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Pre-Deployment Backups

Learn how HubSpot Deploy automatically protects your data by creating backups before every deployment. This safety feature enables quick rollback if something goes wrong.

Overview​

Pre-deployment backups are automatic snapshots of your HubSpot configuration taken immediately before deploying changes. This safety net allows you to:

  • Undo changes if deployment causes issues
  • Restore previous state with one click
  • Deploy confidently knowing you can rollback
  • Maintain audit trail of what was changed

Key point: These backups happen automatically—you don't need to do anything. The system creates them before every deployment.

How It Works​

Automatic Backup Process​

When you deploy changes, the system:

  1. Identifies items to update: Only items being modified (not new items)
  2. Fetches current state: Reads current configuration from HubSpot
  3. Stores backup: Saves snapshot to secure storage
  4. Proceeds with deployment: Applies your changes
  5. Keeps backup available: Ready for rollback if needed

Example:

You're deploying: Update "Welcome Workflow"
↓
System fetches: Current version of "Welcome Workflow" from HubSpot
↓
System saves: Backup of current version
↓
System deploys: Your updated version
↓
Backup available: Can rollback to previous version anytime

What Gets Backed Up​

Backed up automatically:

  • ✅ Items being updated (status: "different")
  • ✅ Current state from target portal
  • ✅ All configuration details

Not backed up:

  • ❌ Items being created (status: "new") - nothing to backup
  • ❌ Items being deleted - handled separately
  • ❌ Items with no changes (status: "identical")

Supported Metadata Types​

Pre-deployment backups support most metadata types:

Fully Supported​

Metadata TypeBackupRestore
Custom Objects✅✅
Standard Objects✅✅
Properties✅✅
Pipelines✅✅
Forms✅✅
Email Templates✅✅
CTAs✅✅
Campaigns✅✅

Not Yet Supported​

  • Workflows (complex dependencies)
  • Lists (dynamic membership)
  • Landing Pages (content complexity)
  • Site Pages (content complexity)
  • Blog Posts (content complexity)

Note: For unsupported types, use Metadata Backups to Git before deploying.

Viewing Backup Status​

During Deployment​

Watch the deployment progress to see backup status:

Deployment log example:

✅ Backing up items...
   ✅ Welcome Workflow (backed up)
   ✅ Contact Form (backed up)
   ⏭️ New Campaign (skipped - new item)
   
✅ Deploying changes...
   ✅ Welcome Workflow (deployed)
   ✅ Contact Form (deployed)
   ✅ New Campaign (deployed)

After Deployment​

Check deployment history to see backup details:

  1. Navigate to Comparisons
  2. Open your comparison
  3. Click History tab
  4. View deployment record
  5. See backup count in details

Backup summary:

  • Backed up: 2 items
  • Skipped: 1 item (new)
  • Failed: 0 items

Rolling Back Deployments​

If a deployment causes issues, you can rollback to the previous state.

When to Rollback​

Common scenarios:

  • Deployment broke a workflow
  • Form stopped working correctly
  • Property changes caused issues
  • Need to undo recent changes quickly

How to Rollback​

Option 1: Via UI (Coming Soon)

  1. Navigate to Deployment History
  2. Find the deployment to undo
  3. Click Rollback
  4. Confirm rollback
  5. Wait for restoration to complete

Option 2: Via Support (Current)

  1. Note the deployment ID
  2. Contact support
  3. Request rollback
  4. Support team will restore backups

Rollback Process​

When you rollback:

  1. Fetches backups: Retrieves all backups for that deployment
  2. Orders by dependencies: Restores in reverse dependency order
  3. Restores each item: Applies backed-up configuration
  4. Reports results: Shows what was restored and any errors

Example:

Rolling back deployment #12345...

✅ Restored: Contact Form
✅ Restored: Welcome Workflow
✅ Restored: Custom Property "lead_score"

Rollback complete: 3 items restored, 0 errors

Rollback Limitations​

What rollback does:

  • ✅ Restores configuration to previous state
  • ✅ Undoes property changes
  • ✅ Reverts workflow modifications
  • ✅ Restores form settings

What rollback doesn't do:

  • ❌ Restore deleted items (use separate restore process)
  • ❌ Undo data changes (CRM records)
  • ❌ Reverse workflow executions
  • ❌ Restore historical data

Backup Storage​

Where Backups Are Stored​

Backups are stored securely in the system database:

  • Encrypted at rest: All backup data is encrypted
  • Workspace-scoped: Only accessible within your workspace
  • Linked to deployment: Associated with specific deployment record

How Long Backups Are Kept​

Retention policy:

  • Active deployments: Backups kept indefinitely
  • Old deployments: Backups retained for 90 days
  • Deleted comparisons: Backups deleted with comparison

Best practice: Keep important comparisons to preserve backup history.

