Using the Association Viewer

Overview

The Association Viewer interface is designed for intuitive exploration of your HubSpot relationships. This guide covers all the features and interactions available in the graph visualization.

Interface Components

The Graph Canvas

The main canvas displays your association graph with:
Nodes - Represent CRM records
  • Color-coded by object type
  • Show record name/title
  • Display object type icon
Edges - Represent associations
  • Labeled with relationship type
  • Animated when connected to focused node
  • Faded when not directly connected
Focused Node - Your current record
  • Highlighted with bright pink (FF0072) border
  • 4px border width for visibility
  • Center of the current view

Control Panels

Top-Left Panel

Layout Button
  • Reorganizes the entire graph
  • Uses force-directed algorithm for clean positioning
  • Runs automatically with smooth animation
  • Prevents node overlap
  • Creates balanced, readable layouts
Object Type Filters
  • Checkbox for each object type
  • Show/hide specific objects
  • Changes apply instantly
  • Hidden nodes don't affect focused node visibility
  • Useful for reducing clutter

Bottom-Center Panel

Fetch All Button
  • Loads associations for all visible nodes that haven't been loaded yet
  • Processes up to 50 nodes per click
  • Batches requests for performance
  • Shows loading state while processing

Node Interactions

Click to Refocus

What it does: Clicking any node makes it the new focused node
How it works:
    Click on any non-focused node
    That node becomes the focused node (pink border)
    Graph refocuses around that record
    Edges update to show active connections
    View centers on the new focused node
Use case: Navigate through relationship networks by clicking from record to record

Grab Associations Button

What it does: Fetches and displays all associations for this specific node
When to use: When you want to see what's connected to a particular record
How it works:
    Click "Grab associations" on a node
    System fetches all associated records from HubSpot
    New nodes appear for each association
    Edges connect the source node to new nodes
    Association labels display on edges
Note: Once loaded, the button disappears - associations are already displayed

GoTo Button

What it does: Opens the record in HubSpot in a new tab
When to use: When you need to view or edit record details
How it works:
    Click "GoTo" on any node
    New browser tab opens
    HubSpot record page loads
    Graph remains open in original tab
Use case: Quick access to record details while keeping the graph view active

Canvas Navigation

Zoom Controls

Mouse Wheel / Trackpad Pinch
  • Scroll up/pinch out: Zoom in
  • Scroll down/pinch in: Zoom out
  • Minimum zoom: 0.3 (30%)
  • Default zoom: 0.6 (60%)
  • Maximum zoom: Unlimited (for detail viewing)
Use cases:
  • Zoom in to read small text on nodes
  • Zoom out to see the big picture
  • Find optimal zoom level for your screen size

Pan/Drag

Click and Drag Background
  • Move the entire graph
  • Navigate to different areas
  • Reposition your view
Click and Drag Nodes
  • Move individual nodes
  • Manually arrange layout
  • Create custom positioning
  • Overrides auto-layout (until you click Layout again)

Working with Object Filters

Show/Hide Object Types

The checkboxes in the top-left panel control visibility for each object type:
Contacts - Orange nodes Companies - Red nodes Deals - Yellow nodes Tickets - Green nodes Products - Cyan nodes Line Items - Blue nodes Quotes - Purple nodes

Filter Strategy

Scenario: Too Many Nodes
  • Uncheck object types you don't need
  • Start with Line Items and Products if they're cluttering the view
  • Add back types as needed
Scenario: Focus on People
  • Check only Contacts and Companies
  • Hide Deals, Tickets, Products, Line Items, Quotes
  • See just the relationship network between people and organizations
Scenario: Deal Pipeline View
  • Check Contacts, Companies, and Deals
  • Hide everything else
  • Focus on sales relationships

Using the Layout Function

When to Use Layout

Messy Graph
  • Nodes overlap
  • Edges cross excessively
  • Hard to read
After Loading New Nodes
  • Just fetched associations
  • New nodes appear in random positions
  • Need clean arrangement
Custom Positioning Gone Wrong
  • Manually dragged nodes into bad positions
  • Want to reset to automatic layout

How the Layout Algorithm Works

The force-directed layout uses physics simulation:
    Repulsion Force - Nodes push away from each other (prevents overlap)
    Link Force - Connected nodes pull together (maintains relationships)
    Collision Detection - Prevents nodes from overlapping
    Center Force - Keeps graph centered on canvas
    Simulation - Runs for 1000 ticks to find optimal positions
Result: Clean, balanced graph where:
  • Connected nodes are close together
  • Unconnected nodes are spaced apart
  • No overlaps or collisions
  • Easy to trace relationships

