Lead Source Taxonomy & Field Structure
Overview
HubSpot contact records use a two-tier lead source structure to capture both high-level channel attribution and granular origin detail. A legacy Inbound Lead field previously served this purpose but created duplication; it is being retired in favor of the standardized two-field model described here.
This taxonomy applies to all contact creation paths: manual entry via the HubSpot create-contact form, website form submissions, and bulk list imports.
Field Structure
Lead Source (High-Level)
The top-level channel category. One of:
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
List Upload |
Contacts imported in bulk from a spreadsheet or external list |
Sales Rep |
Contact introduced or referred by a sales representative |
Trade Show |
Contact acquired at a trade show or industry event |
Website |
Contact submitted a form on the company website |
Other |
Any source not covered by the above |
Lead Source Detail (Granular)
The specific origin within the high-level channel. Examples:
- For
Trade Show: the specific event, using the format[ABBREVIATION] [YEAR](e.g.,AFS 2026,NRA 2025) - For
Sales Rep: the individual rep's name or identifier - For
Website: the specific form or landing page, if tracked
Trade show names should follow a consistent abbreviation + year format to enable reliable filtering and reporting.
Legacy Field: Inbound Lead
The Inbound Lead field is being hidden from all contact views and forms. It is not deleted — existing data is preserved — but it will no longer be surfaced in the UI or used in automations.
Migration: All data from Inbound Lead must be mapped to the appropriate Lead Source and Lead Source Detail values before the field is hidden. This ensures no historical attribution is lost.
Form alignment: The HubSpot create-contact form and all website submission forms must be updated to write to Lead Source / Lead Source Detail rather than Inbound Lead. Until this is complete, duplicate values may appear on contacts created via those forms.
Contact Card Layout
Lead source fields appear in the marketing section at the bottom of the contact card, below core contact information (name, email, phone). This separation keeps the top of the card focused on identity and the bottom on acquisition context.
Implementation Status
| Task | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|
Hide Inbound Lead field from contact card and create-contact form |
Karly | Pending |
Map existing Inbound Lead data to new fields |
Karly | Pending |
| Update website forms to write to new fields | Karly | Pending |
Standardize trade show naming conventions in Lead Source Detail |
Karly | In progress |
Related Articles
- [1] — client context for this implementation
- [2] — how lead source interacts with lifecycle stage automation
- [3] — MQL → SQL automation that depends on correct field mapping