Cleanup Lists

Audit HubSpot lists to remove clutter. Unused lists slow down the UI, confuse team members, and can mask the lists that actually matter.

Prerequisites

• A HubSpot private app access token (HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN in .env) with crm.lists.read (and crm.lists.write for deletion)
• Python 3.10+ with uv
• Note: Lists API access may return 403 on some plan tiers. If so, perform the audit manually in the UI.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Stage 1: Plan

Confirm with the user before starting:

1. Delete outright, or prefix with “[ARCHIVE]” first and delete next quarter?
2. Any lists that must never be touched (suppression lists, compliance segments, active campaign audiences)?

Stage 2: Before

Inventory all lists via the Lists API (v3):

import os, requests
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()
TOKEN = os.environ["HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN"]
BASE = "https://api.hubapi.com"
HEADERS = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {TOKEN}", "Content-Type": "application/json"}

lists, offset = [], 0
while True:
    resp = requests.post(f"{BASE}/crm/v3/lists/search", headers=HEADERS,
                         json={"offset": offset, "count": 100})
    resp.raise_for_status()
    data = resp.json()
    lists.extend(data.get("lists", []))
    if not data.get("hasMore"):
        break
    offset = data.get("offset", offset + 100)

For each list, record: list ID, name, processing type (DYNAMIC/MANUAL), member count (additionalProperties), created date, last updated date.

Export to CSV for review.

Stage 3: Execute

Flag lists matching any of these criteria:

1. Zero members and created more than 30 days ago
2. Not referenced by any workflow, email, or ad audience
3. Duplicate names or nearly identical filter criteria
4. Test/temp lists (names containing “test”, “temp”, “copy of”, “old”)
5. Static lists that have not been updated in 6+ months

Cross-reference with workflows and email campaigns before deleting — a list with zero members might still be used as an enrollment trigger.

Present the candidate list to the user and wait for explicit confirmation, then delete via DELETE /crm/v3/lists/{listId} or the UI.

Stage 4: After

1. Re-run the inventory and confirm the deleted lists are gone.
2. Document what was deleted (list name, ID, reason) in a cleanup log.
3. Inform team members if any lists they created were removed.

Rollback

• HubSpot does not have a list recycle bin. Deleted lists cannot be restored.
• Before deleting, export the list definition (filters/criteria) so it can be recreated if needed.
• Static lists: export member IDs before deletion if the membership data matters.

Tips

• Run this quarterly as part of the database cleanup routine.
• Establish a naming convention going forward (e.g., prefix with team name or purpose).
• Archive lists by prefixing with “[ARCHIVE]” instead of deleting if you are unsure.