HubSpot association labels explained, with event examples
An association links two records: a contact and a company, or a contact and an event. An association label says what kind of link it is. That small idea is what lets one contact be Confirmed for one event and Declined for another.
Labels versus properties
A property lives on one record and holds one answer. "RSVP status" as a contact property can only be one value at a time, so the next event overwrites the last. A label lives on the link, so every event keeps its own answer.
| Contact property | Association label | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | On the contact | On the link between contact and event |
| Two events | Second overwrites the first | Each event keeps its own |
| Reporting | Simple, current status only | Full history per event |
Everyday examples
- Contact to company: Decision maker, Billing contact, Former employee.
- Contact to event: Confirmed, Declined, Waitlisted, Attended.
- Deal to contact: Champion, Blocker, Signatory.
Creating a label
- Open the settings for the object pair, for example contacts and events.
- Find the association labels section and add a label.
- Name it with the exact word you'll use in reports.
Plan check. Custom labels are available on higher-tier plans, and custom objects need Enterprise. Confirm in your account before you design around them.
The catch
Setting a label means editing the association, one contact at a time, in HubSpot's screens. On event night with 60 people arriving, that is the slow part.
Where HubRSVP fits
HubRSVP is part of Kikaye, a set of small HubSpot apps on one login. See what HubRSVP does, or read the setup guide.