What This Update Actually Is
HubSpot added a single toggle to the Log and Track Settings inside the Gmail and Outlook Sales Extensions. The toggle is called Hide suggested associations. When it's on, the association dropdown in compose mode shows only the records you've manually selected before sending.
That's it. No new AI layer, no data schema change, no portal-wide setting. It's a personal preference toggle that changes what you see while you're logging.
The feature is available on every HubSpot product and tier, including free. It ships in the existing extension, so there's no update to download manually.
Why HubSpot Shipped This
Here's the problem HubSpot was solving. When a portal has many custom objects, the association dropdown gets crowded fast. Even when you switch the view to "Selected," HubSpot still surfaces suggested records it thinks are related.
For portals running a handful of standard objects, that's annoying. For portals running five, ten, or more custom objects, it's genuinely confusing. Hundreds of associations can appear alongside the three you actually chose. Confirming "yes, this email is going to the right deal and the right contact" becomes harder than it should be.
The internal frustration is real: the humans sending those emails don't want to audit a list every time they hit send. They want a clean confirmation and confidence the log is accurate. This toggle gives them that.
Custom objects are expanding across more HubSpot portals every quarter. If you're already using them to connect campaigns to non-standard data, you've probably noticed the dropdown clutter. For more context on how custom objects are being woven into more HubSpot workflows, see our breakdown of associating custom objects with campaigns in HubSpot.
How to Use It Step by Step
This takes less than two minutes to enable. Here's the exact path:
- Open Gmail or Outlook and locate the HubSpot Sales Extension sidebar.
- Click into Log and Track Settings.
- Navigate to Default Email Associations.
- Toggle on Hide suggested associations.
- Return to compose mode. Your dropdown now shows only the records you've actively selected.
- Turn the toggle off at any time if you want suggestions back. The setting is yours alone and doesn't change anything for other extension users on your team.
That's the full setup. No admin permissions required, no portal setting to request.
What It Touches in Your HubSpot Strategy
This update is narrow by design, but the ripple effects show up in a few important places.
CRM Data Accuracy
Email logging is one of the most common sources of dirty CRM data. An email gets logged to three extra records it doesn't belong to because the rep confirmed without scrolling down far enough. Over time, those bad associations corrupt deal timelines, contact activity histories, and pipeline reports.
Reducing dropdown noise directly reduces accidental over-association. Cleaner logs mean the humans reading activity timelines can trust what they see.
Key Takeaway
Bad email associations pollute deal timelines and contact histories. This toggle removes the visual noise that causes accidental over-logging, which means your CRM data gets more trustworthy with zero extra effort.
Custom Object Portals
The bigger your custom object footprint, the more this matters. If your portal runs objects like "Property," "Project," "Subscription," or "Location," those all surface as suggested associations on nearly every email. The toggle makes this usable again for reps in those environments.
Sales Process and Training
If you're onboarding new sales reps, this toggle is worth including in your extension setup checklist. New humans in a complex portal don't yet have the context to evaluate a long list of suggested records. Hiding suggestions until they've built that context reduces early logging mistakes.
If you're also using HubSpot to automatically create contacts from inbound emails, pair this toggle with a clear logging policy. Our article on contact email logging rules and auto-create contacts walks through how to keep that process tight so auto-created records don't flood your association dropdowns even further.
Key Takeaway
Add "enable Hide Suggested Associations" to your Sales Extension onboarding checklist for new reps. It's a one-minute setting that prevents weeks of dirty data downstream.
Reporting and Pipeline Visibility
Activity reports, deal engagement scores, and contact communication histories all pull from logged emails. If associations are wrong, those reports lie. This toggle is a small UX change with a measurable downstream effect on reporting accuracy.
Who Should Care Most
Not every HubSpot user will need this toggle. Here's who should turn it on today:
- Sales reps working in portals with five or more custom objects, where suggestion lists become unmanageable.
- RevOps leaders who've traced dirty pipeline data back to incorrect email associations and want a structural fix instead of a cleanup project.
- Sales managers onboarding new reps who need a simpler, lower-risk logging experience while they're still learning the CRM.
- HubSpot admins managing complex portals for enterprise or mid-market companies with deep CRM customization.
- Any human who's ever accidentally logged an email to the wrong deal and spent time unraveling it.
If your portal is small and straightforward with just contacts and deals, the default behavior is fine. Leave the toggle off and let HubSpot keep surfacing suggestions.
George's Take
I'll be honest: this one feels small until you've sat with a RevOps team trying to figure out why their deal activity data doesn't match what the reps say happened. Nine times out of ten, the trail leads back to logging habits, and logging habits are shaped by what the extension shows you in those two seconds before you hit send. When the dropdown is cluttered, humans make quick decisions with incomplete attention. When it's clean, they confirm with confidence. HubSpot didn't ship a flashy feature here. They fixed a friction point that's been quietly eroding data quality for any portal with serious CRM complexity, and that's exactly the kind of update that earns trust over time.
“The best CRM update isn't always the biggest one. Sometimes it's the toggle that stops one bad habit at scale.”
If you want to see how this update fits into HubSpot's broader push toward frictionless UX and cleaner data, our roundup of 34 HubSpot updates and the four signals behind them gives you the full picture.
If your portal has grown to the point where small settings like this are slipping through the cracks, it's probably time for a structured review. Book a strategy call with the Sidekick team and we'll walk through your Sales Extension setup, custom object architecture, and logging workflows so your CRM data actually reflects what's happening in your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hide Suggested Associations toggle do in the HubSpot Sales Extension?
It removes suggested (non-selected) records from the association dropdown when you're logging an email in Gmail or Outlook. Once enabled, you only see the records you've actively chosen. This reduces clutter and makes it easier to confirm your email is being logged to the right records before you send.
Where do I find the Hide Suggested Associations setting in HubSpot?
Open your Gmail or Outlook HubSpot Sales Extension, click Log and Track Settings, then navigate to Default Email Associations. You'll find the Hide Suggested Associations toggle there. It takes about 30 seconds to enable and takes effect immediately in compose mode.
Does turning on Hide Suggested Associations affect my teammates?
No. This is a personal extension setting. It only changes what you see in your own Gmail or Outlook extension. Other users on your team keep their own default experience unless they choose to enable the toggle themselves.
Who should use the Hide Suggested Associations toggle in HubSpot?
This toggle is most useful for sales reps and admins working in portals with many custom objects, where the association dropdown becomes crowded. It's also a good default setting for new reps who are still learning the CRM and need a simpler, lower-risk logging experience.
Is the Hide Suggested Associations feature available on free HubSpot accounts?
Yes. HubSpot made this feature available across all products and tiers, including the free version. Any user with the Gmail or Outlook Sales Extension installed can access it through the Log and Track Settings panel.
Can I turn off Hide Suggested Associations after enabling it?
Yes. The toggle can be switched on or off at any time. If you want suggested associations to reappear in your dropdown, simply return to Log and Track Settings, navigate to Default Email Associations, and turn the toggle off. There's no cooldown or restriction.
