Merging & Deleting Records – Best Practices

Here’s how to handle merging and deleting records between HubSpot and NetSuite when using the SyncSmart integration.

Quick Reminders

  • We sync by unique keys. That means we’re looking at Internal IDs in NetSuite and Record IDs in HubSpot to keep data flowing to the right places.

  • We don’t merge or delete anything for you. Ever. Merges and deletes need to be done manually in both systems to keep things clean.

  • We sync based on email for contacts. So if you merge two contacts in NetSuite that share the same email, HubSpot will still behave and you won’t have to do anything extra.

Merging Records

Contact Merges

  • Merging in NetSuite only: If both contacts have the same email address, you’re fine. The integration matches on email, so HubSpot doesn’t get confused.

  • Merging in HubSpot only: The NetSuite contact will not automatically merge. You’ll still have two NetSuite contacts. You need to manually merge there too.

  • Merging in both: Best practice is to merge in NetSuite first, wait for sync, then merge in HubSpot. This avoids weird updates flying around to ghost records.

Company Merges

  • Merging companies is trickier because we match on Internal IDs, not names or domains.

  • If two companies are merged in HubSpot, they’ll still exist as two separate companies in NetSuite. Updates to the merged HubSpot company may sync to both.

  • Best practice:

    1. Merge in the source system (where you’re initiating the change).

    2. Let it sync.

    3. Manually delete or merge the duplicate in the other system.

    4. Confirm that the remaining record has the correct Internal ID.

Heads-up: If you’re dealing with an acquisition (e.g., Company A buys Company B), treat this like a data project. Plan the merge, update key IDs, and clean up manually in both systems. The sync won’t magically know your org chart changed.

Deleting Records

  • If you delete a contact or company in HubSpot, the record will still exist in NetSuite, and vice versa.

  • You must manually delete records in both systems.

  • If a record is deleted in one system but still exists in the other, it can cause updates to "resurrect" or re-sync the deleted record—so clean up both sides.

FAQs

Q: If I merge records in one system, will SyncSmart merge them in the other?
 A: Nope. If you merge in NetSuite, merge in HubSpot too. We don’t assume anything.

Q: What happens if companies A and B exist in both systems, and A acquires B?
 A: If you merge them in HubSpot, the result will update both NetSuite records. You’ll still need to merge or delete in NetSuite to prevent duplicate syncing.

 

Final Tips

  • Always confirm the Internal ID (NetSuite) or Record ID (HubSpot) of the surviving record post-merge.

  • If in doubt, sync first, merge second.

  • Communicate changes to your team—especially if different teams own each system.