Association Rules

Overview

Association rules are the heart of Auto Associations Pro. They define how records should automatically connect to each other in your HubSpot CRM.
What it does: Automatically creates associations between records based on existing relationships and configurable filters.
When to use it: When you need to maintain consistent association patterns across your CRM - like ensuring emails always appear on related deals, or contacts are linked to all relevant companies.
Business value: Saves hours of manual work, prevents missing associations, ensures data visibility across teams, and maintains clean relationship structures.

How Rules Work

Each rule follows this formula:
Associate <Subject> from <Source> to <Filter> <Target>

Rule Components

  • Subject - The object you want to associate (e.g., Emails, Contacts, Deals)
  • Source - What triggers the rule (the object that already has an association)
  • Filter - Narrows down which target records receive the association
  • Target - The final destination where the subject gets associated

Visual Flow

[Subject] ---> [Source] ---> [Filter] ---> [Target]
   ↓              ↓              ↓            ↓
 Email       Contact         All        Companies
When an email gets associated to a contact (the trigger), the rule finds all companies associated with that contact, and automatically associates the email to those companies.

Example Rules

Example 1: Associate Emails from Contacts to Companies

Rule: "Associate Emails from Contacts to all associated Companies"
How it works:
    An email gets associated to a contact (trigger)
    The rule finds all companies associated with that contact
    The email is automatically associated to those companies
Use case: Sales reps log emails to contacts, and the emails automatically appear on the company timeline for full visibility.

Example 2: Associate Invoices from Contacts to Deals

Rule: "Associate Invoices from Contacts to all associated Deals"
How it works:
    An invoice gets associated to a contact
    The rule finds all deals associated with that contact
    The invoice is automatically linked to those deals
Use case: Finance team invoices show up on relevant deals for better revenue tracking.

Example 3: Associate Contacts from Deals to Companies

Rule: "Associate Contacts from Deals to all associated Companies"
How it works:
    A contact gets associated to a deal
    The rule finds all companies associated with that deal
    The contact is automatically associated to those companies
Use case: Ensures all stakeholders in a deal are properly linked to the company record.

Example 4: Associate Emails to Newest Deals

Rule: "Associate Emails from Companies to the 3 newest associated Deals"
How it works:
    An email gets associated to a company
    The rule finds all deals associated with that company
    The rule filters to only the 3 most recently created deals
    The email is associated to those 3 deals (not all deals)
Use case: Keep active deals updated with communication, without cluttering old closed deals.

Example 5: Associate Deals with Primary Contacts

Rule: "Associate Deals from Companies to all primary associated Contacts"
How it works:
    A deal gets associated to a company
    The rule finds all contacts with the "Primary" association label
    The deal is associated to those primary contacts only
Use case: Ensure new deals are automatically linked to key decision makers.

Creating Rules in the Settings Page

    Navigate to App Settings: After installing Auto Associations Pro, access the settings page from your HubSpot app menu
    Click "Create New Rule"
    Select Your Components:
  • Choose the Subject (what you're associating)
  • Choose the Source (the trigger object)
  • Choose the Target (where it goes)
  • Configure Filters (optional - see Filter guide)
    Activate the Rule: Toggle the rule to "Active" to start processing
    Test the Rule: Create a test association and verify the automation works as expected

Common Use Cases

Sales & Marketing Alignment

Scenario: Marketing emails should appear on deals automatically for sales context.
Rule: Associate Emails from Contacts to all associated Deals
Result: Sales reps see full email history on deal records without manual linking.

Multi-Stakeholder Deals

Scenario: When adding a contact to a deal, they should be linked to the company too.
Rule: Associate Contacts from Deals to all associated Companies
Result: Complete stakeholder visibility on company records.

Activity Tracking Across Companies

Scenario: Calls logged to contacts should appear on all their companies.
Rule: Associate Calls from Contacts to all associated Companies
Result: Full communication timeline on company records for team visibility.

Clean Deal Management

Scenario: Only associate activities with recent, active deals, not old closed ones.
Rule: Associate Emails from Contacts to the 5 newest associated Deals
Result: Active deals stay updated, closed deals remain clean.

Managing Rules

Activating/Deactivating Rules

Toggle rules on or off at any time in the settings page. Deactivated rules won't process new associations but won't remove existing ones.

Editing Rules

Modify rule components to adjust behavior. Changes apply to future associations only - existing associations remain unchanged.

Deleting Rules

Remove rules you no longer need. This doesn't affect associations that were already created by the rule.

Best Practices

    Start Simple: Create one rule at a time and test before adding more
    Use Filters Wisely: Target filters prevent over-association and keep data clean
    Monitor Performance: Check that rules are creating expected associations
    Document Your Rules: Keep track of why each rule exists for future reference
    Plan for Scale: Consider how rules will behave as your database grows

Troubleshooting

Rule Not Triggering

  • Verify the rule is set to "Active"
  • Check that the source association actually exists
  • Ensure your HubSpot permissions allow the app to create associations

Too Many Associations Created

  • Add a target filter (like "newest N") to limit associations
  • Review your rule logic to ensure it matches your intent

Missing Associations

  • Check if source filters are excluding records (like pipeline filters)
  • Verify the target objects exist and are accessible