How Flowpane works with HubSpot
HubSpot hosts the website itself, so most machine-readable output is set in HubSpot's settings rather than in files you control: robots.txt and the sitemap are managed per domain, indexing directives and canonical links per page, and redirects in one account-wide list. Flowpane reads HubSpot's view through its APIs, checks the public website independently, and shows where the two agree and where they do not.
For the general model, read How Flowpane works with your CMS.
Domains and their purposes
A HubSpot account can host several domains, each connected for a purpose such as the primary website, landing pages or the blog, and some set to redirect to another domain. HTTPS and the primary domain for each purpose are domain settings in HubSpot. Flowpane reads every domain and its purpose, and links a domain to a Flowpane Site only by exact address, only when someone with the right role chooses to link it, and only once Flowpane has verified that Site. Connecting an account never links a domain or proves ownership by itself.
robots.txt is a domain setting
HubSpot serves robots.txt for each connected domain from the rules saved in its website settings. There is no file to upload, and each domain can have its own rules. Flowpane checks the public robots.txt of every linked Site and, when a change is needed, shows the exact rules to paste into HubSpot for that domain.
curl -s https://example.com/robots.txt
The sitemap is generated per domain
HubSpot generates a sitemap for each domain at /sitemap.xml and lets you edit which pages it includes in the domain's sitemap settings. Landing pages are not added to HubSpot's sitemap automatically. Because HubSpot offers no API for sitemap membership, Flowpane reads the public sitemap, compares it with the pages HubSpot says are published, and lists the pages to add or remove.
Canonical links and indexing directives
Each page and blog post can carry a custom canonical URL in its settings, and indexing directives such as noindex are usually added to a page's head HTML. Templates and account settings can add directives of their own. Flowpane reads each page's canonical setting and the directives its head HTML declares, then confirms what the public page actually serves:
curl -s https://example.com/pricing | grep -i 'name="robots"\|rel="canonical"'
URL redirects
HubSpot's URL redirects apply across the account, either to an exact address or as a flexible pattern that can match many addresses. A broad pattern can quietly override a specific redirect, and a redirect that only matches a path can apply to every domain on the account. Flowpane reads every redirect, follows the public behaviour of each linked Site, and points out redirects that HubSpot holds but the website does not follow, or that reach further than intended.
What Flowpane reads and changes
| Area | What Flowpane reads | What Flowpane can do |
|---|---|---|
| Website pages, landing pages and blog posts | Address, publication details, canonical link and declared directives | Propose content setting changes for a person to make in HubSpot |
| URL redirects | Every redirect, with its match type | Prepare, apply with approval and verify redirects for one exact Site; withdraw an approved redirect precisely |
| Domains | Each domain and its purpose, HTTPS and redirect settings | Propose domain setting changes for a person to make in HubSpot |
| robots.txt | The public file for each linked Site | Propose the exact rules to save in HubSpot |
| Sitemap | The public sitemap for each linked Site | List the pages to add or remove in HubSpot's sitemap settings |
| security.txt and other governance files | The public file for each linked Site | Propose the content and where to publish it |
| HubDB-backed dynamic pages | The tables behind dynamic pages, where included | Observation |
Every item Flowpane reads keeps a record of where and when it came from, so each comparison can be traced back to HubSpot. A partial listing is always shown as partial.
Applying a redirect safely
When Managed changes is enabled for the Site, a redirect goes through the same steps as every Flowpane change:
- Prepare: Flowpane drafts a redirect for the Site's full address, so it can never affect another domain on the account, and flags any existing pattern redirect that could reach the same address.
- Approve: a person with the right role approves the exact redirect in Flowpane.
- Apply: Flowpane creates the redirect in HubSpot once. If HubSpot's answer is uncertain, Flowpane checks before trying again rather than creating a duplicate.
- Verify: Flowpane requests the address on the public website and confirms the status and destination.
Withdrawing an approved redirect removes exactly the redirect Flowpane created, and Flowpane then confirms that the public website no longer serves it.
Source and public, side by side
For each finding, Flowpane keeps four things apart: what HubSpot says, what the website serves, what Flowpane could change, and anything that cannot yet be confirmed. That separation is what makes a finding actionable: it tells you whether the fix belongs in HubSpot's settings, in a redirect, or somewhere in front of HubSpot.
Worked examples
A landing page missing from the sitemap. A campaign landing page is published but never appears in search results. HubSpot reports it as published, the public sitemap does not list it, and Flowpane's guidance names the domain's sitemap settings as the place to add it.
A noindex left in head HTML. A page copied from a draft template still carries noindex in its head HTML. Flowpane reads the directive from HubSpot, confirms it on the public page, and shows exactly what to remove.
A redirect overtaken by a pattern. A specific redirect exists in HubSpot, but a flexible pattern redirect sends the address elsewhere. Flowpane's public check shows the real destination and identifies the pattern responsible.
Flowpane for HubSpot Content Hub · Managed changes · Extensions Hub