Backup Size​

Backups are lightweight:

  • Only configuration data (not CRM records)
  • Compressed JSON format
  • Typical size: 1-10 KB per item

Example sizes:

  • Workflow: ~5 KB
  • Form: ~3 KB
  • Property: ~1 KB
  • Pipeline: ~2 KB

Best Practices​

Before Deploying​

1. Review what will be backed up:

  • Check deployment preview
  • Verify items marked as "different"
  • Understand what will change

2. Test in staging first:

  • Deploy to staging portal
  • Verify changes work correctly
  • Then deploy to production

3. Deploy during low-traffic times:

  • Reduces impact if rollback needed
  • Easier to test after deployment
  • Less disruption to users

After Deploying​

1. Verify changes immediately:

  • Test affected workflows
  • Check forms still work
  • Verify properties display correctly

2. Monitor for issues:

  • Watch for error notifications
  • Check workflow execution logs
  • Review form submissions

3. Keep deployment history:

  • Don't delete comparisons immediately
  • Preserve backup history
  • Maintain audit trail

Rollback Strategy​

1. Act quickly:

  • Rollback as soon as issues detected
  • Don't wait for problems to escalate
  • Better safe than sorry

2. Document issues:

  • Note what went wrong
  • Screenshot error messages
  • Record steps to reproduce

3. Investigate before re-deploying:

  • Understand why deployment failed
  • Fix underlying issues
  • Test thoroughly before trying again

Common Scenarios​

Scenario 1: Workflow Update Gone Wrong​

Problem: Updated workflow is sending emails to wrong contacts

Solution:

  1. Immediately pause the workflow in HubSpot
  2. Request rollback of deployment
  3. Workflow restored to previous version
  4. Review and fix workflow logic
  5. Test in staging before re-deploying

Scenario 2: Form Changes Break Submission​

Problem: Form changes prevent submissions from working

Solution:

  1. Note the deployment ID
  2. Request rollback
  3. Form restored to working state
  4. Investigate what caused the issue
  5. Fix and test before re-deploying

Scenario 3: Property Update Causes Display Issues​

Problem: Property changes break portal views

Solution:

  1. Rollback deployment immediately
  2. Properties restored to previous state
  3. Views work correctly again
  4. Review property dependencies
  5. Update carefully and test

Troubleshooting​

Backup Failed During Deployment​

Problem: Deployment log shows "Backup failed"

Possible causes:

  • Item doesn't exist in target portal (404)
  • Connection expired
  • Insufficient permissions

Solution:

  1. Check deployment logs for specific error
  2. Verify connection is active
  3. Ensure you have required scopes
  4. Retry deployment

Note: Deployment continues even if backup fails, but rollback won't be available for that item.

Cannot Rollback Deployment​

Problem: Rollback option not available

Possible causes:

  • No backups were created (all items were new)
  • Backups expired (>90 days old)
  • Comparison was deleted

Solution:

  1. Check if any items were backed up
  2. Verify deployment is recent (up to 90 days)
  3. Manually restore from Git backup if available

Rollback Partially Failed​

Problem: Some items restored, others failed

Possible causes:

  • Dependencies changed since backup
  • Items deleted manually
  • Permission changes

Solution:

  1. Review rollback report for errors
  2. Manually fix failed items
  3. Check dependencies
  4. Contact support if needed

Backup Taking Too Long​

Problem: Deployment stuck on "Backing up items"

Factors:

  • Number of items to backup
  • HubSpot API response time
  • Network latency

Expected times:

  • Small deployment (less than 10 items): 10-30 seconds
  • Medium deployment (10-50 items): 30-90 seconds
  • Large deployment (more than 50 items): 1-3 minutes

Solution: Wait patiently. If stuck more than 5 minutes, contact support.

Security & Compliance​

Data Protection​

Encryption:

  • Backups encrypted at rest
  • Secure transmission (TLS 1.2+)
  • Access controlled by workspace permissions

Access Control:

  • Only workspace members can view backups
  • Rollback requires deployment permissions
  • Audit trail of all backup operations

Compliance​

Audit Trail:

  • All backups logged
  • Rollback operations tracked
  • Deployment history preserved

Data Retention:

  • Backups kept for 90 days
  • Automatic cleanup of old backups
  • Manual deletion with comparison

Comparison with Other Backup Types​

FeaturePre-Deployment BackupsMetadata BackupsData Backups
WhenAutomatic before deployScheduled or manualScheduled or manual
WhatItems being updatedAll portal configurationCRM records
FormatJSON in databaseJSON/YAML in GitCSV files
PurposeQuick rollbackVersion controlData recovery
Retention90 daysForever (in Git)90 days
RestoreOne-click rollbackDeploy from GitManual import

Use together:

  • Pre-deployment backups: Safety net for deployments
  • Metadata backups: Long-term version control
  • Data backups: CRM data protection

FAQ​

Are backups created for every deployment?​

Yes, backups are created automatically for all items being updated. New items don't need backups since they don't exist yet.

How long are backups kept?​

Backups are kept for 90 days. After that, they're automatically deleted to save storage space.

Can I disable pre-deployment backups?​

No, backups are a core safety feature and cannot be disabled. They ensure you can always rollback if needed.

Do backups slow down deployments?​

Slightly. Backups add 10-30 seconds to deployment time, but this is a small price for the safety they provide.

What if backup fails?​

Deployment continues, but you won't be able to rollback that specific item. The deployment log will show which items failed to backup.

Can I manually create a backup before deploying?​

Yes, use Metadata Backups to create a full backup to Git before deploying. This provides an additional safety layer.

Next Steps​