Skip to content
English
Contact us
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Article 18: Data Cleanup SOP — How to Report Duplicates, Missing Fields, and Bad Imports

Purpose:  This article shows you what to do when you find bad data in HubSpot.

Your goal is to protect the CRM by reporting data issues clearly instead of creating duplicate records, deleting records, guessing at field values, or making changes that may cause more cleanup later.

You should use this SOP when you find:

  • Duplicate Contacts
  • Duplicate Companies
  • Missing fields
  • Wrong ownership
  • Bad import data
  • Missing associations
  • Incorrect Company names
  • Invalid emails
  • Bad phone numbers
  • Fake or internal monitoring records
  • Records assigned to the wrong AE
  • Deals connected to the wrong Contact or Company

Clean data helps you work faster, qualify better, and keep pipeline accurate.

1. Why Data Cleanup Matters

HubSpot is only useful if the data is clean.

Bad data creates problems such as:

  • Duplicate outreach
  • Confused ownership
  • Missed follow-ups
  • Incorrect pipeline
  • Bad reporting
  • Poor forecasting
  • Wrong account history
  • Lost activity
  • Poor customer experience
  • Wasted AE time

If you see a data issue, your job is to report it correctly, not create a workaround that makes the CRM messier.

2. What Counts as a Data Issue?

A data issue is anything that makes a record inaccurate, incomplete, duplicated, confusing, or hard to work.

Examples include:

  • Same Contact appears more than once
  • Same Company appears more than once
  • Contact is tied to the wrong Company
  • Company has no associated Contacts
  • Contact has no email
  • Contact email is invalid
  • Company name is misspelled
  • Company domain is missing
  • Record owner is wrong
  • Lead owner is wrong
  • Deal is associated with the wrong Company
  • Imported list has bad formatting
  • Phone number is clearly invalid
  • Internal or fake Contacts are mixed into prospect lists
  • Deal was created under the wrong account
3. Your First Rule: Do Not Create More Bad Data

When you see a data issue, do not immediately create a new record to “fix” it.

Do not:

  • Create a duplicate Contact
  • Create a duplicate Company
  • Create a duplicate Deal
  • Delete records
  • Merge records unless authorized
  • Re-import spreadsheets
  • Change ownership without clarity
  • Enter fake values
  • Guess at Company information
  • Move Deals without understanding context

Slow down, confirm the issue, and report it properly.

4. What to Do When You Find a Duplicate Contact

A duplicate Contact means the same person appears more than once in HubSpot.

Before reporting, compare:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Associated Company
  • Contact owner
  • Activity history
  • Notes
  • Associated Deals
  • Lead status

If the records appear to be duplicates, report them.

Do not delete or merge unless you are authorized.

5. How to Report a Duplicate Contact

Submit the issue through the support process or to Sales Ops, based on current internal guidance.

Include:

  • Both Contact names
  • Both Contact record links, if available
  • Email addresses
  • Associated Companies
  • Which record appears most complete
  • Whether either record has activity history
  • Whether either record is tied to a Lead or Deal
  • Screenshot, if helpful

Example request:

“I found two Contact records for Jane Smith. Both appear to be the same person at ABC Chiropractic. One record has email activity and the other appears to have been imported from the new list. Please review for possible merge.”

6. What to Do When You Find a Duplicate Company

A duplicate Company means the same business appears more than once in HubSpot.

Before reporting, compare:

  • Company name
  • Website domain
  • Phone number
  • Address
  • Company owner
  • Associated Contacts
  • Associated Deals
  • Activity history
  • Notes

Company duplicates can be harder to identify because names may vary.

Examples:

  • ABC Chiropractic
  • ABC Chiropractic LLC
  • ABC Chiro
  • ABC Chiropractic Clinic

Search carefully before creating or reporting.

