Functionality
When a record (e.g., a Deal, Contact, Company, Ticket, or Custom Object) is enrolled in the workflow, the "Copy Associations" action triggers the following sequence:
- Identify First Associated Record: The action locates the first associated record of the selected type.
- Copy All Associated Objects: It then copies all objects associated with that identified record to the record enrolled in the workflow.
This mechanism ensures that the associations from the source record are replicated onto the target record, preserving the network of relationships within the CRM system.
Limitations
Not for bulk operations: The "Copy Associations" action is not designed to handle bulk operations. Avoid enrolling a large number of records simultaneously to prevent overloading the system.
Rate limiting: The action is restricted to executing no more than 3 API calls within a 10-second window, which translates to a maximum of 18 actions in any given minute. This restriction is in place to maintain the stability of the system and to adhere to the HubSpot API rate limits. Copying associations is particularly resource-intensive on the API: it involves locating the object, determining the available types of associations for that object, and then making the necessary API calls to establish each association. This is further compounded when multiple objects are being copied.
Best practices
Workflow design: Design workflows with the rate limit in mind. Stagger actions where possible to avoid hitting the cap. Don't "enroll existing objects" to a workflow — instead run it for new objects, or use event-triggered workflows (triggers like Object is created or Form is submitted work best).
Monitoring: Keep an eye on the workflow's history to monitor for any "429 — Too Many Requests" errors and adjust the workflow if needed.