So you want to push HubSpot updates into Slack, but you’re tired of noisy, half-baked automations that just spam your channels. This guide is for you: marketers, sales ops, admins, or anyone who’s had to clean up after a notification mess. We’ll walk through how to use Make (the automation platform formerly known as Integromat) to connect HubSpot and Slack for notifications people actually want to read. No fluff—just honest advice, pitfalls, and simple steps.
Why integrate HubSpot and Slack (and why so many people get it wrong)
It sounds simple: “Let’s get Slack messages when deals close!” But most integrations end up flooding channels, pinging people for stuff they don’t care about, or breaking when someone changes a field in HubSpot. Here’s what usually goes wrong:
- Too many notifications: Every status update triggers a ping. Everyone tunes out fast.
- Wrong audience: Notifications hit a channel nobody checks, or spam people who don’t need to see them.
- Poor context: Slack messages are cryptic or missing info, so people have to jump into HubSpot anyway.
- No error handling: Automations break in silence, so you miss important alerts.
Getting it right means being picky about what you send, making it human-friendly, and checking your work. Here’s how.
Step 1: Decide what really needs a Slack notification
Before you touch Make or connect any accounts, ask: what absolutely needs to land in Slack? Less is more. Good candidates:
- Big deal closed (not every stage update)
- New high-value lead assigned
- Support tickets escalated
- Time-sensitive tasks (renewal reminders, contract deadlines)
Skip stuff like “contact created” or “field X changed” unless there’s a real action needed. You’ll thank yourself later.
Pro tip: Ask your team what they’d actually want to see. If it’s not actionable or urgent, don’t automate it.
Step 2: Map out who should get notified and where
Not every update should go to #general. Figure out:
- Which Slack channel or DM? Example: #sales-closed-won for deals, DM to account owner for leads.
- Who cares about this info? (If you’re not sure, default to fewer people.)
- Do you need to tag anyone? (Use sparingly—nobody likes constant @here pings.)
Avoid:
- Dumping everything in one channel
- Tagging whole teams unless it’s truly urgent
If you don’t know, start small and expand. It’s easier to add notifications than take them away.
Step 3: Set up your Make scenario
Now the hands-on part. Make lets you connect HubSpot and Slack with a visual editor. Here’s the bare-bones version, then we’ll layer on best practices.
3.1. Connect HubSpot
- Add a trigger: “Watch Deals” or “Watch Contacts,” depending on your use case.
- Set filters: Only trigger for the right stage or property (e.g., “Deal Stage = Closed Won”).
- Limit scope: Don’t pull every change—just what you mapped out earlier.
3.2. Add a Slack action
- Add “Send a Message” to the right channel or user.
- Customize the message: Use HubSpot fields for context (deal name, amount, owner, etc.).
- Keep it readable: No JSON dumps—write it like a human would.
Example message:
🎉 Deal Closed! [Deal Name] for $[Amount] by [Owner]. See details: [Deal URL]
3.3. Handle errors and edge cases
- Add error handlers in Make (failure notifications to an admin channel or email).
- Use logging—at least a Google Sheet or Airtable—to track what’s sent.
Don’t skip this. Nothing’s worse than thinking your automations work when they’re actually broken.
Step 4: Filter, filter, filter
This is where most automations fall apart. More filters = less noise. In Make:
- Use built-in filters to only continue if certain fields are set (e.g., deal amount > $10,000).
- Combine multiple criteria: Not just “deal closed,” but “deal closed AND owner is X.”
- Test with sample data to make sure only the right events go through.
What to ignore:
- “Let’s just send everything and figure it out later.” No, you’ll forget, and the spam will annoy everyone.
Step 5: Make your Slack messages human-friendly
You know those Slack bots that post unreadable blocks of text? Don’t be that person.
- Use clear formatting, emojis (sparingly), and line breaks.
- Include links back to HubSpot so people can dig in if needed.
- Add just enough detail for someone to act—or ignore confidently.
Bad example:
Deal update: { "id": 12345, "amount": 10000, ... }
Good example:
🎉 Closed Won: Acme Corp ($10,000) by Sam Lee. [View in HubSpot](https://app.hubspot.com/deals/12345)
Step 6: Test with real users (not just yourself)
Before you roll it out:
- Run through real scenarios—close a deal, assign a lead, whatever your trigger is.
- Ask the team: Does this message make sense? Is it too much? Too little?
- Watch for edge cases (weird field values, missing data).
Iterate a few times. If people are muting the channel, you’ve overdone it.
Step 7: Maintain and improve (without breaking your flow)
Automations are never truly “done.” A few things to keep in mind:
- Review every few months: Are the right messages still going to the right people?
- Document what you built: Even a Google Doc is better than nothing.
- Watch for HubSpot or Slack changes: Field names, permissions, and APIs shift. Expect to revisit things occasionally.
- Add or remove notifications as your team’s needs change. If nobody is reacting or clicking, kill the automation.
What not to worry about:
- Over-optimizing for every edge case up front. Start simple, tune as you go.
Honest takes: What works, what doesn’t, and what to skip
What actually works:
- Laser-focused triggers: The fewer, the better.
- Clear, actionable messages: People should know what (if anything) to do.
- Error notifications: Quiet failures are the worst kind.
What doesn’t:
- “Firehose” automations: If you blast every update into Slack, nobody pays attention.
- Cryptic messages: If people have to ask what something means, you’ve lost them.
- Set-and-forget: HubSpot and Slack both change over time—so will your team.
What to skip:
- Overly complex logic from day one
- Notifications for things people don’t care about
- Trying to automate every possible HubSpot event—pick your battles
Keep it simple, keep it useful
Integrating HubSpot and Slack with Make isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to accidentally build something nobody wants. Start small, send less, and check in with your team. The best automations make life a little easier and Slack a little quieter. Iterate, don’t overthink—and when in doubt, cut another notification.