Loading Associations

Lazy Loading Strategy

The viewer uses lazy loading to optimize performance:
Initial View
  • Shows the focused record
  • Loads immediate associations only
  • Keeps initial load fast
On-Demand Loading
  • Click "Grab associations" to load more
  • Click "Fetch All" to batch-load multiple nodes
  • Only fetch what you need

Fetch All Behavior

What it does:
  • Finds all visible nodes that haven't loaded associations yet
  • Batches up to 50 nodes
  • Fetches associations for all of them in parallel
  • Adds new nodes and edges to the graph
When to use:
  • You want to see the full relationship network
  • Exploring a large account with many interconnected records
  • Building a complete map of associations
Performance notes:
  • Processes maximum 50 nodes per click
  • May take a few seconds for large batches
  • Loading indicator shows progress

Edge Types and Labels

Association Labels

Edges display the type of relationship:
  • "Primary Company"
  • "Decision Maker"
  • "Associated Contact"
  • Custom association labels from HubSpot

Edge States

Active Edge (connected to focused node)
  • Full opacity
  • Animated
  • Pink color (#FF0072)
  • Easy to trace
Inactive Edge (not connected to focused node)
  • 40% opacity
  • Faded
  • Gray color
  • Background context
Reversed Edge
  • Hidden automatically
  • Prevents duplicate lines
  • Keeps graph clean

Best Practices

Start with the Focused Record

    Open the viewer
    Look at immediate associations
    Identify interesting connections
    Click on specific nodes to explore deeper

Use Filters Progressively

    Start with all object types visible
    Identify which types add value
    Hide types that clutter the view
    Focus on relevant relationships

Combine Manual and Auto Layout

    Use "Layout" for initial organization
    Manually drag nodes for fine-tuning
    Group related nodes together
    Click "Layout" again if it gets messy

Navigate Efficiently

    Click on nodes to jump between records
    Use "GoTo" to open details in new tabs
    Keep the graph open for context
    Use browser tabs to manage multiple views

Common Workflows

Exploring a New Account

    Open a company record
    Click "View Associations"
    See immediate contacts and deals
    Click "Fetch All" to load the full network
    Use filters to focus on active deals
    Click on key contacts to see their other companies

Understanding a Deal

    Open a deal record
    Click "View Associations"
    See associated contacts, company, products
    Click on the company to see other deals
    Identify similar opportunities
    Use "GoTo" to review related deals

Finding Missing Associations

    Open a record
    Click "View Associations"
    Look for isolated nodes (no connections)
    Identify records that should be linked
    Use "GoTo" to fix associations in HubSpot
    Refresh the viewer to verify changes

Building an Account Map

    Start with a company record
    Fetch all associations
    Hide Products and Line Items
    Focus on Contacts and Deals
    Click "Layout" for clean organization
    Screenshot for documentation

Keyboard and Mouse Tips

Zoom:
  • Mouse wheel up/down
  • Trackpad pinch
  • Ctrl/Cmd + scroll (some browsers)
Pan:
  • Click and drag background
  • Arrow keys (if canvas is focused)
Select Node:
  • Click on node
  • Becomes focused node
Multi-Select:
  • Not currently supported
  • Focus on one node at a time

Performance Considerations

Large Graphs

For accounts with 100+ associated records:
  • Use object filters aggressively
  • Don't click "Fetch All" immediately
  • Load associations incrementally
  • Hide object types you don't need

Slow Loading

If associations take a long time to load:
  • Check your internet connection
  • Verify HubSpot API is responding
  • Try loading smaller batches
  • Contact support if issues persist

Browser Performance

For best performance:
  • Use Chrome or Edge (best React Flow support)
  • Close unnecessary browser tabs
  • Zoom to comfortable level (avoid extreme zoom)
  • Refresh if graph becomes sluggish

Troubleshooting

Nodes Overlapping

Solution: Click the "Layout" button to reorganize

Can't Find a Record

Check:
  • Use object type filters - might be hidden
  • Scroll or zoom out to see full graph
  • Verify the association exists in HubSpot

Graph Looks Empty

Possible causes:
  • Record has no associations
  • All object types are hidden (check filters)
  • Associations haven't been fetched yet
Solution:
  • Click "Grab associations" on the focused node
  • Check object type filters
  • Verify associations exist in HubSpot

Edges Crossing Too Much

Solution:
  • Click "Layout" for better organization
  • Hide object types that add clutter
  • Manually drag nodes to better positions
  • Zoom in to focus on specific areas

Getting Help

If you have questions or feedback:
  • Email:  contact@daeda.tech