--- title: "New Run Settings in Agent Hub Workflows: Exclusion Criteria and Merge Settings" url: https://www.sidekickstrategies.com/hubspot-updates/hubspot-agent-hub-workflows-exclusion-criteria-merge-settings description: "HubSpot added exclusion criteria and merge settings to Agent Hub's new workflows builder. Here's what shipped, who gets it, and how to use both settings right n" type: article updated: 2026-11-09T22:25:01Z canonical: https://www.sidekickstrategies.com/hubspot-updates/hubspot-agent-hub-workflows-exclusion-criteria-merge-settings --- # New Run Settings in Agent Hub Workflows: Exclusion Criteria and Merge Settings > **Tip** > > TL;DR: HubSpot's Agent Hub workflows builder now supports exclusion criteria (to block or stop unwanted records from running) and merge settings (to control whether merged records trigger a workflow). Both settings are available for Professional and Enterprise tiers across Marketing, Sales, Service, Smart CRM, and Data Hub. ## What This Update Actually Is HubSpot shipped two new run settings for the workflows builder inside Agent Hub. They're called exclusion criteria and merge settings. Both live in the Rules tab of the Triggers panel. Exclusion criteria lets you define the conditions that either prevent a workflow run from starting or stop one that's already in progress. It works with any trigger that's tied to an object. Merge settings let you decide whether a record should trigger a workflow when it picks up new data through a merge. This setting is now available for every object type that supports merging, not just Contacts. Both features existed in the legacy workflows tool. HubSpot is now carrying them into the new Agent Hub builder and, in the case of merge settings, expanding their reach beyond Contacts for the first time. ## Why HubSpot Shipped This The new Agent Hub workflows builder is HubSpot's next-generation automation environment. It's more powerful than the legacy tool, but it launched without some of the guardrails teams depend on every day. Specifically, teams couldn't tell the new builder to ignore certain records. That's a problem. Without suppression logic, workflows run on records they shouldn't touch. Humans spend hours cleaning up the mess. Merge settings close a different gap. When a rep merges two contact records or two company records, the surviving record often triggers automations you didn't intend. Without merge controls, a simple data cleanup task fires off a re-enrollment sequence or resets a lifecycle stage. This update lets HubSpot practitioners move their automation to the new builder with confidence. You're not trading precision for modernity. ## How to Use It Step by Step Here's how to find and configure both settings in your portal right now. 1. Navigate to Agents in the main nav, then select Agent Hub, then Workflows. 2. Open an existing workflow or create a new object-based one. 3. Click your trigger to open the Triggers panel. Look for the Rules tab at the top. 4. To set exclusion criteria: select the Rules tab. If you're using a Records match criteria trigger with Custom criteria, you'll see two options. Choose your filter conditions to block records from entering or to eject records already running. 5. If you're using an event trigger, configure your exclusion criteria using filter conditions only. 6. To set merge settings: in the Rules tab of a Records match criteria trigger, find the merge setting toggle. Decide whether recently merged records should trigger the workflow based on data updated during the merge. 7. Save your trigger settings and test with a small batch of records before going live. ## What It Touches in Your HubSpot Strategy These settings touch more than a single workflow. Here's where the ripple goes. **Data hygiene and CRM operations: merge settings protect every object-based workflow when your ops team runs a deduplication sprint. Deals, Companies, and Contacts all behave predictably now. Humans running data cleanup don't have to pause all automations first.** Lead routing and lifecycle management: exclusion criteria replaces the old suppression list workaround. If a contact is already a customer, already in an active sequence, or holds a specific property value, you can block them from entering a new enrollment cleanly at the trigger level. Service and support automation: for Service Hub teams, exclusion criteria means you can stop a ticket re-open workflow from running when a ticket is marked as spam, without building a separate branch inside the workflow itself. > **Key takeaway:** Exclusion criteria belongs at the trigger level, not buried inside a conditional branch. Setting it here is cleaner, easier to audit, and faster to update when your suppression rules change. Workflow migration planning: if your team has been holding off on moving legacy workflows to Agent Hub because of missing feature parity, this update removes two more blockers. Check your current suppression lists and merge behaviors in the legacy tool and document them before you migrate. If you've been building out automation triggers more broadly, it's worth pairing this with other recent workflow expansions like [triggering workflows when a social post is published](https://www.sidekickstrategies.com/hubspot-updates/hubspot-social-post-published-workflow-trigger). The