Welcome to our monthly roundup of HubSpot Updates, the latest and greatest! Each month, our team dives into the most exciting updates and betas, curating the ones we think deserve the spotlight. But we don’t just stop there—we’ll break down why we love them, who they’re perfect for, and how you can make the most of these features.

Whether you’re a marketer, sales pro, or ops guru, these picks are here to help you stay ahead of the curve and get the most out of HubSpot. Let’s explore what Hubspot Updates for December 2024 has to offer!

Elvia’s Pick: AI-Powered File & Image Search

Why I Picked This

Searching for the right file in HubSpot has always been a bit of a treasure hunt, especially when you can’t remember the exact file name. This AI-powered update simplifies that process, making it faster and more intuitive. It’s a game-changer for teams managing large volumes of content and assets, saving time and boosting productivity.

What Is It?

HubSpot now uses AI to analyze public files and automatically generate descriptions and keyword tags for each one. This enhancement allows users to search using natural language and find files based on their contents, not just file names.

Why Does It Matter?

Previously, finding files in HubSpot relied solely on remembering exact file names, which could be frustrating and time-consuming. With AI-generated descriptions and keyword tagging, searching becomes smarter, enabling teams to quickly locate and reuse files and images for content creation. This means less time digging and more time creating impactful campaigns.

How Does It Work?

Here’s the breakdown:

Automatic Descriptions & Keywords:

• For users with CMS Hub Professional/Enterprise, Content Hub Professional/Enterprise, or Marketing Hub Professional/Enterprise, HubSpot AI will automatically analyze public files and generate descriptions and keywords.
• To activate this, go to Settings > AI (under Account Management) and enable the Files data analysis feature.
• Once enabled, AI will process existing files and any new uploads, making them searchable by content.

Manual Descriptions & Keywords:

For users without the AI-enabled hubs, you can manually add descriptions and keywords in the Files section under Library > Files.

Searching Files:

When you search, HubSpot will now match your query with file names, descriptions, and keywords.

Who Gets It?

File Search Based on Keywords and Descriptions: Available to all HubSpot users.

AI-Generated Descriptions and Keywords: Exclusive to customers with CMS Hub Professional/Enterprise, Content Hub Professional/Enterprise, or Marketing Hub Professional/Enterprise.

Rafael’s Pick: Countdown Timer in CTAs

Why I picked this? 

A great way to generate “urgency” to potential customers. Companies can create different strategies around it and increase their website conversions.

What is it?

We've added a new "Countdown Timer" module to HubSpot CTAs! You can add this module directly to your pop-up and embedded CTAs, and then surface them on your website to drive conversions.

Why does it matter?

Adding a countdown to your CTAs is a powerful way to highlight limited-time offers or upcoming events. Countdown timers in pop-ups and embedded CTAs encourage user engagement and are shown to increase conversion rates for time-sensitive campaigns. Using a countdown can be particularly valuable if your company has any limited-time promotional events, sales, or offers.

How does it work?

• To add a countdown to your CTA, simply select the countdown module from the editor and drag it into your asset. We've also introduced five new CTA templates tailored for creating pop-ups with countdowns.
• Set your desired end date, and the countdown will automatically conclude at midnight in your account’s time zone (note: specific end hours aren’t available yet).
• If the countdown is in a pop-up, the pop-up will automatically unpublish when the countdown ends. Customize the look of your countdown in the "Style" tab, where you can adjust padding, colors, borders, and more to match your brand.
• Please note that CTAs with countdowns aren’t supported in marketing emails.

Who gets it?

The countdown timer module is available to users on Marketing and Content Hub Starter, Professional, and Enterprise subscriptions.

Additional/related sources

https://community.hubspot.com/t5/Blog-Website-Page-Publishing/Embed-a-countdown-clock/m-p/978475 

Fabian’s Pick: Sales Hub in Google Calendar

Why I picked this?

Sales reps constantly juggle meetings, follow-ups, and CRM updates. This update eliminates the need to bounce between tools, saving them valuable time and making workflows seamless—all within the tool many of us already use daily: Google Calendar.

What is it?

Sales Hub in Google Calendar is a new feature of the HubSpot Sales Chrome extension that brings essential Meetings tools directly into your Google Calendar. Now, you can prepare for upcoming meetings, log outcomes, and follow up on past meetings without leaving your calendar.

Why does it matter?

Switching between tools can be a productivity killer, especially for sales teams managing multiple touchpoints daily. By embedding key Sales Hub features into Google Calendar, HubSpot streamlines the process of preparing for and following up on meetings. It’s a simple yet powerful integration that reduces friction, saves time, and ensures no details slip through the cracks.

How does it work?

Enable the Feature in HubSpot:

• Go to Settings > Extension Enablement > Google Calendar in the HubSpot Sales Chrome extension to turn it on.

• Ensure you’re enrolled in the Sales Workspace public beta to access Meeting Assistant for meeting prep and follow-up.

For Upcoming Meetings:

• A Prepare button appears in Google Calendar, launching the Meeting Assistant in a browser tab for quick pre-meeting planning.

