If your team uses a customer relationship management platform like HubSpot, you’ve probably wished you could easily pull a report that answers your team’s exact questions—without jumping through hoops or piecing it together manually.
HubSpot’s user object reporting helps solve this problem by letting you create custom reports for specific types of data. But figuring out how it works and what you can do with it can feel tricky.
This blog will explain what user object reporting is, how it works, and how you can use it to get better insights from your data.
User object reporting in HubSpot is a way to create custom reports that focus specifically on users—the people in your team who interact with the HubSpot platform.
While other objects like contacts, companies, or deals provide insights into your customers and sales, user object reports are all about understanding your team’s activity and performance within HubSpot.
For example, you could use a user object report to:
Focusing on users gives you insights into how your team is using HubSpot, helping you identify high performers, spot underutilized tools, and uncover opportunities to improve workflows or training.
We all know how much teams need data. Teams that use data-driven insights enhance their individual performance by up to 20%.
As your team grows, so does the complexity of your data. You’re juggling more contacts, deals, support tickets, and other moving parts—and the simple reports that worked when your team was smaller just don’t cut it anymore.
User object reporting helps you get specific insights. Instead of looking at generic data, you can focus on what matters most to your team, like tracking deals by owner or understanding how different lifecycle stages perform.
Every growing business has unique reporting needs. User object reporting lets you customize reports to find the answers you need without relying on guesswork.
As teams expand, different departments can become siloed. Custom reports help everyone stay on the same page with clear, actionable data.
Whether scaling sales, customer support, or operations, user object reporting makes it easier to stay organized, find patterns, and make decisions that advance your business.
Creating your first user object report in HubSpot might sound like a big task, but it’s simpler than you think. Once you know where to look and how to set things up, you’ll have a report that gives your team exactly what they need.
Open HubSpot and go to Reporting > Reports. Think of this as the hub for all your team’s data insights.
If you’ve never explored this section before, take a second to click around—you’ll find tools for everything from quick views to advanced dashboards.
Click the "Create Report" button, then choose "Single object" from the options. This means you’re focusing on one type of data—users. From the dropdown list, select "Users."
Tip: If you’re unsure which object to choose, consider what insights you want. This guide focuses on users, but the same approach works for other objects like contacts or deals.
For example, if you need to analyze your sales pipeline, choose Deals. If you want to track customer interactions, choose Contacts.
Here’s where things get interesting. You’ll see a list of properties tied to the user object, like login frequency, last activity date, or user role. Pick the ones that will help your team understand their performance or activity.
Tip: Start small. Don’t overwhelm your report with too many properties. Choose 3 to 5 that answer a specific question your team needs to know now. You can always refine the report later.
Filters are the secret sauce of a great report. They help you zoom in on the exact data you care about. For example, you might want to:
When adding filters in HubSpot, remember that it uses AND logic. This means all filter conditions must be true for a record to appear in the report.
Pro Tip: Use filters to test different views. For instance, try adding one filter at a time and previewing your data as you go. This makes it easier to spot gaps or unnecessary clutter.
This is where your data comes to life. Once your properties and filters are set, choose a chart type that helps you tell the story. You can pick from options like:
Tip: Keep it simple. A clean, clear chart is always more effective than a cluttered one. And don’t forget to give your report a meaningful title—this helps your team instantly know what they’re looking at.
Creating a report is one thing—creating a truly useful report is another. To make the most of HubSpot’s user object reporting, you need to go beyond just pulling data and think strategically about setting up and using your reports.
Here are a few tips to keep your reports focused, meaningful, and actionable.
Filters can be a game-changer when narrowing down your data, but going overboard is easy. The more filters you add, the more restrictive your report becomes, which can lead to missing important insights.
Instead, choose filters that directly connect to the performance questions you’re trying to answer.
If you’re looking to track active users, apply a filter for login frequency to exclude inactive users. To measure department-specific activity, filter by user role or team assignment.
Test your filters one at a time and preview your data to ensure you’re not accidentally removing valuable records.
Reports become much more valuable when you include properties that offer real insights. Think about what will help you understand how your team works and performs.
Some examples of meaningful properties:
If you’re tracking something like activity levels, compare it over time to spot trends. For instance, a drop in activity might point to bottlenecks or disengagement.
Just because you can track a property doesn’t mean you should. Reports overloaded with too much data can overwhelm your team and make it harder to spot actionable insights. Focus on a few metrics that relate directly to your goals.
If your goal is to improve team productivity, focus on metrics like task completion rates, time in the system, and activity frequency. If your goal is identifying underused tools, track data like logins and feature adoption rates.
Before finalizing your report, ask yourself: What decision can I make with this information? If a property doesn’t contribute to a decision, it’s probably not worth including.
Creating user object reports is just the first step—what you do with that data is where the real impact happens. Analyzing and acting on the insights in your reports lets you identify opportunities, fix inefficiencies, and help your team perform at its best.
Data-driven companies are 23 times more likely to outperform competitors in customer acquisition and about 19 times more likely to remain profitable.
Here’s how to use your reports to drive meaningful improvements.
User object reports let you spot team activity trends that might go unnoticed. Look for patterns that reveal how your team works over time.
For example:
Use historical data to compare performance over time. This can help you set realistic goals and benchmarks for improvement.
Once you’ve identified trends, look for areas where your team might struggle. Your reports can show where workflows break down, or resources might be misaligned.
For example, if a user’s time in the system is low, they might need more training or support. If specific teams or roles have fewer completed tasks, it could indicate workload imbalances or unclear processes.
Use filters to drill down into specific teams, roles, or timeframes to uncover the root cause of any bottlenecks.
Your reports aren’t just for solving problems but also a great way to highlight what’s working well. Use them to identify top performers and figure out what they’re doing differently.
For instance, if a team member consistently resolves tickets faster, what techniques are they using? How is a department integrating HubSpot into its workflows if it has higher login rates?
Share these best practices across the team. Recognizing high performers boosts morale and helps others improve.
Your reports give you data-driven insights into your team's performance, which means you can set better goals and track progress more effectively.
If your team’s login frequency is lower than expected, set a goal to increase engagement. If task completion times are slowing down, focus on streamlining workflows or addressing blockers.
Revisit your reports regularly to ensure your goals align with current performance. Goals shouldn’t be static—they should evolve with your team’s progress.
Data is a great conversation starter. Use your reports to facilitate open, productive discussions with your team about what’s working and what isn’t.
You can use reports in team meetings to show progress and areas for improvement. You can also encourage team members to share their insights or challenges based on the data.
Make data discussions collaborative. Your team members often have valuable context that can help you interpret the numbers more effectively.
User object reporting isn't about micromanaging—it's about empowerment. These reports give you the insights to support your team, identify strengths, and spot areas for growth. They transform raw data into a story about your team's potential.
Start small, experiment, and watch as these insights help build a more connected, efficient, and motivated team.
Don't be afraid to play around. HubSpot's reporting tools are designed to be user-friendly, and every report you create is a step toward deeper team understanding.
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Whether you’re just starting with HubSpot or looking to optimize what you’ve already built, we’re here to help.
Let’s make your data work for you. Contact us today to get started!