HubSpot reports come two ways: ready-made templates from the report library, which every HubSpot plan can use, and reports you build yourself in the custom report builder, which needs a Professional or Enterprise subscription. You'll find both under Reporting, then Reports, by clicking Create report.
Here's the catch. The data source you pick first changes the numbers you get back. Make Contacts the primary source and Deals the secondary, and HubSpot leaves out any deal that isn't associated with a contact. Swap them round and those deals appear in a row marked (No value), so the total goes up. Same data, different answer, and nothing on screen warns you.
Which HubSpot reporting tools your plan includes
| Tool | Who gets it, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Report library templates | All products and plans |
| Customising a library report's filters | Professional or Enterprise subscriptions only |
| Custom report builder | Professional or Enterprise in Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, Content Hub and Revenue Hub |
| Chart styles in reports and analytics | Includes Sales Hub Starter, Data Hub Professional and legacy Marketing Hub Basic |
So on a free or Starter account you can still save standard reports and put them on dashboards. What you can't do is change a template's filters or build a report from scratch.
Saving a report from the report library
The library holds standard reports on topics like website performance and sales metrics. It's the fastest way to get a chart on screen, and it's open to everyone.
- In your HubSpot account, go to Reporting, then Reports, and click Create report in the upper right.
- In the Create reports from templates section, filter by Data source and Visualization in the left panel, or search for a term.
- Click a report. Save it unchanged, or customise its filters first if you're on Professional or Enterprise.
- Edit the Report name and choose Don't add to dashboard, Add to existing dashboard or Add to new dashboard, then click Next.
- Pick who can see it: Private to owner, Everyone (view and edit, or view only), or Only specific users and teams.
- Click Save, or Save & add if it's going on a dashboard.
If you're putting several reports side by side, my guide to building and sharing HubSpot dashboards covers the layout and sharing side.
Data sources in the custom report builder
Every custom report starts with data sources: the objects, assets and events you want to report on. The primary source sets the focus, and everything else relates back to it. You can have up to 5 sources in one report.
Here's what people miss. HubSpot stores each source in its own table and sometimes has to add connecting sources to join them. Report on Deals and add blog post data, and HubSpot ticks Contacts and Web activities for you, shown with a grey check mark. Those automatic sources count towards your 5. When HubSpot can't find a path between two sources, it greys the other one out. With Contacts as primary and Blog posts as secondary, for example, Marketing email becomes unavailable.
Double counting is the other trap. With Companies as primary and Contacts as secondary, a company linked to two contacts gets counted twice if you add the contact's Create date field. Add the company's Create date instead and each company counts once. Click View data join info before you build to see how the sources are joined and how many records will be included.
Dimensions, measures and aggregation
Fields come in two types. A dimension has no aggregation and shows as grey; it can only go on the X-axis or the Break down by slot. A measure has an aggregation method and shows as green; it can only go on the Y-axis. Most fields start as dimensions, and you change that by editing the field.
| Aggregation | What it returns | Field types |
|---|---|---|
| Distinct count | Count of distinct values, not duplicates | All |
| Sum | The total | Number |
| Average | The average value | Number |
| Median | The middle value | Number and date |
| Min and Max | The smallest or largest value | Number and date |
Two details save a lot of head-scratching. Fields with no value aren't counted in aggregations. And tables only show column totals for measures set to Sum. If you want clickable records in a table, add the object's Record ID field as a column and remove any aggregation from it.
Watch rollup fields too. In a report with Contacts as primary and Companies as secondary, the company field Number of page views counts page views across every contact at that company, not the individual's. Use the contact version if you want the person's own figure.
Chart types and when to use them
HubSpot names eight core styles: bar, column, line, area, doughnut, pie, summary and table. The custom report builder adds combination, pivot table, scatter plot, KPI and gauge.
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| Chart | Best for, as HubSpot describes it |
|---|---|
| Horizontal or vertical bar | Comparing several metrics; vertical copes better with a lot of data |
| Line | Showing a metric's growth over time |
| Area | Several data sets growing over time, and how they add up |
| Donut or pie | Breaking down one metric; pie shows a maximum of 25 sections |
| Table | Exact numbers for several metrics together |
| Pivot table | Grouping large data sets, with up to four properties in rows and columns |
| KPI and gauge | Tracking a KPI, or performance against a range of values |
Bar, line, area and combination charts can show multiple Y-axes, which helps when two fields use different scales. Bar, line, area, KPI and gauge charts support Compare by, where you drag a date field in to compare periods. With XY charts broken down by the same dimension, you can add up to ten metrics to one report.
Fixing Too many data points requested
This error usually means you've broken a report down by a field with lots of values, such as First name. Pick a broader field, or click the edit icon next to Break down by and set a limit of no more than 100. Adding a filter, for example on Contact owner or a shorter date range, cuts the data down too.
My verdict on HubSpot reports
I'd start with the report library, because it's free on every plan and covers most of what a small team needs to see. Move to the custom report builder once you're on Professional and need data the templates can't join, and skip it if a few standard charts already answer your questions. Before you trust any custom report, check the primary source and View data join info, because that's where wrong totals come from. If you're tracking which leads are ready for sales, pair your reports with HubSpot lead scoring.
Reports tell you what happened. The bigger win is having routine reporting and follow-up run without anyone pulling it together by hand. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
Is the HubSpot custom report builder free?
No. It's available with Professional or Enterprise subscriptions of Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, Content Hub and Revenue Hub. The report library is available on all products and plans.
How many data sources can a HubSpot report have?
Up to 5. Connecting sources that HubSpot selects automatically count towards that limit.
Why do my HubSpot report totals look wrong?
Usually the primary data source. Deals not associated with a contact are left out when Contacts is primary, and a record can be counted more than once when filters use fields from an associated object.
How many sections can a HubSpot pie chart show?
A pie chart displays a maximum of 25 sections at a time.
How do I fix Too many data points requested in HubSpot?
Avoid breaking down by a field with lots of values, set a Break down by limit of no more than 100, or add filters to reduce the data returned.
