How to Safely Archive or Delete HubSpot Properties
Deleting unused properties in HubSpot is a two-stage process: archive first, then permanently delete. This guide covers what to check before you archive, the exact clicks for one property or many, how to restore a mistake, and a cleanup process that won't break anything your team relies on.
Should you archive or delete a HubSpot property?
Archive. In HubSpot, archiving is the normal way to remove a custom property, and it gives you a safety net:
| Archive | Permanently delete | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can do it | Users with Edit property settings permission | Super Admins can permanently delete archived properties |
| Can you undo it? | Yes, restore from the Archived tab within 90 days | No |
| What happens next | HubSpot permanently deletes it after 90 days | Gone immediately |
| Bulk action | Yes, from the property table | Yes, from the Archived tab |
For a property that isn't used anywhere, HubSpot's panel also offers Delete permanently as an alternative to archiving, skipping the 90-day window. There's rarely a good reason to take it. Ninety days of "nobody complained" is the cheapest test you'll ever run.
Default HubSpot properties can't be deleted. HubSpot's glossary states that it "creates and uses some default properties for each object that cannot be deleted". Cleanup is about your custom properties.
What to check before you archive a property
Start with the panel HubSpot shows when you click Archive. It has three parts:
- Fill rate for this property: the share of records that have a value. A property can be archived even if records have values, so a non-zero fill rate won't stop you. Treat it as a warning instead.
- Assets preventing archiving: tools that block the archive until you remove the property from them. HubSpot's examples include workflows, forms, and segments (lists). The panel links you to each one so you can update it.
- Other assets using this property: places that use the property but don't block the archive. HubSpot's examples include segment, index page, and report filters, and index page view columns. Archiving removes the property from these, so a report filter or a view column will quietly change.
That's the in-HubSpot part. Some dependencies can live outside the panel. These are things to check yourself, not documented HubSpot behaviour:
- Integrations and API syncs. A connected app, middleware tool, or custom script may read or write the property by its internal name. HubSpot's archive documentation doesn't say these are listed. Search your integration mappings and code for the internal name.
- Imports and spreadsheets. Recurring import templates, or exports that feed a BI tool, may expect the column.
- Saved views and personal habits. Teammates may filter or sort by the property in their own views. Ask before you remove it.
- External reports and dashboards built outside HubSpot from exported data.
- Data you might need later. If records still hold values you care about, export them first (see the process below).
Why can't I delete a property used in a workflow?
HubSpot won't archive a property while assets such as workflows, forms, or segments still use it. The panel lists it under Assets preventing archiving. To fix it:
- In the archive panel, use the review option next to the blocking asset to open it.
- Remove the property from that asset: delete the workflow action or branch that uses it, drop the field from the form, or change the segment filter.
- Return to Settings → Properties and try the archive again.
Before editing a live workflow, check whether it still matters. Sometimes the property you're removing is the only thing a running workflow keys on. The real cleanup task is then the workflow, not the property.
How to archive HubSpot properties (one or in bulk)
You need Edit property settings permissions.
Archive a single property
- In your HubSpot account, click the settings icon in the top navigation bar.
- In the left sidebar, go to Properties.
- Use the Select an object dropdown to choose the object, e.g. contact properties.
- Hover over the property, click More, then Archive.
- Review the right panel: fill rate, assets preventing archiving, and other assets using the property. Clear any blockers.
- Click Archive property to confirm.
Bulk archive properties
- On the same Properties page, select the checkboxes next to the properties you want to archive. The checkbox at the top left of the table selects everything in the list.
- Click Archive at the top of the table.
- In the dialog, type the number of properties you're archiving, then click Archive.
Bulk archiving is fast, which is the risk. Work from a reviewed shortlist, not from "everything under 5%".
How to restore or permanently delete an archived property
Archived properties sit in the Archived tab for 90 days. After that, HubSpot deletes them permanently, and properties archived 90 or more days ago can't be restored.
