How to Connect HubSpot with WhatsApp to Manage Leads
If your company uses HubSpot as its CRM and WhatsApp as its primary customer communication channel, you've probably already experienced the frustration of managing both platforms separately. Leads come in via WhatsApp, but the information is not automatically reflected in your CRM. Salespeople waste time manually copying data, conversations are not recorded, and opportunities slip through the cracks in both systems.
The good news is that there are several ways to connect HubSpot with WhatsApp. The bad news is that not all of them are equal in cost, functionality and ease of implementation. In this article we explain each available method, compare their advantages and disadvantages, and help you choose the best option for your company's size and budget.
Why Connect HubSpot with WhatsApp
Before getting into the technical methods, it is important to understand why this integration is so relevant for companies in Latin America and Spain.
WhatsApp is the preferred channel for customers
In Latin America, more than 90% of smartphone users use WhatsApp daily. When a prospect wants information about your product or service, their natural instinct is to send you a message via WhatsApp, not fill out a web form or send an email. If your sales team is not prepared to manage these leads in an organized way, you are losing business opportunities.
HubSpot was not designed for instant messaging
HubSpot is an excellent CRM for managing sales pipelines, automating emails and managing contacts. However, its architecture is focused on email and web forms as lead entry points. WhatsApp conversations are not natively integrated into HubSpot's standard workflow, creating a disconnect between actual sales activity and what the CRM displays.
Fragmented information kills sales
When WhatsApp conversations live on the salesperson's phone and customer data is in HubSpot, predictable problems occur: duplicate contacts are made, follow-ups are lost, managers have no visibility into the actual funnel, and when a salesperson leaves the company, they take the entire history of customer conversations with them.
Connecting the two platforms solves these problems by creating a two-way information flow where CRM data enriches WhatsApp conversations and WhatsApp interactions feed the CRM record.
Methods to Integrate HubSpot with WhatsApp
There are three main ways to achieve this integration. Each has its own advantages, limitations and costs.
Method 1: Native HubSpot Integration with WhatsApp
HubSpot launched its native integration with WhatsApp Business as part of its messaging platform. This option allows you to connect a WhatsApp Business number directly to your HubSpot inbox.
How it works:
- You connect your WhatsApp Business API account directly from the HubSpot settings.
- WhatsApp messages appear in the HubSpot conversation tray.
- You can send Meta-approved message templates from HubSpot.
- Conversations are automatically linked to the contact record in CRM
Requirements and costs:
- Requires Marketing Hub Professional or higherat a cost starting at $800 USD per month.
- You need a verified WhatsApp Business API account
- Limited to approved message templates for initiating conversations
- The number of conversations included depends on the contracted plan.
Advantages:
- Direct integration without third-party tools
- Data flows automatically between WhatsApp and CRM
- Official HubSpot Support
Disadvantages:
- Cost prohibitive for small and medium businesses ($800+ USD/month for the required HubSpot plan alone).
- WhatsApp functionality within HubSpot is limited compared to specialized platforms.
- Does not include advanced chatbot or artificial intelligence for WhatsApp
- Conversation management experience is not optimized for teams handling high message volume
Method 2: Third Party Connectors via Zapier or Make
Automation platforms such as Zapier, Make (formerly Integromate) or n8n allow you to create workflows that connect applications together without the need for programming.
How it works:
- You create a "Zap" or flow that detects events on one platform and executes actions on the other.
- For example: when a new message arrives on WhatsApp, a contact is automatically created in HubSpot.
- Or vice versa: when a deal changes stage in HubSpot, a WhatsApp message is sent to the customer.
Requirements and costs:
- Zapier account (from $20 USD/month for plans with enough tasks)
- A WhatsApp Business API platform compatible with Zapier as trigger/action
- HubSpot account (works with the free plan for basic actions)
Advantages:
- Much cheaper than HubSpot's native integration
- Flexible: you can customize exactly which data is synchronized and when
- No programming knowledge required
- Works with any HubSpot plan
Disadvantages:
- Synchronization is not in real time; there may be delays of seconds or minutes.
