How to integrate Hubspot with Zendesk

Let’s talk about connecting your CRM and your customer support platform. Honestly, it makes a huge difference for your business. Think about it: your sales and marketing folks live in HubSpot, tracking leads, running campaigns, and figuring out who your most valuable customers are. Meanwhile, your support team is busy in Zendesk, handling questions and solving problems every single day. If these two systems aren’t talking to each other, you’re basically flying blind in some areas. Your sales team might not realize a really important customer just had a frustrating support issue, and your support team might not know they’re talking to a hot lead who’s about to sign a big contract.

Connecting HubSpot and Zendesk pulls all that important customer information together. It gives everyone on your team a single, clear picture of the customer’s journey, starting from that very first marketing email all the way through to getting help after they buy something. This kind of setup means support agents have better context about who they’re talking to, teams can hand things off smoothly, and the customer ends up having a much better experience overall. Plus, it sets things up nicely for using smart automation, letting AI tools use this combined data for more intelligent conversations.

Tools like eesel AI can then tap into this rich, connected data. This helps power AI support agents and assistants, automating answers and workflows with a full understanding of the customer’s history. If you want to learn more about how eesel AI works with Zendesk, check out our Zendesk integration page.

What you’ll need

Before you jump into connecting HubSpot and Zendesk, you’ll want to make sure you have a few things lined up. First off, you’ll need active accounts for both HubSpot and Zendesk. And this is key: you’ll definitely need admin access in both platforms to get everything set up properly. Depending on how you decide to integrate them, you might also need a subscription to a third-party integration platform, something like Zapier. Also, just a heads-up, for some specific HubSpot features, like mapping custom fields in the Data Sync, you’ll need at least a HubSpot Operations Hub Starter plan.

Understanding the different integration methods

It’s good to know right away that there isn’t just one single way to connect HubSpot and Zendesk. The best method for you really depends on what data you need to share, which way it needs to flow (one-way or two-way), and what kind of automated tasks you’re hoping to set up.

Generally speaking, you’ve got three main ways you can go about integrating these two popular platforms:

• There’s the native Zendesk Support for HubSpot integration. This one’s pretty simple and mainly sends ticket info one way, showing up on your HubSpot contact timeline.
• Then there’s the HubSpot Data Sync integration. This offers a more robust sync that goes both ways for contacts and companies, plus it sends ticket info one way from HubSpot over to Zendesk.
• Finally, you can use third-party tools, often called iPaaS solutions, like Zapier. These give you the most flexibility to build custom workflows with specific conditions between the two platforms.

Let’s take a closer look at each method so you can figure out which one makes the most sense for what you need.

Step 1: Setting up the native Zendesk support for Hubspot integration

Let’s start with the integration built by Zendesk. It’s a straightforward way to get some basic support data into your CRM.

What this integration does

This integration is built by Zendesk, and its main purpose is pretty simple: it pushes information about your Zendesk tickets into your HubSpot CRM. Specifically, it makes sure that events related to your Zendesk tickets show up on the timeline of the matching contact record in HubSpot. Think of it as a simple, one-way street – data goes from Zendesk to HubSpot, and that’s it.

What data syncs to Hubspot

When you get this integration running, you’ll start seeing different bits of Zendesk ticket information pop up as events on a customer’s timeline inside HubSpot. This includes things like the ticket’s subject line and its current status, the whole conversation history from the ticket, a direct link so you can jump back to the ticket in Zendesk, the CSAT rating if the ticket was resolved and the customer rated it, which group and agent handled the ticket, and any tags that were put on it. You can dig into more details about this on the Zendesk help center.

Quick setup guide

Getting this native integration up and running is usually pretty fast. Here are the basic steps to follow:

1. Head over to the specific setup page for this integration: .
2. Type in your unique Zendesk subdomain (that’s the part before .zendesk.com, like if your URL is yourcompany.zendesk.com, you just enter yourcompany).
3. Give the Zendesk app permission to connect.
4. Allow the HubSpot app to get access to your Zendesk data.
5. Then, authorize Zendesk to use your data within HubSpot.
6. Once everything’s connected, hop into your HubSpot account, click on any contact, go to the Activities tab, hit “Filter activity,” and make sure the “Integrations > Zendesk” box is checked so you can actually see the ticket events.

Key considerations

While this integration is super easy to set up, it’s important to know what it doesn’t do so you’re not surprised. It’s strictly one-way, remember? Data only flows from Zendesk into HubSpot. You can’t send anything from HubSpot back to Zendesk using this method. Also, the ticket data just shows up as timeline events on the contact record; you won’t see full ticket records created inside HubSpot itself that you can edit. It also doesn’t directly handle conversations from Zendesk Chat. And according to the Zendesk help center, you can only link one Zendesk account to one HubSpot account with this native option.

This native integration gives you a basic look at support interactions right there in your CRM. But to really do something smart with that combined data, you often need more intelligence. This is where AI tools can help. They can look at this timeline data to find deeper insights or automatically kick off actions based on the customer’s whole history.

Step 2: Setting up the Hubspot data sync integration

Now, let’s look at the integration built by HubSpot. This one is part of their Data Sync tool and is focused on keeping your core customer records in sync.

What this integration does

This integration comes from HubSpot and is part of their Data Sync feature. Its main goal is to keep your core CRM records, like people and companies, synchronized between HubSpot and Zendesk. It lets you set up a two-way sync for Contacts in HubSpot and Users in Zendesk. It also handles Companies in HubSpot and Organizations in Zendesk with a two-way sync. This means if you update a contact’s phone number in HubSpot, it can automatically update that user’s phone number in Zendesk, and vice-versa. It also offers a one-way sync for ticket records, but this goes specifically from HubSpot to Zendesk.