7. How to Report a Duplicate Company

Include:

  • Both Company names
  • Both Company record links, if available
  • Website domains
  • Associated Contacts
  • Associated Deals
  • Company owners
  • Which record appears more complete
  • Any notes about why you believe they are duplicates

Example request:

“I found two Company records that appear to be the same business: ABC Chiropractic and ABC Chiropractic LLC. Both use the same website domain and phone number. One has associated Contacts and one has no activity. Please review for possible cleanup.”

8. What to Do When a Contact Is Missing a Company

If a Contact does not have an associated Company, first determine whether the Company is known.

Check:

  • Email domain
  • Contact notes
  • Import source
  • Phone number
  • Website
  • Prior activity
  • Search results
  • Related records

If you can confidently identify the correct Company and you are authorized, associate the Contact.

If you are unsure, add a note or submit a cleanup request.

Do not create a new Company if one already exists.

9. What to Do When a Company Has No Contacts

A Company with no Contacts may need research.

Before reporting, check:

  • Company website
  • Prior notes
  • Imported data
  • Associated emails
  • Similar Company records
  • Existing Contacts with the same domain

If you find the correct Contact, associate it if authorized.

If no Contact exists, create a research task or report the issue if the Company was expected to have Contacts from an import.

10. What to Do When Ownership Is Wrong

If a Contact, Company, Lead, or Deal appears to have the wrong owner, do not change it casually.

First check:

  • Was the record recently assigned?
  • Is there recent activity from another AE?
  • Is there an active Deal?
  • Is the Company owned by someone else?
  • Is the Contact tied to a partner or referral relationship?
  • Was ownership assigned by Sales Ops?

If ownership still appears wrong, report it.

Example:

“This Contact appears assigned to the wrong owner. The Contact belongs to ABC Chiropractic, which is assigned to another AE. Please review ownership and association.”

11. What to Do When a Contact Has Bad or Missing Email

If a Contact has no email or an invalid email, check whether the correct email is available from a reliable source.

Do not guess.

Acceptable sources may include:

  • Direct email from the Contact
  • Company website
  • Business card
  • Referral source
  • Prior CRM notes
  • Public professional listing

If you cannot verify the email, do not enter a fake one.

Add a note or create a research task.

12. What to Do When a Company Domain Is Missing

Company domain is important because it helps identify and de-duplicate Companies.

If a Company is missing a domain:

  1. Check the Company website.
  2. Confirm the website belongs to the correct business.
  3. Search HubSpot to make sure another Company with that domain does not already exist.
  4. Update the domain if you are authorized and confident.
  5. Report the issue if you are unsure.

Do not enter unrelated websites or generic domains.

13. What to Do When Phone Numbers Are Bad

If a phone number is clearly bad, incomplete, or incorrectly formatted:

  • Do not delete it unless instructed.
  • Search for a valid number if needed.
  • Add the corrected number only if verified.
  • Add a note if the number failed.
  • Report widespread phone issues if they came from an import.

Example note:

“Called listed number. Number appears disconnected. No replacement number found. Leaving record for future review.”

14. What to Do When Imported Data Looks Wrong

Imported data may sometimes contain issues such as:

  • Names in the wrong fields
  • Company names in Contact fields
  • Missing email addresses
  • Fake Contacts
  • Unsubscribed Contacts
  • Bad formatting
  • Duplicates
  • Wrong owner assignment
  • Missing associations

If you notice a pattern, report the pattern, not just one record.

Example:

“Several Contacts from the chiropractor import appear to have missing Company associations. I found five examples attached. Please review whether the import mapping needs cleanup.”

15. What to Do With Fake, Internal, or Monitoring Contacts

Some lists may include internal Contacts, friendly monitors, leadership Contacts, or test records.

Examples may include:

  • Internal team members
  • Friends of the company
  • Business associates
  • People included to monitor campaign emails
  • Test Contacts

Do not treat these as normal prospects.

Document or report them based on Sales Ops guidance.

Ask:

  • Should this Contact remain in the campaign?
  • Should this Contact be excluded from sales outreach?
  • Should this Contact be tagged as internal or monitor?
  • Should this Contact be removed from future sequences?
16. What to Do When a Deal Is Associated Incorrectly

If a Deal is connected to the wrong Contact or Company, be careful.