- Requires configuration and maintenance of the flow
- If the connector fails, synchronization is interrupted until you correct it.
- It does not offer a unified experience: you are still working on two separate platforms.
- You have monthly task limits according to your Zapier plan.
Method 3: Native WhatsApp CRM that Synchronizes with HubSpot
The third option is to use a platform specifically designed to handle WhatsApp sales that also offers integration with HubSpot to keep CRM data in sync.
How it works:
- Your sales team works every day on a platform optimized for WhatsApp conversations.
- The platform automatically synchronizes contacts, conversations and opportunity statuses with HubSpot.
- HubSpot remains a source of truth for management reporting and management management
- WhatsApp conversations are recorded as activities in the contact's HubSpot log.
Requirements and costs:
- Subscription to the WhatsApp CRM platform (generally between $30-150 USD/month depending on the plan).
- HubSpot account (works with free or paid plan)
- Connection via Zapier, direct API or native integration depending on the platform chosen
Advantages:
- The WhatsApp management experience is superior because the platform was designed for that purpose
- Includes advanced features such as chatbots, automatic conversation assignment and AI responses
- The total cost is significantly lower than HubSpot's native option.
- Your team doesn't need to learn how to use HubSpot to manage conversations
- HubSpot continues to function as a central CRM for marketing reporting and automation
Disadvantages:
- Requires managing two platforms (although each has a clear role)
- Synchronization depends on the quality of the integration between the two tools.
Which Data to Synchronize between HubSpot and WhatsApp
Regardless of the method you choose, it is important to define what information should flow between the two platforms. These are the most relevant data:
Contacts
- Prospect's name, phone number and e-mail address
- Source of origin (WhatsApp)
- Date of first contact
- Assigned owner (responsible seller)
Conversations
- Record that there was a WhatsApp conversation (as activity in the contact's timeline)
- Summary or key notes of the conversation
- Date and duration of interaction
Stages of the Deal (Business Opportunity)
- Automatic deal creation when a lead qualifies
- Pipeline stage update as negotiation progresses
- Estimated amount and probable closing date
Notes and Context
- Products or services of interest to the prospect
- Objections raised during the conversation
- Agreed next steps
Comparison of Costs and Benefits
| Criteria | HubSpot Native | Zapier + WhatsApp API | WhatsApp CRM + HubSpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approximate monthly cost | $800+ USD | $50-100 USD | $50-150 USD |
| WhatsApp Experience | Basic | Depends on the tool | Optimized |
| Chatbot / AI for WhatsApp | Not included | Depends on the tool | Including |
| Synchronization with HubSpot | Native and automatic | Configurable | Automatic via integration |
| WhatsApp shared folder | Limited | Not applicable | Comprehensive and multi-agent |
| Implementation time | 1-2 days | 2-5 days | 1-3 days |
| Ideal for | Large companies with high budgets | Technical companies that want total control | SMEs and sales teams focused on WhatsApp |
Aurora Inbox: WhatsApp CRM that Integrates with HubSpot
Aurora Inbox is a conversational CRM platform designed from the ground up for sales teams that manage their leads via WhatsApp. Unlike generic tools that try to add WhatsApp as just another channel, Aurora Inbox puts messaging conversations at the center of the sales experience.
How HubSpot integration works
Aurora Inbox connects to HubSpot through Zapier, enabling bi-directional data synchronization:
- New contacts: When a new prospect writes via WhatsApp and registers in Aurora Inbox, a contact is automatically created in HubSpot with all their data.
- Updating deals: When an opportunity moves up a stage in Aurora Inbox, the corresponding deal in HubSpot is automatically updated.
- Notes and activities: Key interactions are recorded as notes on the contact's timeline in HubSpot.
- Labels and segmentation: Tags assigned in Aurora Inbox are reflected as contact properties in HubSpot for segmentation and automations.
