion.

4. Delete the Hubspot Inbox

1. In the inbox settings screen, look for the Actions menu or delete option (typically near the top right).
2. Click Delete inbox or the equivalent delete option.
3. Carefully read the confirmation message explaining what will happen when you delete this Hubspot inbox.
4. Type any required confirmation text, if prompted.
5. Click Delete to finalize.

Once confirmed, Hubspot removes the inbox and its routing configuration. The action is permanent.

What Happens After Deleting a Hubspot Inbox

After you delete an inbox, several changes occur immediately within your account.

Conversations Visibility

Conversations that were previously visible only through that inbox will no longer appear in the deleted inbox view. However, you can still access relevant information by going to:

• The associated contact record
• The related company record
• Any linked ticket or deal record

Email logs and chat transcripts remain available on these records, preserving your historical communication data in Hubspot.

Channel Behavior

For channels that were not reconnected before deleting the inbox, new messages will not route into Hubspot through that deleted inbox. You may see errors or stopped message flow until channels are linked to a different inbox.

Verify that each important channel is now connected to the correct conversations inbox so your team can continue receiving and responding to messages without interruption.

Best Practices for Managing Hubspot Inboxes

To keep your account organized and avoid accidental loss of routing, use these best practices when working with Hubspot inboxes:

• Regularly audit which teams use each inbox.
• Consolidate unused or duplicate inboxes, but document routing before removal.
• Move active channels to a new inbox before you delete an old one.
• Train users on where new messages will appear after any change.

Optimizing your conversations structure helps support, sales, and marketing teams work efficiently in Hubspot.

Additional Resources

For the original product documentation on this feature, see the official Hubspot knowledge base article on deleting a conversations inbox: delete a conversations inbox.

If you need strategic help designing your conversations architecture, routing, or CRM workflows around Hubspot, you can learn more about expert implementation services at Consultevo.

By understanding these steps and implications, you can safely remove outdated or unused inboxes while preserving accurate communication history across your Hubspot CRM.