How to connect HubSpot and Slack automatically — no-code guide

In today's fast-paced business environment, staying on top of customer interactions and internal communications is crucial. HubSpot serves as a powerful Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, helping you manage leads, customers, and sales pipelines. Slack, on the other hand, is a leading communication tool, keeping teams connected and informed. While both are essential, manually moving information between them can be a time-consuming and error-prone task.

Imagine instantly notifying your sales team in Slack when a new high-value lead fills out a form in HubSpot, or getting an alert when a customer service ticket changes status. This level of seamless integration can significantly improve efficiency and response times. The good news is you don't need to be a programmer to achieve this. With no-code automation platforms, you can connect HubSpot and Slack quickly and effectively.

Why this matters

Automating the connection between HubSpot and Slack brings several practical benefits to your business:

• Faster Sales Follow-ups: Get immediate Slack notifications for new leads or deals, allowing your sales team to act quickly and potentially close more business.
• Improved Customer Support: Instantly alert support teams in Slack when a new ticket is created or updated, leading to quicker resolutions and happier customers.
• Enhanced Team Collaboration: Ensure relevant team members are always aware of important CRM updates without needing to constantly check HubSpot.
• Reduced Manual Work: Eliminate the need for copy-pasting information, saving valuable time and reducing the risk of human error.
• Better Data Flow: Keep your team updated with real-time information, improving decision-making and operational efficiency.

Step-by-step guide

This guide will walk you through setting up an automation using a popular no-code platform, Make.com (formerly Integromat). We'll create a scenario where a new HubSpot contact triggers a Slack message.

Step 1: Sign Up for Make.com

Visit Make.com and create a free account. You can start with their free tier, which offers a generous number of operations each month, perfect for getting started with automation without any initial cost or commitment.

Step 2: Create a New Scenario

Once logged in, click on the "Create a new scenario" button on your dashboard. A scenario is essentially your automation workflow, where you define what happens when a specific event occurs.

Step 3: Connect HubSpot as the Trigger

1. When prompted, search for "HubSpot" and select the HubSpot module.
2. Choose a trigger event. For this example, select "Watch New Contacts." This means the scenario will run every time a new contact is added to HubSpot.
3. You'll then be asked to connect your HubSpot account. Click "Add" and follow the on-screen instructions to authorize Make.com to access your HubSpot data.
4. After connecting, you might be asked "Where to start?". For new automations, select "From now on" to only process new events that occur after the automation is active.

Step 4: Connect Slack as the Action

1. Click the "Add another module" button (the small plus sign next to your HubSpot module).
2. Search for "Slack" and select the Slack module.
3. Choose an action. For our example, select "Create a Message."
4. Connect your Slack workspace. Click "Add" and follow the instructions to authorize Make.com to post messages to your Slack workspace. You'll need to select which workspace you want to connect.
5. Configure the message:
   • Type: Select "Public Channel" or "Private Channel," then choose the specific channel where you want the message to appear (e.g., #sales-leads, #new-customers).
   • Text: This is where you compose your message. You can pull information directly from HubSpot using the variables provided by Make.com. For instance, you could type:
     New Lead Alert!
Name: {{1.properties.firstname}} {{1.properties.lastname}}
Email: {{1.properties.email}}
Company: {{1.properties.company}}
HubSpot Link: https://app.hubspot.com/contacts/YOUR_PORTAL_ID/contact/{{1.id}}
     (Note: Replace `YOUR_PORTAL_ID` with your actual HubSpot portal ID, which you can find in your HubSpot URL.)
   • You can add more details like thread settings or bot name if desired, but for a basic notification, the above is sufficient.

Step 5: Test and Activate Your Scenario

1. Once both modules are configured, click the "Run once" button at the bottom left of the scenario editor. This allows you to test the automation with existing data or by creating a new contact in HubSpot while the scenario is running.
2. Check your chosen Slack channel to see if the message appeared correctly.
3. If everything looks good, click the "Save" button and then toggle the scenario to "ON" (the switch at the bottom left) to activate it. Your automation is now live!

Pro tips

• Start Simple: Begin with a basic automation like the one described above. Once you're comfortable, explore more complex workflows.
• Use Specific Channels: Instead of cluttering general channels, create dedicated Slack channels for specific types of HubSpot updates (e.g., #new-deals, #support-tickets).
• Filter Events: In Make.com, you can add filters between modules to only process specific events. For example, only send Slack messages for new deals with a "High" priority, or contacts from a specific region.
• Multiple Actions: A single HubSpot trigger can initiate multiple Slack actions. For instance, a new deal could notify the sales channel AND send a direct message to the assigned sales representative.
• Monitor Your Scenarios: Regularly check your Make.com dashboard to ensure your automations are running smoothly. Make.com provides logs for troubleshooting any issues.
• Explore Other Triggers/Actions: HubSpot offers triggers for new deals, companies, tickets, and more. Slack allows you to send direct messages, create channels, or update messages. Experiment to find what best suits your needs.

FAQ

Q: Is this automation completely free?
A: Make.com offers a free tier that includes 1,000 operations per month, which is often sufficient for small businesses and individual freelancers to get started. Paid plans offer higher operation limits and advanced features as your needs grow.

Q: What other HubSpot events can I use as triggers?
A: Beyond new contacts, you can set up triggers for various HubSpot events such as "Watch New Deals," "Watch New Companies," "Watch New Tickets," "Watch New Blog Posts," or "Watch Contact Property Changes." This flexibility allows for a wide range of automations.

Q: Can I connect other applications using the same method?
A: Yes, absolutely. The no-code approach with platforms like Make.com is designed to connect thousands of different applications. The core principle of "Trigger (event in App A) -> Action (event in App B)" remains the same, allowing you to build extensive integrated workflows across your entire tech stack.

Written by Vangari Sai Sampath, Automation Specialist · Integration Directory · Hyderabad, India