Short answer
HubSpot bills marketing tiers on marketing contacts, the contacts you can send marketing email to. Set new contacts to non-marketing by default where you can, check which imports, forms and integrations create marketing contacts, and plan the tier before large imports such as event lists.
How it works
Every HubSpot contact is either marketing or non-marketing. You can store non-marketing contacts in the CRM, but you can only send them one-to-one email, not marketing email or ads. Your Marketing Hub tier includes a number of marketing contacts, and going over it moves you to a higher tier.
Where marketing contacts come from
- Imports, if the import is set to mark contacts as marketing.
- Forms, which usually create marketing contacts.
- Integrations and apps, including the Salesforce connector and AI tools, if their setting creates marketing contacts.
- Workflows that set the marketing status.
Controls to set
- Import vendors, exhibitors, partners and old lists as non-marketing.
- Check each connected app's setting for new contacts, and set integrations to non-marketing unless they feed campaigns.
- Build a saved view of marketing contacts created in the last 30 days, by source, and look at it monthly.
- Use a workflow to set contacts to non-marketing when they unsubscribe from everything, bounce hard or go inactive for a set period.
- Before a large import, such as a trade show list, compare it to your remaining allowance and decide who will get marketing email.
Changing contacts to non-marketing frees up allowance on HubSpot's next billing update, not immediately. Check the timing in your account before relying on it to avoid an upgrade.
For regulated firms
Marketing status isn't consent. Keep subscription types and opt-outs as the record of what someone agreed to receive.
Official documentation
Frequently asked questions
What is a marketing contact in HubSpot?
A contact you can send marketing email and ads to. HubSpot bills Marketing Hub on the number of marketing contacts, while non-marketing contacts can stay in the CRM for one-to-one work.
Why do our marketing contacts keep going up?
Usually an import, form or connected app is creating contacts as marketing by default. Check each source's setting and set new contacts to non-marketing unless they belong in campaigns.
Salesforce, HubSpot, Anthropic and OpenAI change their products often. Check the official documentation before you rely on a specific setting, limit or price.