SIMCON: Custom Email Validation

The Challenge

SIMCON faced a growing challenge common to high-value B2B SaaS platforms:

• Inaccurate or mistyped email submissions
• Spam and bot-driven form entries
• Leads progressing through workflows without valid email confirmation
• Reduced effectiveness of sales and onboarding communications

Additionally, SIMCON wanted to:

• Validate emails without external third-party tools
• Maintain a smooth user experience
• Fully leverage HubSpot CRM, CMS, and workflows
• Avoid friction-heavy validation steps that could hurt conversions

Standard HubSpot forms and workflows did not offer a native, token-based email validation system that met these requirements.

Our Solution

How the System Works

1. Email Submission & Token Generation

When a user submits their email through the popup form:

• A random 8-character token is generated automatically
• The following custom contact properties are created and stored in HubSpot:
  • Validation Token
  • Email Validation Status (default: false)
  • Timestamp (used for optional expiry logic)

To ensure a seamless front-end experience:

• The same values are also stored in browser cookies
• This allows session-based verification without repeated CRM lookups

2. Automated Email Dispatch via HubSpot Workflow

CRM Customization & UI Extensions

Immediately after submission:

• A HubSpot workflow is triggered
• The user receives a validation email containing a secure link: 

This approach ensured:

• No external email services were required
• Full traceability inside HubSpot
• Easy reporting on validation success rates

3. Custom Validation Landing Page (HubSpot CMS)

The validation link directs users to a custom-built HubSpot CMS page.

On page load:

• A script extracts the email and token from the URL
• The system verifies the combination against:
  • Stored cookies
  • HubSpot contact properties

This dual-layer check improves reliability while maintaining performance.

4. Token Verification Logic

If the email and token match:

• The contact's Email Validation Status is updated to true
• The user sees a success confirmation
• Optionally, they are redirected to a welcome or next-step page

If the token is invalid or expired:

• A clear error message is displayed
• The user is given an option to restart the validation process

This ensures clarity without frustrating the user.

5. Post-Validation User Experience

Once validation is complete:

• Users no longer see email validation prompts
• Conditional rendering is applied using:
  • Cookie/session logic
  • HubSpot CMS smart content rules

This prevents repetitive validation requests and keeps the experience clean and professional.

6. Resend Logic & Timeout Handling

• To handle email delivery delays:
  • After form submission, users are prompted to wait 60 seconds
  • If no email is received:
    • A "Resend Email" option becomes available
    • A new token can be generated if needed
  This balances user control with system security.

Why a Custom Solution (Instead of a Plugin)?

SIMCON required:

• Full control over validation logic
• Tight integration with HubSpot CRM and workflows
• No dependency on third-party email verification tools
• A scalable system adaptable to future onboarding flows

A custom-built solution allowed:

• Complete ownership of data
• Flexibility in UX and logic
• Seamless alignment with existing HubSpot processes

Scale & Impact

Improved Data Quality

• Significant reduction in invalid and mistyped email addresses
• Cleaner CRM data for sales and marketing teams

Better Security & Trust

• Only verified users progressed into key workflows
• Reduced spam and bot-driven submissions

Seamless User Experience

• Popup-based validation avoided page disruption
• Clear feedback at every step of the process

Fully Native to HubSpot 

Built entirely using HubSpot:

• Forms
• Workflows
• CRM properties
• CMS pages

Conclusion

This project demonstrates how HubSpot can be extended beyond its default capabilities to support secure, enterprise-grade user validation workflows.

By combining HubSpot's native tools with custom logic, SIMCON gained:

• Higher-quality leads
• Greater confidence in their CRM data
• A scalable validation framework for future growth