HubSpot's "Became a [Lifecycle Stage] Date" — What's Changing?

As a HubSpot user, you've likely received an alert about an upcoming change to some crucial properties. If you haven't paid attention to it yet, now's the time. HubSpot is sunsetting the "Became a [Lifecycle Stage] Date" properties on November 20, 2024. This change is significant and requires action to ensure your HubSpot portal continues to function smoothly.

The clock is ticking, and with the date right around the corner, it's crucial to understand the implications of this change and start preparing your HubSpot instance. Whether you're a seasoned HubSpot veteran or relatively new to the platform, this transition will affect how you track and manage your contacts' lifecycle stages.

Let's dive into what this means for you and how to prepare.

What Is the "Became a [Lifecycle Stage] Date" Property?

The "Became a [Lifecycle Stage] Date" property has been a cornerstone of HubSpot's contact management system for years. It tracks when contacts enter different lifecycle stages, such as Lead, MQL, SQL, and Customer.

Here are some common ways businesses have been using this property:

1. Workflow Triggers: Many users have set up workflows that trigger when a contact "Became a Lead" or "Became an MQL." For instance, you might have an automated email sequence that starts when someone becomes a lead, welcoming them and providing initial information about your company.
2. Reporting and Analysis: The "Became a" properties have been instrumental in creating a wide variety of reports and analyses, such as the following:
   1. Funnel Velocity: Shows how quickly leads progress through your sales funnel, such as the average time from lead to MQL to customer.
   2. Conversion Rate Reporting: Calculates the percentage of contacts that move from one stage to another within a specific timeframe.
   3. Time-based Cohort Analysis: Groups contacts based on when they entered a specific lifecycle stage to compare behavior and value over time.
   4. Customer Lifecycle Reporting: Visualizes a customer's complete journey from lead to closed deal.
   5. ROI and Attribution Reporting: Attributes conversions to specific marketing efforts based on lifecycle stage change dates.
   6. Churn Analysis: For subscription businesses, this analyzes the time between becoming a customer and being unengaged.
   7. Seasonal Trend Analysis: Identifies how conversion rates and stage progressions vary throughout the year.
3. List Creation and Segmentation: These properties are widely used for creating targeted lists and segments. For example, you might have used them for:
   1. A list of all contacts who became MQLs in the last 30 days for focused nurturing campaigns
   2. A segment of customers who became customers more than a year ago for renewal or upsell campaigns
   3. A list of leads who haven't progressed to MQL status within 90 days of becoming a lead for re-engagement efforts
4. Sales Team Notifications: Many sales teams rely on notifications that are triggered when a contact "Became an SQL" or "Became an Opportunity." This ensures that sales reps can quickly follow up with hot leads.
5. Customer Onboarding: When a contact "Became a Customer," it might trigger a series of onboarding emails or tasks for your customer success team.
6. Re-engagement Campaigns: Some businesses use the time since a contact "Became Unengaged" to trigger re-engagement campaigns at specific intervals.

These examples illustrate how deeply integrated the "Became a" properties are in many HubSpot users' day-to-day operations. That's why this upcoming change is so significant and requires careful attention.

Why Is HubSpot Making This Change?

HubSpot is always looking to improve its platform, and this change is part of that ongoing effort. The decision to sunset the "Became a" properties wasn't made lightly — nothing HubSpot does is ever taken lightly, though! HubSpot recognized that while these properties have been useful, they also had limitations that could sometimes lead to inconsistent or confusing data.

The New Lifecycle Stage Calculated Properties 

This leads us to the Lifecycle stage calculated properties. The new "Date Entered," "Date Exited," "Latest Time in," and "Cumulative Time In" properties will provide more accurate and consistent data, addressing some key limitations of the older system. The new properties will handle edge cases better, such as when a contact moves back and forth between stages multiple times.

It's also important to note that this change affects HubSpot accounts differently based on when they were created:

• Accounts created before August 1, 2024, still have the legacy properties, but these will stop functioning on November 20, 2024.
• Accounts created on or after August 1, 2024, don't have these legacy properties at all.

This staggered approach allows HubSpot to gradually phase out the old system while giving long-time users ample time to adapt to the new one.

A Closer Look at The "Date Entered/Exited/Latest time/Cumulative Time In" Properties

The new calculated lifecycle stage properties are HubSpot's solution for more reliable lifecycle stage tracking. These properties function similarly to the legacy "Became a" properties but offer several key advantages that will enhance your ability to track and analyze your contacts' journey through your sales and marketing funnel.

Let's explore some of the benefits and improvements these new properties bring to the table:

1. More Accurate Date and Time Tracking: The new properties provide precise timestamps for when a contact enters each lifecycle stage. This granular data allows for more accurate reporting and analysis.
2. Better Consistency Across HubSpot Tools: These updated properties are designed to work seamlessly with all of HubSpot's tools and features, ensuring that you see consistent data whether you're looking at a contact record, a report, or a workflow.
3. Improved Reliability for Filters: When creating lists, views, or reports, filters using the new properties are more reliable and predictable. This means you can trust that your segmentation is accurate and up-to-date.
4. Enhanced Performance in Automation: Workflows and email sequences that use these new properties will run more efficiently and with greater accuracy. This can lead to better-timed communications and more effective automation overall.
5. Support for Multiple Entries: Unlike the old properties, the new system can track multiple entries into a lifecycle stage. This is particularly useful for businesses with complex sales cycles where contacts might move back and forth between stages.

By leveraging these new properties, you'll gain deeper insights into your contacts' journeys and make more informed decisions about your marketing and sales strategies.

