Read this page as a quick path: scan the headings, use the step blocks, and escalate if the expected result does not happen.
Once your HubSpot integration is connected, you can set up qualification rules that automatically mark a referral as qualified inside Referral Factory when something specific happens in HubSpot. This means you do not need to qualify referrals manually — the system does it for you as soon as the referred person converts.
This article explains how to configure automatic qualification for both Contact-based and Deal-based HubSpot setups.
Before You Start
You need to have already connected HubSpot to your campaign and configured your field mapping. If you have not done that yet, see How to Connect and Configure Your HubSpot Integration first.
Qualification rules only apply to Leads, not to Referrers.
How Automatic Qualification Works
Referral Factory watches your HubSpot account for a specific change you define. When that change happens — for example, a contact's Lifecycle Stage moves to Customer, or a deal reaches Closed Won — Referral Factory automatically marks the corresponding referral as qualified and triggers any reward that is set up for your campaign.
The key principle is that the qualification trigger in Referral Factory should match the conversion event you already track in HubSpot. If your sales team marks a deal as Closed Won when a customer signs up, use that as your trigger. If your CRM updates a contact property when a trial converts, use that instead.
Setting Up Qualification Rules
In your campaign, go to Campaign Settings → Integrations and API → CRM tab. Inside the HubSpot section, click the Leads tab and scroll down to the Qualification Rules section.
Click the Select qualification method dropdown. You have three options:
Choose the method that matches how you track conversions in HubSpot.
- Do not qualify my referrals
- Contact property would change
- Deal stage would change
Option 1: Qualify When a Contact Property Changes
This option is available whether you chose to create Contacts when a lead joins your campaign. Use it when you track conversions by updating a field on a HubSpot contact record.
Select Contact property would change from the dropdown.
A second dropdown appears: Select the property that will change. This lists your HubSpot contact properties. Choose the property your team updates when a lead converts. Common examples are:
Once you select a property, a third field appears: What will this property change to when the user qualifies? Select the value that represents a successful conversion.
For example, if you chose Lifecycle Stage, you might select Customer. If you chose a custom Status field, you might select Active.
Click Save Changes.
From this point on, whenever HubSpot updates that contact property to that value, Referral Factory will automatically qualify the referral and issue any reward configured for your campaign.
- Lifecycle Stage — if you move contacts to Customer when they sign up
- Status — if you use a custom status field to mark active customers
Option 2: Qualify When a Deal Stage Changes
This option is only available if you chose Create new Deals in HubSpot as your lead action. Use it when your sales process is deal-based and a specific deal stage — such as Closed Won — represents a successful conversion.
Select Deal stage would change from the dropdown.
A second field appears: What will this deal stage change to when the user qualifies? Select the deal stage that represents a converted referral. The most common choice is Closed Won.
Click Save Changes.
When HubSpot moves a deal to that stage, Referral Factory will automatically qualify the linked referral.
A Note on Duplicate Handling and Qualification
Your duplicate handling setting directly affects whether automatic qualification can work. If you have set the duplicate rule to do nothing when a contact already exists in HubSpot, referrals for people who were already in your HubSpot before joining the campaign will never qualify — regardless of your qualification rules.
This is a deliberate fraud prevention feature. If you want referrals to qualify for existing contacts, change the duplicate setting to update the contact that already exists in HubSpot.
See How to Connect and Configure Your HubSpot Integration for more detail on this setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a contact property changes in HubSpot but the referral does not qualify in Referral Factory?
First, check that the property and value you selected in Referral Factory exactly match what HubSpot is updating. Even a small difference in the value name can prevent qualification from triggering. Also check your duplicate handling setting — if it is set to do nothing, existing contacts will never qualify.
Can I use a custom HubSpot property as my qualification trigger?
Yes. The property dropdown pulls from all contact properties in your connected HubSpot account, including custom ones.
Can a referral qualify more than once?
No. Each referral can only qualify once.
Do I need to do anything in HubSpot to make this work?
No special setup is needed in HubSpot. As long as your normal HubSpot workflow updates the property or deal stage you have configured, Referral Factory will detect the change automatically.
What if I want to qualify referrals manually instead?
Select Do not qualify my referrals in the qualification method dropdown. You can then qualify referrals manually from the Leads tab inside your campaign.