Connecting Your Business Email to HubSpot

1. Why Connect Your Email to HubSpot?

1. Automatic Email Logging: Every email to or from a contact in HubSpot can be automatically logged in that contact’s record—no manual copy/paste.
2. Email Tracking: See if recipients open your message or click links (depending on your HubSpot tier).
3. Unified Communication: If multiple people on your team (or you with a VA) share a CRM, everyone can see the conversation history.
4. Streamlined Workflows: Trigger tasks or workflows when you email certain contacts (especially if you’re on Professional or higher).

2. Setting Up Email Integration in HubSpot

2.1 Access the Email Settings

1. Log into HubSpot
2. Go to the Settings (gear icon) in the top-right.
3. In the left sidebar, navigate to General (or Integrations → Email), depending on your HubSpot UI version.
4. Look for a section called Email Integrations or Email.

3. Connecting Google Workspace (Gmail)

Prerequisites: You must have a Google Workspace or regular Gmail account you use for business. If you have multiple Gmail accounts, ensure you choose the one that corresponds to your business email address.

1. Click “Connect personal email” (or similar button in HubSpot).
2. Select “Gmail” when prompted for your email provider.
3. Authorize with Google
   • A Google OAuth window appears. Sign into the correct Google account.
   • Grant HubSpot the requested permissions (read/send emails, basic profile, etc.).
4. Confirm Settings
   • Optionally, choose whether to log or track emails by default, or specify certain email addresses/domains you want to exclude from logging.
5. Test
   • Send a test email from your Gmail to verify if it appears in HubSpot’s contact timeline when you email or receive messages from known contacts.

Important: For advanced features like conversation forwarding or team-based inbox, you might need to connect a shared inbox in Conversations → Inbox.

4. Connecting Microsoft 365 (Outlook)

Prerequisites: You must have a Microsoft 365 subscription or Outlook.com address. If you use the Outlook desktop client for Windows or Mac, the steps are similar, but typically the easiest route is connecting via Microsoft 365 credentials.

1. Click “Connect personal email” in HubSpot’s Email Integration settings.
2. Select “Office 365” or “Outlook”
   • If you see separate options, pick “Office 365” for a cloud-based account or “Exchange/Outlook” for on-premises setups.
3. Authorize
   • A Microsoft sign-in screen will appear. Enter your email and password.
   • Accept the permission requests to allow HubSpot to read/send messages on your behalf.
4. Configure Logging & Tracking
   • Decide whether you want to automatically log all incoming/outgoing emails, or only specific ones.
   • Optionally exclude domains (like your personal domain) from logging.
5. Optional: Desktop Add-In
   • If you use Outlook for Desktop, you can install the HubSpot Sales add-in for advanced features like email tracking or scheduling.

Note: Microsoft licensing can vary. If you have a basic plan that doesn’t allow third-party app connections, you may need a different or upgraded plan.

5. Connecting Apple iCloud (Apple Mail)

Prerequisites: You have an iCloud account used for business email (e.g., [email protected]). Apple Mail can also handle custom domains if you configured iCloud+ custom domain email.

1. Use IMAP in HubSpot
   • HubSpot doesn’t have a direct “iCloud” button, so you typically connect via IMAP and SMTP settings.
2. Find iCloud’s IMAP & SMTP Credentials
   • Typically:
     • IMAP Server: imap.mail.me.com, Port 993 (SSL)
     • SMTP Server: smtp.mail.me.com, Port 587 (TLS)
   • Use your iCloud email and Apple-generated app-specific password (not your usual Apple ID password).
3. In HubSpot
   • Go to Settings → Email Integrations → Connect personal email → Other (IMAP).
   • Enter the IMAP/SMTP info, then test connection.
4. Logging & Tracking
   • IMAP connections allow you to log emails, but certain advanced tracking features (open/click) might be limited compared to Gmail/Office direct integrations.
5. Check Apple Security
   • Ensure you create an App-Specific Password under your Apple ID > Security > App-Specific Passwords for HubSpot to connect.

6. Connecting Other Email Providers (IMAP/SMTP)

If you use a custom provider or a lesser-known email service, you can still connect via IMAP:

1. Obtain IMAP & SMTP Details
   • Contact your email host for server names, ports, and SSL/TLS requirements.
2. Use the “Other (IMAP)” Option
   • Under HubSpot’s email connection settings, choose “Other.”
3. Enter Credentials
   • Email address, password, server settings, port numbers.
   • If your email service requires app-specific passwords or two-factor authentication, ensure you have that set up.
4. Test & Confirm
   • HubSpot tries to send a test message or log to confirm everything is working.
5. Limitations
   • As with iCloud, advanced open/click tracking might not be as seamless. You can still log emails in the CRM.

7. Verifying and Using Your Connected Email

1. Sending Emails from HubSpot: In a Contact record, click “Email.” You’ll see your connected address in the “From” dropdown if set up properly.
2. Logging via BCC: As a fallback, you can use your HubSpot BCC address in any external email client to log messages. This works even if you can’t connect your email directly.
3. Check Email Logging: Send a test email to a contact. Then open that contact’s timeline in HubSpot. You should see the email logged.
4. Set Preferences: If you only want to log emails when you add the HubSpot BCC address, turn off automatic logging. If you want all emails to be logged, keep it on.

8. Best Practices

1. Use the Official Integrations First: Gmail and Outlook integrations are more seamless, offering robust tracking features like open/click notifications.
2. Be Mindful of Privacy: If you have automatic logging on, personal messages could get logged. Configure domain exclusions or manually log.
3. Check HubSpot Email Limits: Free and Starter plans have monthly marketing email send limits, but personal 1-to-1 emails typically aren’t impacted.
4. Keep Credentials Updated: If you change your email password or update security settings, reauthorize in HubSpot.
5. Use the Chrome Extension (Gmail) or Outlook Add-In: For advanced features like real-time open notifications, sequences (Sales Starter+), or scheduling.