Convert Non-HubSpot Forms with Hubspot Tracking

The Hubspot non-HubSpot forms tool lets you automatically detect existing forms on your website, capture submissions, and send data into your CRM without rebuilding everything from scratch.

This step-by-step guide explains how the feature works, how to turn it on, and what you should know about supported forms, tracking code behavior, and limitations.

How the Hubspot Non-HubSpot Forms Tool Works

When the Hubspot tracking code is installed on your site, it scans each page for HTML forms. Forms that meet the criteria are logged as non-HubSpot forms, and submissions are sent to your CRM as contacts or updates to existing records.

• The tool detects forms created outside Hubspot, such as custom-coded or CMS-generated forms.
• Supported forms appear automatically in your forms dashboard.
• Form submissions are recorded as form submission activities on the contact timeline.

This happens in the background as long as the tracking code is active and non-HubSpot forms are enabled in your settings.

Requirements Before You Start in Hubspot

Before enabling non-HubSpot forms, confirm these prerequisites are met so Hubspot can correctly capture and sync data.

1. Install the Hubspot Tracking Code

Ensure the Hubspot tracking code is correctly installed on every page that contains a form you want to track. Without it, Hubspot cannot detect or capture submissions.

• Add the tracking code just before the closing </body> tag.
• Verify installation using your browser console or the tracking verification tools inside your account.
• Check that the correct account’s tracking code is in use, especially on multi-domain sites.

2. Use Supported Form Markup

The non-HubSpot forms tool works with standard HTML forms. To ensure compatibility:

• Use a standard <form> tag with an action or JavaScript submission handler.
• Include properly named input, select, and textarea fields.
• Avoid extremely complex or fully custom JavaScript submit flows where no actual form submission event is fired.

Highly customized form frameworks might not be detected. In that case, consider replacing them with native Hubspot forms.

Enable Non-HubSpot Forms in Hubspot Settings

Once the tracking code is installed and your site forms are ready, turn on non-HubSpot forms in your Hubspot account.

1. Sign in to your Hubspot account as an admin.
2. Click the settings icon in the main navigation.
3. Navigate to Tools > Marketing > Forms.
4. Locate the Non-HubSpot forms section.
5. Toggle the switch to enable the non-HubSpot forms tool.

After enabling, Hubspot starts scanning pages with the tracking code for compatible forms. Submissions will then begin to appear in your forms analytics and contact timelines.

View and Manage Non-HubSpot Forms in Hubspot

Detected forms appear in your forms dashboard inside Hubspot, labeled as non-HubSpot forms.

1. In your Hubspot account, go to Marketing > Lead Capture > Forms.
2. Filter or sort to locate forms marked as non-HubSpot.
3. Click any form to view performance details.

For each non-HubSpot form, you can:

• See the pages where the form appears.
• Review the number of views and submissions.
• Inspect which fields are being captured and mapped into your CRM.

Hubspot will automatically create contact properties for standard fields or try to match them with existing properties where possible.

How Hubspot Handles Contact Creation and Updates

When a visitor submits a non-HubSpot form on a tracked page, Hubspot uses the data in several ways to create or update contacts.

Contact Identification in Hubspot

Hubspot attempts to identify the contact using:

• The email address field submitted with the form.
• The tracking cookie if the visitor previously converted on another form.

If the email address is new, a new contact is created. If the email exists, Hubspot updates the existing contact record with any mapped fields from the submission.

Submission Logging and Activity Tracking

Each successful form submission is logged as a form submission activity on the contact timeline.

• You can filter contacts by specific form submissions.
• Submissions can trigger workflows in Hubspot marketing automation tools, depending on your subscription.
• Form data can be used in lists, reports, and segmentation.

This makes non-HubSpot forms behave similarly to native Hubspot forms from a CRM and reporting perspective.

Limitations of Hubspot Non-HubSpot Forms

There are several important limitations to keep in mind when using the Hubspot non-HubSpot forms tool.

Styling and Form Editing Limits

The tool does not let you edit or style the underlying external form from within Hubspot.

• All appearance changes must be made in your CMS or codebase.
• Validation behavior is controlled by the external form, not by Hubspot.
• Field labels and layout cannot be modified inside the forms dashboard.

Unsupported Form Types

Certain form patterns are not supported by the non-HubSpot feature:

• Forms built entirely in iframes from third-party apps where the tracking code is not inside the frame.
• Single-page app forms that never fire a traditional submit event.
• Multi-step forms that rely heavily on custom JavaScript without a final form submission.

If your forms fall into these categories, replacing them with embedded Hubspot forms is often the most reliable option.

Best Practices for Using Hubspot with Non-HubSpot Forms

To get clean data and reliable tracking, follow these practices when using Hubspot non-HubSpot forms.

Standardize Field Names and Types

Use consistent field naming to help Hubspot map data correctly:

• Use typical field labels like First name, Last name, Email, and Phone number.
• Avoid vague field names that are hard to map to CRM properties.
• Align field types (text, dropdown, checkbox) with the type of property you expect in Hubspot.

Test Each Non-HubSpot Form Thoroughly

Always test before going live:

1. Submit the form with a test email address.
2. Check the contact record in Hubspot.
3. Verify that the form submission appears on the timeline.
4. Confirm that each field maps to the correct contact property.

Repeat the process on different pages using the same form, particularly if your site uses templates or modules.

Where to Learn More About Hubspot Form Conversion

For the official, most up-to-date technical details, review the source documentation from Hubspot at this non-HubSpot forms help article. It covers nuances in detection logic, edge cases, and product-specific behavior.

If you need hands-on help implementing tracking, optimizing conversions, or migrating to native Hubspot forms, you can also consult specialists, such as the team at Consultevo, who work with CRM and marketing automation deployments.

By installing the tracking code correctly, enabling non-HubSpot forms in settings, and testing each form carefully, you can use Hubspot to centralize submission data from your entire website, even when you are not ready to replace every existing form.

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