Advantages of using Aurora Inbox together with HubSpot
- Multi-agent inbox: Your entire team can manage WhatsApp conversations from a single platform, with automatic assignment and transfer of conversations between agents.
- Chatbot with artificial intelligence: A virtual assistant can answer frequently asked questions, qualify leads and schedule appointments automatically 24 hours a day, before transferring to the human salesperson.
- Visual sales funnel: Manage your opportunities in a visual pipeline within Aurora Inbox, optimized for WhatsApp sales flow.
- HubSpot as a reporting hub: While your team works comfortably in Aurora Inbox, all information is synchronized with HubSpot so that managers and the marketing team have full visibility of the funnel.
- Affordable cost: The Aurora Inbox + HubSpot combination (free or Starter plan) costs a fraction of what HubSpot's native integration with WhatsApp requires.
Typical use case
A digital marketing agency uses HubSpot to manage its campaigns and overall pipeline. Their sales executives receive WhatsApp inquiries from prospects who saw an ad on social media. With Aurora Inbox:
- The prospect writes via WhatsApp and the AI chatbot responds immediately, qualifies the lead and collects basic information.
- If the lead qualifies, the conversation is automatically assigned to the available executive.
- The executive manages the entire negotiation from Aurora Inbox, with the complete history of the conversation as context.
- Every stage change and relevant note is automatically synchronized with HubSpot.
- The business manager reviews the overall pipeline in HubSpot without logging into Aurora Inbox.
Steps to Implement Integration
If you decide to connect HubSpot with WhatsApp using a conversational CRM like Aurora Inbox, here are the general steps:
- Set up your Aurora Inbox account with your WhatsApp Business API number.
- Connect Aurora Inbox with Zapier using your account credentials.
- Create automation flows in Zapier: new contact in Aurora Inbox creates contact in HubSpot, stage change updates deal, etc.
- Define custom properties in HubSpot that will receive WhatsApp information (source, tags, conversation notes).
- Train your team to work in Aurora Inbox for daily conversations and understand that HubSpot updates automatically.
- Monitor the first days to ensure that the synchronization is working properly and adjust the flows as necessary.
Frequent questions
Can I use HubSpot's native integration with WhatsApp on the free plan?
No. Native WhatsApp integration in HubSpot requires a Marketing Hub Professional plan or higher, which starts at $$800 per month. If you use HubSpot's free or Starter plan, you will need a third-party solution such as a WhatsApp CRM with connection via Zapier to achieve the integration.
Are WhatsApp conversations lost if I cancel the integration?
It depends on the method used. If you use a WhatsApp CRM such as Aurora Inbox, all conversations remain stored in the platform regardless of the connection to HubSpot. Data that was already synced to HubSpot also remains there. What stops is the synchronization of new data from the moment of cancellation.
How many WhatsApp messages can I send through the HubSpot integration?
Messaging limits do not depend on HubSpot but on your WhatsApp Business API account. Meta sets limits based on the quality of your account and the number of previous conversations. Generally, new accounts start with a limit of 1,000 unique conversations per day, which can scale up to 100,000 as you demonstrate good messaging practices.
Does the integration work with WhatsApp personal or only with WhatsApp Business API?
All legitimate CRM integrations require WhatsApp Business API (also known as WhatsApp Cloud API). It is not possible to connect a personal WhatsApp account with HubSpot or any CRM officially. Solutions that promise to connect personal WhatsApp often violate Meta's terms of service and may result in permanent blocking of your number.
Can I have multiple salespeople answering WhatsApp and have it all reflected in HubSpot?
Yes, as long as you use a multi-agent platform like Aurora Inbox. Multiple salespeople can manage WhatsApp conversations simultaneously from the same company number, each with their individual session. All interactions are logged with the responsible salesperson and synced to HubSpot with the correct contact property, allowing you to generate individual and group productivity reports directly in your CRM.