Before changing anything, review:

  • Deal notes
  • Deal activity
  • Associated emails
  • Associated Contacts
  • Associated Company
  • Deal owner
  • Prior stage history
  • Whether another AE is involved

If you are sure and authorized, correct the association.

If not, submit a support request.

Incorrect Deal associations affect pipeline reporting.

17. What to Do When a Record Is Missing Required Information

If a record is missing required information, add accurate information if you know it.

If you do not know it:

  • Do not guess.
  • Do not enter fake information.
  • Do not use placeholders unless Sales Ops has approved them.
  • Add a note if needed.
  • Create a research task if the missing data is important.
  • Submit support if the required field seems incorrect.

Required fields exist to protect data quality.

18. What to Do When You Find Bad Lead Assignment

If Leads are assigned incorrectly:

  1. Do not start working the wrong Lead without clarification.
  2. Review associated Contact and Company.
  3. Check owner fields.
  4. Check recent activity.
  5. Capture examples.
  6. Ask Sales Ops or submit support.

Incorrect Lead assignment can cause multiple AEs to work the same prospect or cause Leads to be missed.

19. What to Include in a Data Cleanup Request

A good cleanup request should include:

  • Issue type
  • Record names
  • Record links, if available
  • Screenshots
  • What appears wrong
  • What you believe the correct version may be
  • Whether activity history exists
  • Whether a Lead or Deal is affected
  • Whether this affects outreach, reporting, or pipeline
  • Urgency level

Example:

“Data cleanup request: Contact Jane Smith is associated with the wrong Company. Email domain is abcchiro.com, but she is associated with XYZ Wellness. Please review and correct if appropriate. No active Deal appears tied to the Contact.”

20. Where to Submit Data Cleanup Issues

Use the support process or Sales Ops process currently directed by ChainIT Pay.

Support portal:

https://support.chainit.com/

Use support when:

  • The issue affects your ability to work
  • The issue affects multiple records
  • The issue affects a customer or prospect
  • The issue affects pipeline
  • The issue affects ownership
  • The issue needs tracking
21. When to Escalate Data Issues

Escalate data issues when:

  • Multiple records are affected
  • A major import appears wrong
  • Multiple AEs are impacted
  • Active Deals are affected
  • Customer communication may be wrong
  • Ownership is causing confusion
  • A campaign list appears inaccurate
  • Reporting is affected
  • Leadership needs visibility

Do not wait until a pipeline review to raise major data issues.

22. Common Data Cleanup Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid:

  • Creating duplicate records
  • Deleting records without approval
  • Merging records without authority
  • Re-importing files
  • Guessing field values
  • Using fake email addresses
  • Changing ownership without context
  • Moving Deals without understanding the opportunity
  • Ignoring duplicate Companies
  • Working from old spreadsheets after import
  • Not reporting patterns
  • Reporting issues without examples
23. Data Cleanup Checklist

Before reporting a data issue, confirm:

  • I searched for duplicates.
  • I checked ownership.
  • I checked associations.
  • I reviewed activity history.
  • I reviewed related Deals.
  • I captured screenshots or record links.
  • I can explain what appears wrong.
  • I know whether the issue affects sales activity.
  • I did not create a duplicate record.
  • I did not delete or merge anything without approval.
24. Final Standard

You are responsible for helping protect the quality of HubSpot data.

That does not mean you should fix everything yourself.

It means you should identify issues, avoid bad workarounds, and report problems clearly.

The ChainIT Pay data cleanup standard is:

  • Search before creating.
  • Do not duplicate records.
  • Do not delete records without approval.
  • Do not guess at missing information.
  • Report duplicate Contacts and Companies.
  • Report bad imports with examples.
  • Protect ownership and associations.
  • Use support when cleanup needs tracking.

Clean data makes your job easier.

Clean data creates better outreach.

Clean data creates better pipeline.

Better pipeline creates better decisions for ChainIT Pay.