If you’re juggling leads between LinkedIn and HubSpot, you know how much time gets wasted copying and pasting details, losing track of follow-ups, and fixing typos. This guide is for anyone who’s tired of clunky CRM workflows and wants to actually use their tools, not fight them. We’ll walk through connecting Surfe (formerly Leadjet) with HubSpot, what’s great about the integration, what to watch out for, and how to set things up so you’re not back in spreadsheet hell a week from now.
Why bother integrating Surfe with HubSpot?
Here’s the short version: Surfe sits in your browser and lets you add leads straight from LinkedIn into HubSpot, without toggling tabs or retyping info. That’s the pitch. If you’re constantly prospecting on LinkedIn but your CRM is HubSpot, this can save you hours each week and keep your data cleaner.
But let’s be real: not every tool that claims “seamless integration” actually delivers. Surfe does a solid job, but there are a few quirks (more on that later).
What you’ll need before you start
- A HubSpot account (free or paid — some features require paid tiers)
- A Surfe account (there’s a free trial, but ongoing use is paid)
- The Chrome browser (Surfe is a Chrome extension; no Firefox or Safari support as of writing)
- Access to LinkedIn (surprise!)
If your company locks down Chrome extensions or you’re not allowed to use third-party tools, this isn’t for you. Otherwise, let’s dig in.
Step 1: Install Surfe and connect your accounts
1.1 Add Surfe to Chrome
- Go to the Chrome Web Store and search for “Surfe” (or follow the link from their site).
- Click "Add to Chrome" and confirm.
- The Surfe icon should show up in your browser toolbar. If it doesn’t, you might need to pin it.
Pro tip: If your company manages your browser, you might need admin approval to install new extensions.
1.2 Create a Surfe account
- Click the Surfe icon. You’ll be prompted to sign up. Use your work email for easier onboarding.
- Confirm your email address if needed.
1.3 Connect your HubSpot account
- After logging in, you’ll be asked which CRM to connect. Choose HubSpot.
- Approve the permissions — Surfe needs access to your contacts, deals, and companies to sync data.
- If you’re paranoid about data privacy (and you should be), review what Surfe can and can’t see. They don’t read your LinkedIn messages, but they do sync profile info and activity.
Heads up: If you’re using multiple HubSpot workspaces, double-check which one you connect. You can change it later, but it’s a headache.
Step 2: Set up your integration settings
Surfe isn’t just an “on/off” switch. You’ll want to set a few things up so you’re not swamped with duplicate leads or missing info.
2.1 Map LinkedIn fields to HubSpot properties
- Open LinkedIn, go to any profile, and click the Surfe overlay.
- Click “Settings” or the gear icon.
- Under “Field Mapping,” decide which LinkedIn fields (like name, company, job title, phone, etc.) should go to which HubSpot properties.
Why bother? HubSpot properties aren’t always named the same as LinkedIn’s fields. If you don’t map them, you’ll get weird results (like phone numbers in the “Notes” field).
2.2 Choose your sync behavior
- Decide if you want Surfe to create new contacts or update existing ones.
- Set rules for handling duplicates. By default, Surfe checks for matching emails, but not everyone lists their email on LinkedIn. If you’re in sales, you know this pain.
- You can also decide whether Surfe should auto-create deals when you add a contact, or just log them as contacts.
Pro tip: Start simple. Auto-creating deals can make a mess if you’re adding lots of contacts who aren’t real opportunities yet.
2.3 Pick your default pipeline/stages
- If you want contacts or deals to enter a specific pipeline or stage (e.g., “New Lead” vs. “Contacted”), set it here.
- Otherwise, everything goes to HubSpot’s default, which may not match your process.
Step 3: Add leads from LinkedIn to HubSpot (for real)
Now you’re set up, here’s how it works in practice:
- Browse to a LinkedIn profile.
- The Surfe panel appears on the right (sometimes it’s slow—refresh if it doesn’t show up).
- Click “Add to HubSpot.”
- Surfe pulls in any info it can grab — name, role, company, email (if available), phone, etc.
- Double-check the data. Sometimes LinkedIn profiles are missing info or use weird formatting.
- Click "Save" to sync to HubSpot.
What works well: - No more copy-paste errors. - Fast, especially if you’re adding a bunch of people in a session. - You can add notes or tasks right from the Surfe sidebar.
What’s not so hot: - If a lead’s email isn’t public, you’re out of luck — Surfe won’t guess or scrape emails (which, honestly, is a good thing legally). - Sometimes Surfe’s overlay lags or disappears, especially if LinkedIn changes its layout. Reloading usually fixes it. - Bulk adding isn’t really “bulk” — you still need to click through profiles, though it’s much faster than manual entry.
Step 4: Work your leads from HubSpot (and keep things synced)
Once your leads are in HubSpot, everything else is “normal” CRM workflow. But a few things make the Surfe/HubSpot combo smoother:
- Email syncing: If you email a lead from HubSpot, that activity won’t show up in LinkedIn, and vice versa. You’re not getting true cross-platform tracking, just synced contact info.
- Notes and tasks: You can add these from Surfe, and they’ll appear in HubSpot. But attachments or complex formatting often get stripped out.
- Updates: If a contact changes jobs or updates their LinkedIn profile, Surfe can prompt you to sync the new details to HubSpot. It’s not 100% automatic — you have to approve changes.
Pro tip: Don’t rely on Surfe for deduplication magic. HubSpot’s own dedupe tools are decent, but if you’re importing from multiple sources, audit your CRM every so often.
What to ignore (for now)
- Advanced automation: Surfe talks about “workflows” and “automation,” but honestly, most users don’t need these right away. Focus on getting clean lead data in first.
- Integrations with other CRMs: Surfe supports Salesforce and Pipedrive, too, but if you’re a HubSpot shop, ignore the bells and whistles.
- Mobile: There’s no mobile version worth bothering with. Surfe is desktop-only.
Troubleshooting and honest annoyances
Even the best tools glitch. Here’s what to watch for:
- Extension not loading: Make sure Chrome is updated and other extensions aren’t blocking Surfe. Privacy blockers can mess with overlays.
- HubSpot sync errors: Double-check your permissions. Sometimes disconnecting and reconnecting HubSpot fixes things.
- Missing data: If LinkedIn profiles are bare, Surfe can’t invent info. You’ll still need to do some manual research for half-finished profiles.
- Company firewalls: Some IT departments block Chrome extensions. If you’re stuck, talk to your admin — or, if it’s your company, weigh the risk/benefit.
Summary: Keep it simple, iterate as you go
Surfe plus HubSpot is a real time-saver if you live in LinkedIn and your CRM is HubSpot. But don’t expect magic — it’s a solid bridge, not a silver bullet. Start with the basics: map your fields, sync a handful of leads, and see what breaks. Don’t overcomplicate things with automations or bulk imports until you trust the data flow. If it works for your workflow, great. If not, no shame in sticking to what’s simple.
Remember: the best process is the one you’ll actually use. Automate the boring stuff, keep an eye on your data quality, and don’t be afraid to adjust when things get messy.