If you use both CRMs—Hubspot for marketing and Salesforce for sales—you already know the pain of keeping your data in sync. Leads slip through the cracks, notes get lost, sales teams blame marketing, and nobody trusts the reports. This guide is for admins, ops folks, and anyone sick of chasing down missing contacts. I’ll cut through the hype and show you how to actually connect Hubspot and Salesforce so your data flows (mostly) smoothly.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
Let’s keep this honest: integration is never entirely “seamless,” but you can get pretty close if you prep right. Here’s what you need:
- Admin access to both Hubspot and Salesforce (not just user-level).
- A paid Hubspot plan—the Salesforce integration isn’t available on the free tier.
- A Salesforce edition that supports APIs (Professional or higher, unless you’ve paid extra for API access).
- A chunk of uninterrupted time. You can’t “set and forget” this in 10 minutes.
Pro tip: Have a test record handy in both systems so you don’t mess with real customer data while testing.
Step 1: Map Out What You Actually Want to Sync
Don’t rush to click “connect.” First, decide what needs syncing. Here’s where most people screw up:
- Contacts, Companies, Deals (or Opportunities), Leads, and Tasks are all possible to sync, but do you need all of them?
- Field mapping: Which fields in Hubspot should map to which fields in Salesforce? (Custom fields? Picklists? Notes?)
- Direction: Is this one-way or two-way? For example, do you want Salesforce to overwrite Hubspot data, or vice versa, or both?
If you skip this step, you’ll end up with duplicate records, overwritten data, and a support ticket backlog. Sketch it out on paper or a whiteboard first.
Step 2: Connect Hubspot to Salesforce
Alright, let’s get your systems talking.
2.1: In Hubspot
- Go to Settings > Integrations > Connected Apps.
- Click Connect an app > search for “Salesforce.”
- Hit Connect. You’ll be sent to Salesforce to authorize the connection.
- Follow the prompts. Make sure you’re logged in as a Salesforce admin.
2.2: In Salesforce
- Hubspot installs a “Hubspot Integration” app in Salesforce. You’ll see a new app in your App Launcher.
- Review the permissions it requests. Don’t just blindly approve—if you’ve got a security team, loop them in now.
Gotcha: If you use Salesforce’s “My Domain” or have tough security policies, you might need to whitelist Hubspot’s IPs or tweak permissions.
Step 3: Set Up Sync Rules
This is where you decide how data flows between platforms.
3.1: Choose Your Sync Type
- One-way: Changes in Hubspot update Salesforce or vice versa.
- Two-way: Changes in either system update the other.
Most folks go with two-way sync for Contacts and Companies, but often restrict Deals/Opportunities to one-way (usually from Salesforce to Hubspot).
3.2: Field Mapping
- Hubspot gives you some default mappings, but you’ll need to review them.
- Go to Settings in Hubspot > Data Management > Objects > Salesforce Integration.
- Review each mapping. Are you syncing emails, phone numbers, custom fields? Make sure field types match (text-to-text, date-to-date, etc.).
Don’t map fields you don’t use—it just clutters things and causes errors.
3.3: Deduplication Settings
- Decide how Hubspot should handle duplicates. By default, it uses email addresses for Contacts, but Salesforce can use other rules.
- If your Salesforce is a mess of duplicates, fix that first—otherwise you’re just syncing garbage.
Step 4: Test With Sample Records
Never trust an integration you haven’t tested.
- Create a test Contact in Hubspot. See if it appears in Salesforce.
- Edit that Contact in Salesforce. Does the change flow back to Hubspot?
- Try the same with a Company/Account.
- If you care about Opportunities/Deals, test those too.
Check for: - Data coming through as expected (no weird formatting, missing fields, or extra junk). - No duplicates being created. - No data getting wiped out unexpectedly.
Pro tip: Test with non-customer data. You don’t want to accidentally email or call a real lead during testing.
Step 5: Roll Out to Real Data
Once you’ve tested, it’s go time.
- Back up your data before you turn on sync for everything.
- Set up notifications for sync errors in Hubspot so you’re alerted if things break.
- Roll out in stages. Don’t sync your entire Salesforce org right away—start with a subset of data, see how it goes, then gradually expand.
- Train your team on any new processes or fields.
Step 6: Monitor, Troubleshoot, and Maintain
This isn’t a “set it and forget it” setup. Here’s what to watch for:
- Sync errors: Both platforms log sync issues (look for the “Salesforce Sync Errors” page in Hubspot).
- Permissions: Sometimes users lose access because of security changes in Salesforce.
- Field changes: If you add new fields or change picklists, update your mappings.
- API limits: Salesforce has daily API call limits, especially on lower-tier plans. If you hit the ceiling, sync will pause or fail.
What to ignore: - Don’t bother syncing every field or object “just in case.” Less is more. - Ignore “AI-powered” mapping features for now—they’re rarely smarter than you, and manual review is safer.
Honest Pros and Cons
What Works Well
- Contact and Company sync is pretty reliable once set up.
- Sync error logs in Hubspot are detailed and actionable.
- One-way sync for Opportunities/Deals can keep sales data clean.
What Doesn’t
- Custom objects: If you use lots of custom Salesforce objects, you’re out of luck—Hubspot’s native integration doesn’t support them.
- Complex automations: Some Salesforce workflows or Hubspot automations might not trigger as you expect after a sync.
- Data volume: If you have tens of thousands of records, first syncs can take hours.
Alternatives (If You Hit a Wall)
- Third-party tools like Zapier, Workato, or Tray.io can fill gaps, but be prepared for higher costs and more moving parts.
- Custom integrations via API are possible, but only worth it if you have in-house devs and very specific needs.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Don’t try to sync everything at once. Focus on the fields and objects that matter most. Test, monitor, and adjust as you go. Most “seamless” integrations need a little hand-holding now and then—don’t believe anyone who says otherwise.
If something breaks, don’t panic. Check the error logs, fix the mapping, and move forward. You’ll save yourself (and your team) a lot of headaches by keeping things simple and tuning as you grow.