What This Update Actually Is
HubSpot shipped a new navigation configuration tab inside Settings > Users and Teams. Super Admins can now build completely custom left-navigation menus and assign them to specific users or teams.
You pick which tools appear, create custom groupings, and reorder everything to match how a team actually works. A sales rep's nav can look completely different from a content marketer's nav, even inside the same portal.
This is a beta feature right now. Super Admins opt in, configure, and then flip it on per account. If you turn it off, every human reverts to the standard nav and bookmarks stay intact. No data is lost.
Why HubSpot Shipped This
Here's the honest problem: HubSpot has grown. A lot. The left nav in a fully-loaded Enterprise portal can feel like a hardware store where nothing is labeled. Reps waste time hunting for tools. New hires freeze during onboarding. Admins field the same 'where do I find...' questions on repeat.
The internal frustration is real. Humans who only need Deals, Sequences, and Meetings don't want to scroll past Campaigns, Content, and Data Management every single day. That friction adds up.
HubSpot is also aware that role clarity drives adoption. When a tool feels built for you, you use it more. This update is about reducing tool overwhelm so adoption rates go up and support tickets go down.
How to Use It Step by Step
- Opt into the beta. As a Super Admin, go to your account settings and find the beta enrollment option for Admin Navigation Customization. Opt in to unlock the new configuration tab.
- Open the navigation configuration tab. Head to Settings > Users and Teams. You'll see a new tab dedicated to navigation configuration. This is your control center.
- Create a custom navigation. Choose which tools appear, add custom groupings that match your team's language, and drag to reorder so the most-used tools sit at the top.
- Assign the navigation to users or teams. Pick the specific users or team groups who should see this view. One nav can serve an entire team, or you can get granular and assign it per individual.
- Turn it on. Flip the new navigation on for your account. Assigned users will see their updated menu the next time they load HubSpot. No action required from them.
- Test and iterate. Check in with a few users after a week. Adjust groupings or ordering based on what they're still hunting for. The config tab makes edits fast.
What It Touches in Your HubSpot Strategy
This update is bigger than it looks at first glance. It's not just a cosmetic change. It touches onboarding speed, role clarity, permission strategy, and long-term portal health.
On the onboarding side: new hires get a nav that reflects their job, not the full product catalog. That alone can cut the 'I don't know where anything is' phase from weeks to days.
Key Takeaway
Custom navigation menus won't change what a user can access based on permissions. They change what's visible in the nav. Pair this with your existing permission sets for full role clarity.
On the permissions side: it's worth noting what this update does NOT do. It doesn't restrict access. A user who has permission to access a tool can still navigate there directly, even if it's not in their custom nav. This is about reducing noise, not locking doors.
On the admin workload side: when you use this alongside the Access Requests feature HubSpot shipped earlier, you get a tighter loop. Humans request what they need, admins approve with context, and the nav stays clean. That's a real operational win.
If you haven't looked at HubSpot's Access Requests for Users and Teams, that update pairs directly with this one. Together they give admins a system for both controlling what's visible and managing what gets unlocked when someone needs more.
On reporting and dashboards: when your sales team has a nav that surfaces exactly their tools, it becomes easier to embed the right dashboards in front of the right humans. A focused nav reinforces a focused workflow.
Combine this with the ability to add internal HubSpot pages directly to dashboards, and you're building a genuinely role-specific portal experience. The nav sets the context. The dashboard delivers the data.
Key Takeaway
The best custom navs are built WITH the team, not FOR them. Interview two or three reps about what they actually use daily before you configure anything. You'll save yourself two rounds of edits.
Who Should Care Most
This update matters most to three groups right now.
- HubSpot Super Admins managing portals with 20 or more users across multiple roles. The more diverse your team structure, the more this feature pays off immediately.
- RevOps leaders who own onboarding. If your new-hire ramp time feels slower than it should, a focused nav removes one of the most common early friction points.
- Companies on Professional or Enterprise tiers of Sales Hub, Marketing Hub, Service Hub, Content Hub, Data Hub, Revenue Hub, or Smart CRM. This is where the feature is available. Starter and Free portals don't get access yet.
If you're running a smaller team where everyone uses most of HubSpot's tools already, the ROI here is lower. But if you've got specialists, the value is immediate.
George's Take
We've audited a lot of portals. One of the most common things I see is admins who've built out powerful permission structures but left the navigation completely default. The nav becomes a source of confusion that undermines the permissions work entirely. This update closes that gap. What excites me most isn't just the feature itself. It's what it signals: HubSpot is starting to think seriously about the portal experience from the user's perspective, not just the buyer's perspective. When your humans flourish inside the tool, your business data gets better, your pipeline moves faster, and your admin stops being the answer desk.
“The nav is the first thing a new hire sees every morning. If it looks like a cluttered junk drawer, that's the signal they get about how organized your operation really is. This update lets you change that signal on day one.”
If you're running a complex multi-hub setup and want to understand how to align your portal structure across roles and hubs, our complete HubSpot Revenue Hub guide walks through how the hubs connect and how to think about role clarity across your whole revenue operation.
Ready to build a portal experience that actually fits your team? Book a strategy call with Sidekick and we'll walk through your current nav structure, permission sets, and team roles together. We'll show you exactly where the friction is and how to fix it fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is HubSpot Admin Navigation Customization?
It's a beta feature that lets HubSpot Super Admins create custom left-navigation menus for specific users or teams. Admins choose which tools appear, create groupings, and set the order. Each team sees only what's relevant to their role, reducing confusion and speeding up onboarding.
Which HubSpot plans include admin navigation customization?
The feature is available across Professional and Enterprise tiers of Sales Hub, Marketing Hub, Service Hub, Content Hub, Data Hub, Revenue Hub, and Smart CRM. Free and Starter tiers are not included in the current rollout.
Does custom navigation change what a user can access in HubSpot?
No. Custom navigation only controls what's visible in the left-nav menu. It doesn't override permission settings. A user who has permission to access a tool can still reach it directly. For access control, you'll still manage that through HubSpot's standard permissions and user roles.
What happens if I turn off admin navigation customization?
If a Super Admin turns off the custom navigation, all users revert to the default HubSpot navigation automatically. Bookmarks are preserved. No data is lost. You can turn it back on and reassign menus at any time without starting from scratch.
Can I create different navigation menus for different teams in HubSpot?
Yes. The configuration tab inside Settings > Users and Teams lets you create multiple custom navigation menus and assign them separately to different users or teams. Your sales team can have a completely different nav from your marketing or service team, all inside the same portal.
Who can configure custom navigation menus in HubSpot?
Only Super Admins have access to configure and assign custom navigation menus. Regular admins and standard users can't access the navigation configuration tab. Super Admins must also opt into the beta before the configuration tab becomes available in their account.
