Data is at the heart of any successful business operation, especially in a CRM platform like HubSpot, where customer relationships and sales pipelines are meticulously tracked and managed. Recognising the importance of safeguarding this valuable data, HubSpot has introduced the CRM Backup feature, now available in BETA. This feature allows businesses to create secure backups of their CRM data, ensuring that critical information is protected and recoverable in the event of data loss.

What is HubSpot CRM Backup?

HubSpot's CRM Backup feature enables Super Admins to create backups of all essential CRM data, which can then be stored securely outside of HubSpot. This includes data from contacts, companies, deals, tickets, custom objects, products, calls, conversations, and tasks. However, it’s important to note that associations and activity data are not included in these backups.

This feature is accessible to users across various HubSpot subscriptions, including Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, Operations Hub, and Content Hub, available at the Starter, Professional, and Enterprise levels.

Why Use CRM Backup?

The CRM Backup feature offers several key benefits that make it an indispensable tool for any business:

1. Comprehensive Data Protection: By backing up all crucial CRM records and property values, businesses can safeguard against data loss due to accidental deletions, system errors, or cyber-attacks. This ensures that your business can quickly recover and continue operations without significant disruption.

2. Compliance and Security: For businesses in regulated industries, data protection is not just a priority but a requirement. Regular backups help ensure compliance with data protection regulations, reducing the risk of legal or financial penalties. Additionally, since backups include sensitive data, it's vital to store these files in a secure location.

3. Operational Continuity: Your CRM is the backbone of many business processes, from sales to customer service. Regular backups ensure that even if something goes wrong, your operations can continue with minimal downtime, protecting both your revenue and customer satisfaction.

4. Flexible Backup Options: Depending on your HubSpot subscription, you can tailor the frequency of backups to meet your business needs. For instance, Starter and Professional accounts can back up data once per week, while Enterprise accounts can perform backups every 24 hours.

How to Use HubSpot’s CRM Backup Feature

Getting started with the CRM Backup feature is straightforward and involves just a few simple steps:

1. Accessing the Feature: If you have the appropriate access, you can find the CRM Backup option within the Data Management section of your HubSpot settings.

2. Creating a Backup:

   • Navigate to the settings icon in your HubSpot account.
   • Under Data Management in the left sidebar, click on Backup.
   • Click Create Backup and confirm in the dialog box.
   • Once the backup is complete, you'll receive a notification with a download link. The file will be available for download for up to 14 days.

3. Backup Contents: The downloaded .zip file will contain CSV files for each CRM object. If an object has no records, it won’t be included in the backup.

4. Restoring Data: If you need to restore data from a backup, you can import the files back into HubSpot. This will recreate records and overwrite updated property values, except for permanently deleted contacts, which will result in an error during import.

Key Considerations

• Security: Given that backups include sensitive data, it’s crucial to store these files in a secure location to prevent unauthorised access.
• Backup Frequency: The frequency of backups depends on your HubSpot subscription, with Enterprise accounts benefiting from daily backups.
• Data Restoration: When restoring data, it’s important to understand that importing backups will overwrite any changes made after the backup was created.

Conclusion

HubSpot’s CRM Backup feature is a vital tool for businesses that rely on their CRM data for day-to-day operations and strategic planning. By enabling regular, secure backups, this feature helps protect against data loss, ensures compliance with data protection regulations, and supports operational continuity. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, CRM Backup provides the peace of mind that comes with knowing your valuable data is always safe and recoverable.

As the feature continues to evolve, it’s an excellent time to start integrating CRM Backup into your data management strategy, ensuring your business is prepared for any eventuality.