How Do You Log In and Set Up HubSpot CRM?: The Complete Guide for New Users 

Key Takeaways 

• Login page: Always log in via app.hubspot.com/login and bookmark it. This avoids phishing look-alikes 
• Multiple login methods: Password, Google, Microsoft, Apple, passkeys, or SSO (Professional and Enterprise plans only) 
• Setup order matters: Configure account defaults and permissions before pipelines, and pipelines before imports 
• Data hosting: Australian accounts can be hosted in HubSpot’s Sydney data centre for local data residency 
• Import last, not first: Clean and map your data before importing to avoid duplicate records and broken associations 
• DIY is realistic for simple setups, but remember that it gets riskier once pipelines, teams, and integrations multiply 

You’ve just logged into HubSpot for the first time, and the dashboard in front of you has more menus than you expected.  

Maybe you’ve just signed up for the free CRM to test it out. Maybe your company bought it and you’re the one setting it up for your team.  

Either way, the fear is the same: get the order wrong, and you’ll be redoing pipelines, properties, and imports weeks from now. 

This HubSpot guide walks you through exactly how to log in and set your CRM up in the right order, so you’re not left guessing at what to click first. 

As a HubSpot Diamond Partner, RedPandas has set up HubSpot for Australian businesses across industries.  

And we see the same mistake constantly: new users rush into importing data or building pipelines before the basics are locked in, then spend their second month cleaning up the first. 

This guide gives you the correct order: how to log in using every available method, what to configure first, and the setup sequence that avoids rework later. 

Quick Answer 

Log in to HubSpot at app.hubspot.com/login using your email and password, Google, Microsoft, Apple, a passkey, or SSO (Professional and Enterprise accounts only). Once you’re in, set your account defaults and invite your team before touching pipelines or importing data.  

The correct setup order is: account defaults and data hosting, then permissions, then custom properties, then deal pipelines, then connect email and calendar, then import contacts and companies last.  

Importing before the rest is configured is the single biggest cause of duplicate records and broken pipelines in new HubSpot accounts.

HubSpot CRM Login: Your Step-by-Step HubSpot Guide 

Logging in sounds simple, but HubSpot gives you six different ways to do it. Here are the most common methods, plus what to do when login goes wrong: 

How to Log In to HubSpot 

1. Go to https://app.hubspot.com/signup-hubspot: Bookmark this exact URL: it’s the only official HubSpot login page, and typing it manually helps you avoid phishing look-alikes 
2. Enter your email address: HubSpot checks your domain and automatically routes you to the correct screen  
3. Choose your login method: 
   • Email and password 
   • Sign in with Google 
   • Sign in with Microsoft 
   • Sign in with Apple 
   • Passkey (biometrics, Face ID, or device PIN) 
   • Single sign-on (Professional and Enterprise accounts only) 
4. Complete two-factor authentication if it’s turned on for your account. 

Setting Up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) 

If you’re on a Starter, Professional, or Enterprise account and log in with a password, HubSpot requires 2FA. You’ll be prompted to set it up the first time you log in, and it can’t be turned off. 

Your 2FA options: 

• Passkey: Log in with biometrics or a device PIN 
• Authenticator app (recommended): A one-time code from an app like Google Authenticator 
• SMS: A one-time code by text (HubSpot flags this as the least secure option) 

Set up a secondary method alongside your primary one, and download your backup codes. If you lose access to your primary method and have no backup, HubSpot’s reset process takes 48 to 72 hours. 

Troubleshooting Common HubSpot Login Issues 

4 Reasons Your HubSpot Implementation Could Fail (and How to Avoid It)

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HubSpot Getting Started: What to Configure First 

Once you’re logged in, don’t touch pipelines or imports yet.  

Here is a handful of settings that affect every user on your account, and why getting them right now saves you a redo later: 

Set Your Account Defaults 

Head to Settings -> Account Defaults. This is where account-wide settings live: the ones that affect your whole team, not just you. 

• Time zone: Controls when scheduled emails and social posts go out, and how your analytics display. HubSpot defaults new accounts to US/Eastern, so change this first if you’re based in Australia. 
• Language and currency: Sets the default display language and currency across the account. 
• Data hosting: Confirms which regional data centre stores your account data. Australian businesses can host their account data in HubSpot’s Sydney data centre, launched in 2025, rather than defaulting to the US. 

Note: Some timestamps, like logged sales activity and record history, follow your computer’s local time zone rather than the account setting. If your reports look off by a few hours, that’s usually the reason. 

Invite Your Team and Assign Seats 

HubSpot moved to a seat-based model in 2024. Before you invite anyone, decide who needs a paid seat and who doesn’t: 

To add someone, go to Users & Teams -> Create user, enter their email, assign a seat, and set their permissions before sending the invite. 

Set Permissions Before Anyone Starts Working 

Only a Super Admin can create other Super Admins, so keep that role limited to one or two people. For everyone else, set permissions by function: marketing, sales, service, and reporting access can all be granted separately, rather than giving every new user full account access by default. 