For Past Meetings:

• A Follow-Up button lets you log outcomes and sync updates directly to HubSpot.

• This integration ensures you can easily stay on top of meetings before, during, and after.

Who gets it?

This feature is available to users across Sales Starter, Sales Pro, and Sales Enterprise, as well as all HubSpot hub tiers.

Related sources

• HubSpot Sales Chrome Extension Overview
• Sales Workspace Public Beta Enrollment
• Google Calendar Integration Guide

Marija’s Pick: Create Sales Leads from Mobile

Why did I pick this? 

It’s important for sales reps to move fast and keep track of leads on the move. With this update on the HubSpot mobile app, they have the ability to best prospect from anywhere.

What is it?

Sales representatives using the HubSpot mobile app now have the capability to generate leads directly from the app while on the move. This update lets them create leads from different places in their sales navigation interface. This gives them the freedom to build their pipeline anytime and anywhere.

Why does it matter?

Until recently, sales representatives had a problem: they couldn't create new lead records from the mobile app while managing their prospecting pipeline. They were constrained to using an enabled portal Lead setting to generate leads only when contacts in specific stages emerged. This posed a significant limitation in expanding their sales pipeline when away from their desks.

Now, with up to three distinct entry points available on the HubSpot mobile app, representatives have the unrestricted ability to best prospect from anywhere.

How does it work?

HubSpot is making it possible for reps to create leads from many places in the navigation experience. They can meet them where they are.

From the global create menu ("+Create") in the home page (only available for eligible users)

From the mobile Lead Management page (Home > Leads) page ("+Lead")

From the Associations tab within the CRM contact or company object records ("Add Leads")

Upon selecting a lead creation entry point, several fields will need to be completed before a lead can be established:

Contact/company to associate the lead with

• Lead owner (if setting enabled)
• Lead name
• Lead pipeline (if more than one)
• Lead pipeline stage
• Lead label
• Lead type

Who gets it?

Creating leads from mobile is now in public beta available for both iOS and Android Sales Hub Professional and Enterprise paid seated users who have adopted to manage leads from Sales Hub.

Matt’s Pick: Configurable Send Throttling

Why I picked this?

It gives administrators greater control over email-sending rates, improves email deliverability, and maintains a strong company-sending reputation. This is especially useful for teams using automation tools like templates and sequences.

What is it?

A new setting allowing admins to control the number of emails users can send per minute from a HubSpot-connected account.

Why does it matter?

It helps prevent spammy behavior, ensures high-quality email content, and protects your company’s email reputation.

How does it work?

Admins with Account Access can set the email send limit by navigating to Settings > Objects > Activities, then selecting the Email Frequency Controls tab. Under Maximum sends per minute, you can define a limit (up to 10 emails per minute) to control the sending rate. This setting only applies to connected personal emails and respects sequence limits if set lower than 3 emails per minute. It ensures that emails are sent within the configured rate, reducing the risk of flagged or failed sends.

Who gets it?

Available to Sales Hub Professional and Enterprise users.

Alan’s Pick: New Workflow Actions for Associations

Why did I pick this? 

Automating record associations specifically, association Labels has always been a nuisance, mainly because there was no option to create workflows that would update or apply labels based on property criteria. This is a very welcome quality of life update to HubSpot’s workflows.

What is it?

Workflow users can now automate association management with workflows. Utilize new actions to apply, update, or remove labels and create associations based on matching properties. Watch these videos to learn more:

• Create Associations

• Apply Association Labels

• Update and Remove Association Labels

Why does it matter?

This new functionality empowers users to automate association management, enhancing data quality and reducing manual effort. As companies grow, automated processes ensure efficient management of increasing associations and labels.

How does it work?

Users will be able to add association actions to their workflows to help automate parts of the association and label management processes. We are introducing 4 new actions in contact, company, deal, ticket, and custom object-based workflows:

1. Apply labels to already associated records

2. Update existing association labels

3. Remove existing association labels

4. Create new associations between two records that have properties with exact matching values. Note: This functionality only exists for single-line text, multi-line text, or phone number properties

Who gets it?

Content Hub Enterprise, Content Hub Professional, Marketing Hub Enterprise, Marketing Hub Professional, Operations Hub Enterprise, Operations Hub Professional, Sales Hub Enterprise, Sales Hub Professional, Service Hub Enterprise, Service Hub Professional

Additional/related sources

• Knowledge Base Article
• Community Thread

Ermin’s Pick: Analyze Your Brand’s Visibility in Perplexity

Why I picked this? 

Since AI Search Grader appeared, I’ve loved experimenting with it, using it to search for clients and brands in the “AI sphere”. With the latest update, the tool has become even more comprehensive.

What is it?

With this update, marketers can now track their brand visibility in Perplexity (in addition to ChatGPT)

Why does it matter?

By tracking brand mentions in AI chatbots, you position your brand to stay relevant, responsive, and competitive in an AI-driven world.

How does it work?

AI Search Grader is a powerful free tool designed to analyze your brand’s visibility using generative AI tools for search. 

Who gets it?

Everyone, it is FREE 🙂

Additional/related sources

https://www.hubspot.com/ai-search-grader