Contact Unworked on steroids - make LinkedIn count in HubSpot (messages + invitations)
Make HubSpot’s default Contact unworked? reflect LinkedIn work by counting logged LinkedIn messages (already) and optionally turning invitations into sales activities.
Problem
You rely on HubSpot's default Contact unworked? to prioritize outreach, but LinkedIn work isn't always reflected, especially invitations.
Key definitions (HubSpot defaults)
Contact unworked? (default property)
An indication if the contact has been worked. If it is true, the contact has not been assigned to an owner, or does not have a sales activity logged in its timeline since the contact was assigned its latest owner.
Number of sales activities (default property)
The number of times a call, chat conversation, LinkedIn message, postal mail, meeting, note, sales email, SMS, task, or WhatsApp message was logged for a contact record. This is set automatically by HubSpot based on user actions in the contact record.
What works out of the box: LinkedIn messages already count
HubSpot doesn't truly log LinkedIn conversations natively (except specific cases like Sales Navigator integrations). But tools like Hublead log LinkedIn interactions as activities on the contact timeline.
Because LinkedIn message is a sales activity type in HubSpot, logged LinkedIn messages contribute to:
• Number of sales activities
• and can flip Contact unworked? to worked (depending on owner assignment timing)
Takeaway: messages are not the issue. The usual gap is invitations.
The missing piece: LinkedIn invitations (sent / accepted)
Invitation events are often stored as dates/properties but not logged as sales activities in HubSpot's timeline. So HubSpot may still consider the contact unworked even though a rep took action on LinkedIn.
Hublead provides two useful contact properties:
• Last LinkedIn invitation sent (date)
• Last LinkedIn invitation accepted (date)
Now you have two options.
Option A: update directly (owner-agnostic, clean timelines)
Goal: track invitation activity reliably, without fighting HubSpot's owner-based "since latest assignment" logic.
How it works: create a HubSpot workflow that updates data directly when invitation dates are known or updated.
Pros
• Simple, stable, predictable
• No timeline noise (no tasks/notes created)
• Works no matter who the owner is (no dependency on assignment timing)
Cons
• It will not reliably change HubSpot's default Contact unworked? (because HubSpot needs a sales activity logged in the timeline)
Option B: the task hack (make invitations count as worked)
Goal: make invitation events count as sales activities, so HubSpot's default Contact unworked? can flip to worked.
How it works: create a workflow that, when an invitation date is updated, creates a Task (or Note) on the contact timeline.
For example:
• LinkedIn invitation sent on DATE
• LinkedIn invitation accepted on DATE
Because a task or note is a sales activity, it contributes to Number of sales activities, which feeds HubSpot's worked/unworked logic.
Pros
• Directly impacts HubSpot's default Contact unworked?
• Reuses HubSpot's built-in prioritization model
Cons (important)
• HubSpot's logic depends on activities since the contact was assigned its latest owner. If the owner changes after the task is created, the contact may appear unworked again until a new activity happens.
• A user could delete the task/note (rare, but possible).
• It can add timeline noise if you don't throttle it.
Recommendation
• If your priority is accuracy and clean data: Option A
• If your priority is making HubSpot's default Unworked reflect invitations: Option B
Optional (advanced)
If you want a fully controlled worked/unworked including invitations logic, you can create a dedicated custom property. This playbook intentionally focuses on HubSpot's default fields first.
FAQs
Do logged LinkedIn messages count as sales activities?
Yes - if they are logged in the contact timeline as activities (e.g., "LinkedIn message"), they contribute to Number of sales activities, which is what HubSpot uses for worked/unworked logic.
Why don't invitations always count?
Invitation events are often stored as dates/properties but not always logged as timeline activities, so HubSpot may not treat them as worked unless you create an activity (task/note) or accept that invitations are tracked separately.
Will the task approach always work?
It usually works, but HubSpot's calculation is based on activities since the contact's latest owner assignment. If ownership changes after the task is created, the contact may show as unworked again until a new activity is logged.
