How to Delete Extra Email Addresses from HubSpot Contacts
In HubSpot, contacts can have multiple email addresses. These can either be added manually or as a result of merging duplicates.
Typically, secondary email addresses are used to prevent HubSpot from creating new duplicate contacts. Before a new contact is created, Hubspot checks to see whether the email address already exists as a secondary email for existing contacts in HubSpot CRM.
But identifying which contacts have secondary email addresses can be difficult and painstaking in HubSpot CRM.
The Bulk Operations module makes it simple to identify contacts with multiple email addresses and to delete the extra values in bulk.
Process Summary
- Filter your records down to the records that contain secondary emails.
- Specify the fields you want to clear values from.
- Preview and then apply the changes to the CRM.
Step-by-Step Instructions
In the Bulk Operations module, select the database and Contact record type. Then explore the templates for an existing solution that may be close to what you need.
Under Step 1, select the Additional email address field, and the exists condition to work only with contacts that have multiple email addresses. The "Additional email addresses" field is unique to Insycle, parsed from HubSpot's standard email field.
In the Layout tab, make sure that the "Additional email address" field is under Visible Fields so the data appears in the Record Viewer.
Insycle will list all records with additional email addresses in the Record Viewer at the bottom of the page.
Under Step 2 in the Update tab, tell Insycle what changes to make to the records with additional email addresses. In this case, select the Delete operation under New Value.
This operation will delete all additional email addresses. If a contact has 5 email addresses, emails 2-5 will be deleted, leaving just the primary email address associated with the account.
Preview Changes in the CSV Report
With the filters and operation set, you can preview the deletion changes in a CSV file. It's important to verify that your changes are working as expected before those changes are pushed to your live database.
Under Step 3, click the Review button, then select Preview in the popup.
On the Notify tab, add any additional recipients who should receive the CSV (and make sure to hit Enter after each address). You can also provide additional context in the message subject or body.
On the When tab, click Run Now and select which records to apply the change to (in most cases this will be All), then click the Run Now button.
Open the CSV file from your email in a spreadsheet application and review the Additional email address (Before) and (After) columns. If there was more than one additional email for a record, each will be listed separated by a semicolon.
If the results don't look the way you expected, go back to your filters and functions and try making some adjustments before previewing again.
Apply Changes to the CRM
If everything in your CSV preview looks correct, return to Insycle and move forward with applying the changes to the live CRM data.
Under Step 3, click the Review button, this time select Update mode.
On the When tab, you should use Run Now the first time you apply these changes to the CRM.
Save Templates and Setup Automation for Ongoing Clean-Up
After you've seen the results in the CRM and you are satisfied with how the operation runs, you can save your configuration as a template, and set up automation so this clean-up operation runs on a set schedule.
By automating with a template, you'll save time and ensure that any additional emails are cleaned up on an ongoing basis.
Advanced How-Tos
If you need to selectively remove secondary emails, you can use the Grid Edit module to handle records with additional email addresses on a case-by-case basis. Review the Quickly Edit and Correct Data article for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but not directly. You can take the CSV report generated by Insycle in the Activity Tracker and use that to re-import the additional email addresses if needed.
Yes, if a contact has 5 email addresses, emails 2-5 will be deleted, leaving just the primary email address associated with the account.
Additional Resources
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