How This Change Impacts Your HubSpot Data

The transition from "Became a" to the lifecycle stage calculated properties will affect several areas of your HubSpot portal. Understanding these impacts is crucial for maintaining the integrity of your data and the effectiveness of your marketing and sales processes.

Key Areas That Will Be Impacted By The Change 

Workflows

Workflows are often the backbone of marketing and sales automation in HubSpot. Any workflow using the "Became a" property as a trigger or within its logic will need updating. This could include:

• Lead nurturing sequences triggered when someone becomes a lead
• Internal notifications sent when a contact becomes an MQL or SQL
• Task creation workflows based on lifecycle stage changes

To ensure they continue functioning as intended, you'll need to review all your workflows and update them to use the new properties.

Reports and Dashboards

Reports and dashboards provide crucial insights into your business performance. Those relying on the legacy properties will become inaccurate without updates. This might affect:

• Funnel reports showing progression through lifecycle stages
• Time-based reports calculating how long contacts spend in each stage
• Comparative reports looking at the effectiveness of different marketing channels in generating leads or customers

Updating these reports will ensure you maintain accurate visibility into your marketing and sales performance.

Lists and Filters

Many HubSpot users rely heavily on lists for segmentation and targeted marketing efforts. Marketing lists or views using the old properties for filtering will need adjustment. This could impact:

• Segmented email lists based on when contacts reached certain lifecycle stages
• Views used by sales teams to prioritize leads
• Suppression lists used to exclude certain contacts from campaigns

Reviewing and updating these lists will ensure your segmentation remains accurate and your targeting remains effective.

Integrations

For many businesses, HubSpot isn't just a standalone tool — it's deeply integrated into their tech stack. If you're using any integrations or custom API calls that rely on the "Became a" properties, it's crucial to understand how this change will affect these connections.

After November 20, API requests pulling data from "Became a" properties will fail. This could potentially disrupt data flows, break custom reports, or cause issues with third-party tools that rely on this data. However, you do not need to merge any new data with old data. The new properties will be backfilled and offer historical values. The only thing you should do to prevent disruptions is update these integrations to use the new v2 properties.

If you carefully address each of these areas, you can ensure a smooth transition and minimize any disruption to your marketing and sales operations.

Step-by-Step Guide to Transitioning

Navigating this transition before November 20 might seem daunting, but you can enjoy a smooth changeover with a systematic approach. Here's a detailed guide to help you through the process:

Audit Your HubSpot Account

Thoroughly review your HubSpot account for any usage of the "Became a" properties. This includes:

• Examining all workflows for triggers or actions using these properties
• Reviewing reports and dashboards for any references to the old properties
• Checking lists and views for filters using "Became a" dates
• Inspecting property cards and custom objects for any usage

If you're an agency managing multiple clients, it's recommended that you add these audits to your client engagements This ensures you don't miss any accounts and can plan resources accordingly.

Update Workflows and Reports

Once you've identified where the "Became a" properties are being used, it's time to update them:

• In workflows, replace all instances of "Became a" properties with the corresponding "Date Entered" properties
• For reports, recreate them using the new properties, ensuring the logic still makes sense
• Update any custom-calculated properties that reference the old properties

Document each change as you make these updates. This will be invaluable for troubleshooting and training your team on the new system.

Verify Changes

After making updates, it's crucial to test thoroughly:

• Run test contacts through your updated workflows to ensure they trigger correctly
• Compare old reports with new ones to verify that the data aligns
• Check that list memberships haven't dramatically changed due to the property switch

This verification step is critical to ensure that your HubSpot instance continues to function as expected after the transition.

If you follow these steps, you'll be well-prepared for the November 20 deadline, and your HubSpot instance will continue to support your business processes effectively!

Pro Tips for a Smooth Transition

Transitioning to the new calculated properties is a significant undertaking, but it can be a smooth process with the right approach. Here are some pro tips to help you navigate this change effectively:

Start Early

The November 20 deadline might seem far away, but starting your transition now gives you ample time to address any unexpected issues. Early preparation allows you to work through your HubSpot instance methodically without the pressure of a looming deadline.

Collaborate with Your Team

If you manage a large HubSpot account, don't try to handle this transition alone. Divide the task among team members by assigning different areas to different team members, holding check ins, and creating a document to log progress. 

Track Historical Data

While the legacy "Became a" properties will retain historical data, it's important to understand that new data will only be recorded in the new properties. Consider:

• Exporting historical data for your records before the transition
• Creating a plan for how you'll handle historical analysis that spans both the old and new systems

Use This as an Opportunity

While updating your properties, take the chance to:

• Clean up unused or outdated workflows, lists, and reports
• Re-evaluate your lifecycle stage definitions and ensure they still align with your business processes
• Train your team on best practices for using lifecycle stages in HubSpot

Communicate with Stakeholders

Keep everyone who relies on HubSpot informed about this change. Be sure to explain the transition, prepare your data analysis for reporting, and let any clients or partners know about the changes. 

Reach Out to a HubSpot Partner

If you feel overwhelmed or unsure about this transition, don't hesitate to contact a HubSpot partner like Lynton. Our expertise can be invaluable in ensuring a smooth transition and might even help you discover new ways to leverage the updated properties.

Get Ready Today 

While change can be challenging, this update to HubSpot's lifecycle stage properties promises to bring more accurate and reliable data to your marketing and sales efforts. And by taking action now before November 20, you can ensure a smooth transition and avoid disruptions to your operations.

Need help navigating this change? We're here to assist! Our team can help audit your HubSpot account and guide you through the necessary updates. Just reach out today.