more trigger types you use, the more important exclusion criteria becomes. > **Key takeaway:** Merge settings now apply to Deals, Companies, and other mergeable objects, not just Contacts. If your sales team regularly merges duplicate deal records, audit those workflows before November 11. For RevOps teams managing subscription and payment workflows, the combination of precise exclusion logic and merge-safe triggers pairs well with updates like [subscription payment method link availability](https://www.sidekickstrategies.com/hubspot-updates/hubspot-subscription-update-payment-method-dunning-link) where automation fires at sensitive moments and bad timing creates friction. ## Who Should Care Most This update matters most to the humans listed below. - RevOps and marketing ops leads who manage large portals with many active workflows and strict data governance rules. - Sales operations managers whose teams regularly merge duplicate records, especially deal and company records. - Service Hub power users building ticket or conversation workflows where certain statuses or types should never enter a run. - Any team actively migrating from the legacy workflows tool to Agent Hub and waiting for feature parity before switching over. You'll need Marketing Hub Professional or Enterprise, Sales Hub Professional or Enterprise, Service Hub Professional or Enterprise, Smart CRM Professional or Enterprise, or Data Hub Professional or Enterprise to access these settings. ## George's Take Every time I audit a portal where things have gone sideways, the root cause is usually a workflow that ran when it shouldn't have. A deduplication merge fired a re-enrollment. A cleanup task kicked off a sales sequence. The legacy tool had suppression lists and merge controls, but I've seen portals where those settings were simply never configured because nobody knew they existed. Now HubSpot is building them into the new experience from the start, in a cleaner spot, with expanded reach. That matters. > The best automation is automation that knows when to stop. Exclusion criteria isn't a nice-to-have. It's the guardrail that keeps your CRM trustworthy. > > _George B. Thomas_ If you want a framework for thinking about where automation should run and where humans need to stay in the loop, our article on [human-centered AI and trajectory before speed](https://www.sidekickstrategies.com/blog/trajectory-before-speed-human-centered-ai) is worth your time. If your portal has workflows built on the legacy tool and you're not sure where the gaps are as you migrate to Agent Hub, we can help. Book a strategy call with the Sidekick team and we'll map your current automations, flag the risks, and build a migration plan that keeps your data clean and your workflows running exactly as intended. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is exclusion criteria in HubSpot Agent Hub workflows? Exclusion criteria is a run setting in Agent Hub's new workflows builder that lets you define conditions to either prevent a workflow run from starting or stop a run that's already in progress. It's available for any trigger tied to an object and replaces the suppression list functionality from the legacy workflows tool. ### What are merge settings in HubSpot Agent Hub workflows? Merge settings let you control whether a record should trigger a workflow when it gains new data through a merge with another record. This setting is available for all object types that support merging, including Contacts, Companies, and Deals. It previously existed only for Contact workflows in the legacy builder. ### Where do I find exclusion criteria and merge settings in HubSpot? Go to Agents in the main nav, then Agent Hub, then Workflows. Open or create a workflow, click your trigger, and look for the Rules tab at the top of the Triggers panel. Both exclusion criteria and merge settings live there. ### Which HubSpot tiers get the new Agent Hub workflow run settings? These settings are available on Professional and Enterprise tiers across Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, Smart CRM, and Data Hub. Free and Starter tiers don't have access to Agent Hub's new workflows builder. ### Should I migrate from the legacy HubSpot workflows tool to Agent Hub now? HubSpot is actively closing the feature gap between the legacy tool and Agent Hub. Exclusion criteria and merge settings were two of the most commonly cited missing features. If your workflows rely on suppression logic or merge controls, those are now available. Review your current settings in the legacy tool before migrating and document them first. ### How is exclusion criteria different from unenrollment criteria in HubSpot? They serve a similar purpose but work at different points. Exclusion criteria can block a record before the run starts or eject it mid-run. Traditional unenrollment criteria in the legacy tool removed records from an active enrollment. The new setting combines both behaviors in one unified Rules tab inside the trigger configuration. ## Key facts - **Format:** HubSpot Update - **Published:** November 9, 2026 --- Source: https://www.sidekickstrategies.com/hubspot-updates/hubspot-agent-hub-workflows-exclusion-criteria-merge-settings Sidekick Strategies ยท HubSpot consulting and content operations