Getting this right before your team logs in for the first time means you’re not chasing down access requests and permission fixes in week two.

HubSpot Setup Guide: The Core CRM Steps in Order 

This part of the HubSpot guide covers the four steps that actually shape how your CRM works day to day. Do them in this order, and you’ll avoid rebuilding pipelines or re-tagging contacts later. 

Step #1: Create Your Custom Properties 

Before you build pipelines or import anything, create the custom properties your business actually needs. To do this, go to Settings > Properties and add fields for the data your team tracks, such as: 

• Industry 
• Lead source 
• Contract value 

Do this first. If you import data into properties that don’t exist yet, HubSpot creates unmapped fields you’ll need to clean up afterwards. 

Step #2: Build Your Deal Pipeline 

HubSpot’s default sales pipeline has seven stages:  

1. Appointment scheduled 
2. Qualified to buy 
3. Presentation scheduled 
4. Decision maker bought-in 
5. Contract sent 
6. Closed won 
7. Closed lost  

Most businesses need to rename or restructure these to match their actual sales process. 

To edit your pipeline: 

1. Go to Settings -> Objects -> Deals -> Pipelines 
2. Select the pipeline you want to edit 
3. Rename stages, add new ones, or delete ones that don’t apply 
4. Confirm you have a Closed Won and a Closed Lost stage: reporting breaks without both 

Keep it to around five to seven stages maximum. If your pipeline needs more than that, it’s usually a sign you need a second pipeline instead of a longer one. 

Step #3: Connect Your Email and Calendar 

Go to Settings -> General -> Email tab -> Connect personal email, then choose Gmail, Microsoft 365, Exchange, or IMAP. This logs your sent and received emails against contact records automatically and syncs your calendar for meeting scheduling. 

Connecting your inbox at this stage before importing contacts means every email you send afterwards is captured against the right record from day one. 

Step #4: Import Your Contacts and Companies Last 

Importing is the final step, not the first. Clean your data before you import: 

• Remove duplicates and fix invalid emails 
• Standardise formatting (phone numbers, company names) 
• Map each column to the custom properties you created in Step 1 

Run a small test import of 20 to 50 records before uploading your full list to catch mapping errors while they’re still easy to fix. Import companies before contacts where possible, since HubSpot uses this to auto-associate the two. 

Following this order of properties, pipeline, email, then import, is what separates a clean setup from one you’re still fixing three months in. 

To learn more about why this step matters, check out our guide on the importance of having proper HubSpot list hygiene here.

DIY vs Guided vs Partner-Led Setup: Choosing the Right Path in This HubSpot Guide 

You’ve got three ways to get HubSpot set up: do it yourself, use HubSpot’s own guided onboarding, or bring in a partner. Here’s how the three stack up. 

HubSpot calculates GST separately for Australian customers before you complete any purchase, so add ten per cent to the figures above for your actual invoice total. 

If your sales process fits on one page and you’re on a free or Starter plan, DIY is a reasonable starting point. Past that, the decisions around pipelines, permissions, and data structure get expensive to unwind later, and it’s worth paying for expertise rather than rebuilding your CRM in month three. 

To learn more about the benefits of a partner-led implementation, check out our guide on onboarding with a HubSpot Partner vs. HubSpot’s internal team. 

FAQ: Your HubSpot Guide to Login, Setup, and Getting Started 

Your HubSpot Guide Recap: What to Do Next 

You’ve now got the full path: log in, configure your defaults, build your CRM in the correct order, and avoid the mistakes that turn a clean setup into a data clean-up project.  

Bookmark this HubSpot guide and work through it in order rather than jumping ahead. 

Quick recap: 

• Log in at app.hubspot.com/login and set up 2FA before anything else 
• Configure account defaults like time zone, data hosting, and currency before inviting your team 
• Build in this order: properties, pipeline, connected email, then import 
• Choose your setup path, such as DIY, HubSpot’s guided onboarding, or a partner, based on your plan tier and how complex your sales process is 
• Revisit your setup quarterly. Clean data doesn’t stay clean on its own 

Need help setting your HubSpot portal up for success? Get in touch with our growth experts for a free consultation.  

In 30 minutes, you’ll walk away with insights on how to start the right way, how to set up your portal for your business, and how you can maximise HubSpot for growth… Regardless of whether you work with us or not.  

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About the Author 

This article was written by the team at RedPandas Digital, a HubSpot Diamond Solutions Partner based in Sydney, Australia. RedPandas is one of a small number of agencies accredited under HubSpot’s Partnered Scale Onboarding programme, and has delivered results including a 49.8% revenue increase and 378% lead growth within five months for an Australian client. 

About the Author

Manolo

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Before content calendars and launch plans, he was an international motorsport photographer, spending two years shooting development series races in Japan and covering local teams in the Philippines. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him in a BJJ class (at the expense of his joints) or running on a slightly alarming amount of black coffee