In modern Revenue Operations (RevOps), the divide between marketing and sales data is not just a technical nuisance—it’s a roadblock to sustainable growth and true team alignment. If your organization leverages both HubSpot and Salesforce, implementing a robust bidirectional sync can transform the way you work: from efficiency gains to deeper pipeline visibility. As HubSpot experts, we’ve walked alongside dozens of teams making this leap, turning data challenges into drivers of scale and clarity. Let’s get straight to what matters: how bidirectional syncing works, what it takes to get it right, and where most companies get tripped up.

Understanding Bidirectional Sync: More Than Just Data Sharing

At its core, bidirectional sync is about automatic, two-way communication between HubSpot and Salesforce—so both platforms stay aligned without duplicating or overwriting critical information. What changes in one platform reflects instantly in the other, enabling seamless lead management, sales tracking, and reporting across your go-to-market stack.

• Unified Customer View: No more toggling between systems for a complete history of engagement, deals, and workflows.
• Automated Lifecycle Updates: As contacts move through your funnel, their status updates everywhere—unifying RevOps strategy.

What Data Can (and Should) Be Synced?

With the right configuration, your HubSpot–Salesforce connection can sync far more than basic contacts. For our clients, setting field-level priorities and clear governance rules is key. Here’s what most RevOps teams choose to sync, and how to approach it:

• Contacts & Leads: Primary personal and company data—including lifecycle stages, lead scores, and ownership details.
• Deals & Opportunities: Field-level alignment for deal stages, deal values, expected close dates, and custom pipeline metrics.
• Activities & Engagement: Meetings, calls, tasks, key email communications—bridging the insights gap between teams.
• Custom Properties and Fields: Support for proprietary tracking needs: MQL triggers, segmentation tags, or product milestones.
• Custom Objects: (Advanced/Enterprise) For tracking subscriptions, implementation steps, or usage data not native to either CRM.

Why Revenue Operations Teams Need Bidirectional Sync

For growth-minded operations professionals, a working sync isn’t just a technical achievement—it’s a foundation for scalable data-driven decision-making. Consider these real-world wins:

• Elimination of Data Silos: Marketing, sales, and support are finally speaking the same language. No more fighting over “whose data is right.”
• Time Savings: Stop manual CSV exports and recoding. Many of our clients see 10–20 hours per month saved on data cleanup alone.
• Improved Reporting Accuracy: Track full funnel impact, split attribution, and optimize campaigns with confidence—because every system is up-to-date.
• Stronger Handoff Processes: Leads move fluidly between Marketing Qualified, Sales Qualified, and Customers, so nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

How to Set Up a HubSpot–Salesforce Bidirectional Sync

Implementation is not just about “flipping a switch.” Here’s our expert-driven approach:

1. Integration Connection:
   • Start in HubSpot: Connect to Salesforce using the integration panel. Set up permissions based on your functional needs—think about who should be able to write or overwrite data.
2. Field Mapping & Data Governance:
   • Don’t settle for default mappings. Spend the time to ensure each field aligns with your business processes, e.g., map HubSpot Contact to Salesforce Lead or Contact.
   • Establish sync direction (one-way, bidirectional, or conditional), especially for custom fields.
3. Sync Rules & Filters:
   • Use inclusion lists or segmentation to limit which records sync and when (preventing test data and clutter from polluting your CRM).
   • Set up trigger conditions (e.g., “Sync when opportunity stage = Proposal Sent”).
4. Testing & QA:
   • Sync a small sample set. Check for data mismatches, formatting issues, or redundant records before going live.
5. Ongoing Monitoring:
   • Document your sync rules and revisit quarterly. Audit field mappings and review logs for sync errors or exceptions.

