Content & Intelligence Objects
Track engagement, learning, and behavioral signals throughout the journey
Content and intelligence objects help you understand what people care about, how they're engaging, and what knowledge they're building. These objects turn behavioral signals into relationship intelligence.
Why Content & Intelligence Objects Matter
Most organizations publish content, run events, and offer educational resources—but track engagement in disconnected systems. Marketing automation sees email opens. Event platforms track attendance. Learning systems manage courses. None of it connects to the complete customer view.
HubSpot's content and intelligence objects solve this fragmentation:
- Listings manage all content types in one flexible structure
- Signals capture meaningful engagement indicators
- Courses track structured learning and certification
- Marketing Events connect physical and virtual gatherings to relationships
When engagement data lives alongside relationship data, you can see what someone cares about and respond accordingly.
📄 Listing
Universal content container. Listings can hold articles, case studies, resources, assessments, episodes—any content asset you create. They're flexible by design, meant to replace the need for custom "Content" or "Resource" objects. Think of Listings as the native answer to "where do I put this content?"
Key Properties
- Listing Name: Content title
- Type: Article, Video, Podcast, Case Study, etc.
- Description: What this content covers
- URL: Where it lives
- Published Date: When it went live
- Topics/Tags: Content categorization
Common Associations
- Contact: Who engaged with this content
- Company: Organization showing interest
- Deal: Commercial context for engagement
- Signal: Engagement events tracked
CVP Perspective: Before creating custom "Articles" or "Resources" or "Episodes" objects, use Listings with a Type property. You get content management without sacrificing platform investment and AI integration. Custom content objects miss out on future innovation.
📡 Signal
Every meaningful interaction observed. Signals capture engagement indicators—content downloads, event attendance, email engagement, behavioral patterns. They help you recognize readiness without requiring explicit "hand raises." Signals are the data that reveals where someone is in their journey.
Key Properties
- Signal Type: What kind of engagement
- Source: Where it came from
- Timestamp: When it occurred
- Value: Engagement significance score
- Context: What triggered this signal
- Channel: How they engaged
Common Associations
- Contact: Who generated the signal
- Company: Organization context
- Listing: Content that was engaged with
- Marketing Event: Event that triggered signal
- Deal: Commercial opportunity context
CVP Perspective: Signals reveal progression without forcing people to raise their hand before they're ready. Look for signal patterns, not individual events. One webinar attendance is interesting; three related topic engagements in two weeks reveals momentum.
🎓 Course
Every structured learning tracked. Courses manage educational content, certifications, and learning journeys. They track who's enrolled, who's completed, and what knowledge has been transferred. Useful for customer education, partner certification, and team training.
Key Properties
- Course Name: What's being taught
- Description: Learning outcomes
- Duration: Expected completion time
- Status: Active, Archived, Draft
- Certification: Whether completion grants credential
- Modules: Course structure
Common Associations
- Contact: Who's enrolled or completed
- Company: Organization context
- Deal: Pre-sale education
- Service: Post-sale enablement
- Signal: Engagement throughout course
CVP Perspective: Course completion is a leading indicator of successful adoption. People who invest time learning your methodology are more likely to achieve outcomes and become advocates. Track course progress as a health metric.
🎪 Marketing Event
Every engagement beyond digital. Marketing Events track webinars, conferences, workshops, and in-person gatherings. They capture who attended, what value was delivered, and how events connect to relationship progression.
Key Properties
- Event Name: What's happening
- Event Type: Webinar, Workshop, Conference, etc.
- Start/End Date: When it occurs
- Location: Physical or virtual
- Capacity: Registration limits
- Status: Planned, Live, Completed, Canceled
Common Associations
- Contact: Who registered/attended
- Company: Organization represented
- Deal: Commercial opportunity context
- Signal: Registration and attendance signals
- Campaign: Marketing initiative
CVP Perspective: Events are relationship investments at scale. Track not just attendance, but engagement during and after. Someone who attends your workshop and then downloads related resources is signaling serious interest.
How Content & Intelligence Objects Flow Together
These objects create a feedback loop between what you publish and how people engage. Here's how they work together:
Listing Created
New article, video, or resource added to content library.
Marketing Event Scheduled
Webinar planned to go deeper on topic. Associated to relevant Listings.
Signal Generated
Contact downloads resource, registers for event. Engagement tracked.
Course Enrollment
Person shows deeper interest, enrolls in structured learning.
More Signals
Course progress tracked, completion signals readiness.
Pattern Recognition
Multiple related signals reveal journey progression, triggering appropriate workflows.
Why Use Listings Instead of Custom Objects?
Many organizations instinctively create custom objects for content—"Articles," "Podcasts," "Webinars," "Case Studies." But this approach has costs:
- Platform Investment: HubSpot's R&D flows to native objects, not custom ones
- AI Integration: Breeze AI understands Listings; custom objects require configuration
- Reporting Complexity: Multiple custom objects fragment your content analytics
- Team Training: New hires understand "Listings" immediately; "Thought Leadership Assets" requires explanation
Instead, use Listings with a Type property to categorize:
Type: Article
Blog posts, thought leadership, how-to guides
Type: Video
Product demos, tutorials, customer stories
Type: Podcast
Episode library with show notes
Type: Case Study
Customer success stories and outcomes
Type: Assessment
Interactive tools and calculators
Type: Template
Downloadable resources and frameworks
One object, infinite flexibility. All your content in one place, receiving the same platform investment and AI capabilities.
How should you manage content and track engagement in HubSpot?
Your answer reveals whether you're creating fragmentation or integration.
Key Takeaway: Use Listings as your universal content container. Track engagement with Signals. Manage structured learning with Courses. Connect physical/virtual events with Marketing Events. Keep content intelligence integrated with relationship data.
Next up: Try the Record Builder — configure objects interactively and see how they contribute to the Four Unified Views.