Restore an archived property
- Go to Settings → Properties and select the object.
- Click the Archived tab.
- Filter or search, then select the properties to bring back.
- Click Restore.
Restoring needs the same Edit property settings permission. HubSpot's article doesn't spell out what a restore brings back, such as record values or the assets the property was removed from. Don't rely on restore as your only backup, and plan to re-add the property to any views or report filters by hand.
Permanently delete archived properties
- In the Archived tab, select the properties.
- Click Delete.
- Type the number of properties to confirm.
Only users with Super Admin permissions can permanently delete previously archived properties. If you're not one, waiting out the 90 days does the same job.
A safe HubSpot property cleanup process
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Snapshot | Run Export all properties for each object you'll touch. For properties that still hold values, use More → Export property history. | A record of definitions, options, usage, and values before anything changes. |
| 2. Review fill rate and usage | Shortlist custom properties with low fill rate, then check usage in the export and the archive panel. | Separates "empty" from "empty but wired into something". |
| 3. Communicate | Share the shortlist with the teams and integration owners who might use it, and set a date. | Catches saved views, external reports, and syncs HubSpot may not show you. |
| 4. Archive | Clear blockers, then archive, one at a time or in bulk. | Reversible for 90 days. |
| 5. Wait | Watch for broken syncs, failed imports, or questions from users. | Problems usually surface when someone next uses the field. |
| 6. Permanently delete | Let the 90-day window expire, or have a Super Admin delete from the Archived tab once you're confident. | Frees the properties for good. |
The export includes each property's usages and fill rate on every HubSpot plan. Property history exports keep a limited number of revisions per record (up to 45 for contact properties and 20 for company, deal, ticket, and custom object properties), so they capture recent changes, not everything ever stored. For how to read the numbers, see HubSpot property fill rate explained. For the difference between an empty field and one that's simply not referenced anywhere, see empty vs unused vs stale properties.
If you're cleaning up because you're near HubSpot's ceiling, check HubSpot custom property limits first so you know how much room you need to free up.
Finding the candidates: where PropSweep fits
Step 2 is the slow part when you have several objects and hundreds of custom properties. How to find unused properties in HubSpot covers the native options. PropSweep is a read-only HubSpot app that measures the fill rate of every custom property and gives you one list across objects, emptiest first.
- It doesn't delete or archive anything. It never writes to your CRM. You still do steps 3 to 6 in HubSpot.
- It doesn't check workflow or form usage, or when a property was last updated. Use HubSpot's archive panel and the property export for that.
- Free: contact properties, the 5 least-filled, one scan every 7 days. Pro Pass ($19 one-time for 6 months): 8 standard objects plus custom objects, weekly automatic scans, and CSV export, which works as a ready-made snapshot for step 1.
Build your cleanup shortlist
Install PropSweep free from the HubSpot Marketplace. Read-only, no credit card.
Install Free on HubSpotFAQ
Can you bulk delete properties in HubSpot?
Yes, in two steps. Select several properties on the Properties page and click Archive, typing the number of properties to confirm. To remove them permanently before the 90 days are up, a Super Admin can select them in the Archived tab and click Delete.
How long can you restore an archived HubSpot property?
For 90 days. Archived properties stay in the Archived tab, and HubSpot permanently deletes them after 90 days. After that they can't be restored.
Can you delete default HubSpot properties?
No. HubSpot creates some default properties for each object that cannot be deleted. Property cleanup applies to custom properties.
Can you archive a property that still has data?
Yes. HubSpot lets you archive a property even if records have values. The archive panel shows its fill rate so you can decide, and you should export the values first if you might need them.
Sources
- HubSpot Knowledge Base: Organize, delete, and export properties (updated June 11, 2026)
- HubSpot Knowledge Base: Export property history (updated September 8, 2026)
- HubSpot Knowledge Base: HubSpot Glossary, "Property" entry (updated September 10, 2026)