Common RevOps Pitfalls (& How We Solve Them)

• Duplicates Everywhere? Make sure every record has a unique identifier across both systems. We recommend using unique IDs, not just email addresses. Run deduplication audits regularly.
• Missing Data? Custom properties (e.g., ‘Renewal Date’) often don’t map by default. Always review and add missing fields or adjust mappings before launching sync.
• Overwriting Critical Data? Establish clear rules for “master” values—decide which system owns the data for each field, or under what conditions HubSpot or Salesforce can overwrite the other.
• Sync Loops & Workflow Conflicts? Exclude automation-triggered records from bidirectional syncs. If you have workflows in both systems updating the same field, it could create an infinite loop—define rules to break the chain.
• Performance Bottlenecks? Prioritize sync order when possible. In most RevOps stacks, deals and key pipeline activity matter more than background contact info.

Advanced Sync: Custom Objects & Enterprise Needs

If you’re operating at scale, custom objects become critical. These could represent subscriptions, product usage, or implementation milestones. Mapping and syncing these requires a more deliberate approach:

• Plan Object Relationships: Define how custom objects relate to contacts, companies, or deals in both systems.
• Governance: Limit sync to only necessary objects/fields. Unchecked, you could flood your portal with extraneous records.
• Audit Frequently: Verify mappings and test updates in both directions to ensure reliability. Set up exception reporting to catch sync failures.

Troubleshooting HubSpot–Salesforce Syncs in the Wild

Even the best-configured integrations will hiccup occasionally. We’re big believers in a proactive approach:

• API & Call Limits: Monitor your integration performance. If syncs stall, check for API throttling or recent changes in record volume.
• Quarterly Field Review: Especially after a major revamp in either platform, revisit every mapped field, looking for new fields or orphaned ones.
• Alerting: Set up real-time alerts for sync failures or exceptions. Don’t let a broken connection go unnoticed for days or weeks.
• Feedback Loops: Encourage your sales and marketing teams to report missing or weird data—often, user feedback surfaces mapping gaps faster than logs alone.

How We Approach Ongoing Optimization for HubSpot–Salesforce Syncs

Sync isn’t a “set it and forget it” exercise. Our ongoing admin support services help you adapt your syncing logic as your RevOps processes mature:

• Cleanups and Deduplication: Scheduled audits prevent data bloat and ensure reporting reliability.
• Workflow Adjustments: As your pipeline evolves, we refine sync triggers and mappings to match real-world changes.
• User Training: We help your team understand what data moves where—empowering smarter campaign builds and reliable forecasting.
• Proactive Recommendations: Stay ahead of sync issues and emerging features with experienced oversight.

Need a partner to make HubSpot and Salesforce truly sing together? We’re always happy to chat. Book a free HubSpot Discovery Session with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can HubSpot and Salesforce really sync everything, or are there limits?

While contacts, deals, tasks, and even some custom objects can sync, each company’s field mappings and business logic may create limitations. Review every custom field and object before syncing—especially if you have proprietary data models.

How often does the sync update between the platforms?

The sync is typically near real-time (every few minutes), but volume and API restrictions may introduce brief lags for high-traffic organizations.

Will bidirectional sync create duplicate records?

If both systems have records for the same contact but different identifiers (e.g., no shared email or unique ID), duplicates may result. Deduplication and unique ID mapping are critical.

Does syncing overwrite data?

It can, depending on field rules. Always specify which system is ‘master’ for each field—or set conditional rules to avoid overwriting critical info.

What happens if the sync breaks?

Records created or updated during an outage may not sync retroactively unless you rebuild or manually trigger the sync. Regular monitoring and alerts are essential to catch issues early.

How can I ensure my sync strategy evolves with my business?

Establish a quarterly audit cycle for field mappings, workflow reviews after every major process change, and keep communication open between marketing, sales, and your CRM admin team. Or, partner with an expert like us for ongoing support.

If your RevOps success depends on getting this right—and you don’t want to risk a messy integration holding you back—consider reaching out to Your HS Expert for hands-on help and clarity. Our mission is simple: help you simplify, automate, and scale—without the guesswork.