Data synced

Here’s a quick overview of what gets synced and which way the data goes with the HubSpot Data Sync integration. This is based on information from the HubSpot App Marketplace:

Zendesk Object	HubSpot Object	Sync Direction
Users	Contacts	Two-way
Organizations	Companies	Two-way
Tickets	Tickets	One-way (HS to ZD)

It comes with default field mappings already set up, which is great for getting started quickly. But if you need to map any custom fields between the two platforms, you’ll need a HubSpot Operations Hub Starter plan or higher. This is something the Mole Street blog points out.

Quick setup guide

Setting up the HubSpot Data Sync integration is done right within your HubSpot account. Here’s how you generally do it:

1. Log in to your HubSpot account.
2. Click the Marketplace icon in the main navigation bar (it looks like a little shop), then choose App Marketplace.
3. Search for “Zendesk” and pick the app you want to connect.
4. Up in the top right corner, click the “Install app” button.
5. You’ll be asked to log in to your Zendesk account, so go ahead and do that.
6. Look over the permissions it’s asking for, then click “Allow.” After that, you’ll set up your sync preferences, choosing which types of records to sync, which way the data should flow, and setting up your field mappings.

Key considerations

This integration gives you much more robust syncing for contacts and companies compared to the native Zendesk option, which is awesome. But, it also has its own things to keep in mind. Like we mentioned, if you want to customize which fields sync up, you’ll need HubSpot’s Operations Hub. The ticket sync only goes one way (from HubSpot to Zendesk), and some user reviews on the HubSpot App Marketplace suggest that this sync might only transfer field data, not the whole conversation content of the ticket. That could be a limitation depending on what you need. There’s also a chance you could end up with duplicate data if you don’t set up your sync rules carefully. Oh, and archived tickets might not sync at all.

Getting contacts and companies synced up like this is really helpful for making sure your sales and support teams are working with the most current customer information. AI can seriously benefit from this richer contact data available within support tickets. It helps the AI provide more personalized help and make smarter decisions.

Step 3: Exploring third-party integration options (like Zapier)

Okay, so sometimes the built-in integrations just don’t quite do everything you need. Maybe you want data to sync only when certain things happen, or you need to connect types of records that aren’t supported out-of-the-box. Or maybe you want to automate complex tasks that involve several steps across both platforms. When you hit those kinds of needs, that’s where third-party iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) tools, like Zapier, really shine. They offer way more flexibility to build custom syncs based on conditions and automate more complicated processes, which the Mole Street blog also points out.

How it works

Platforms like Zapier work using a pretty simple idea: triggers and actions. You set up a “Trigger” event in one app (like someone filling out a form in HubSpot or a ticket status changing in Zendesk). When that happens, it automatically kicks off an “Action” in the other app (like creating a ticket in Zendesk or updating a contact in HubSpot). You can even link multiple actions together to build automated workflows, which Zapier calls “Zaps.” These platforms usually have tons of pre-built connections and templates, so you can get started without needing to write any code.

Common workflows

Using third-party tools opens up a bunch of really useful automated tasks that you can’t do with just the native integrations. Here are some popular examples you might set up, based on what you can do with Zapier’s HubSpot-Zendesk integration and the Mole Street blog:

• Automatically create a Zendesk ticket whenever someone submits a new form in HubSpot.
• Update contact records in HubSpot when new tickets are created in Zendesk.
• Add new users from Zendesk as contacts in HubSpot.
• Keep Zendesk tickets updated automatically when specific details change on a related record in HubSpot.
• Log new Zendesk tickets as deals in HubSpot. This helps you track support interactions that might be related to potential sales opportunities.

You can check out a full list of all the possible triggers and actions you can use on the Zapier HubSpot + Zendesk page.

Considerations

The trade-off for all this flexibility is usually an extra cost. iPaaS platforms typically require a paid subscription, and the price often depends on how complex and how many automated tasks you’re running. Also, what you can actually do is limited by the specific triggers and actions that the iPaaS platform supports for both HubSpot and Zendesk. And setting up those more complex workflows might take a bit more time and technical understanding compared to just installing a simple native integration.

While iPaaS tools are fantastic at automating tasks between your apps, eesel AI adds intelligence to those tasks. It can use the combined data from your integrated platforms to give smarter answers, automatically resolve tickets, or help agents directly within the helpdesk interface. For support-specific automation, eesel AI can often do things (like looking up data or triggering workflows) right inside your helpdesk using its own integrations. This can sometimes simplify complex setups you might otherwise need an iPaaS for. Take a look at how eesel AI connects to your tools at eesel.ai.

Tips to follow and common mistakes to avoid

Alright, let’s wrap up with some practical advice, things to watch out for, and answers to common questions.

Choosing the right method

Figuring out which integration method is best really comes down to what you’re trying to achieve. If you just need to see your Zendesk tickets show up on the timeline of your contacts in HubSpot, the native Zendesk integration is probably the easiest way to go. If keeping your contact and company information synced up both ways is your main goal, the HubSpot Data Sync is likely your answer. And if you need custom workflows, want things to sync based on specific conditions, or need to automate actions across both platforms, a third-party iPaaS tool gives you the most power. So, ask yourself: what’s the most important thing you want this integration to do? Is it aligning sales and support, getting ticket details into the CRM, or automating specific cross-platform tasks?

Common pitfalls to avoid

Setting up integrations can sometimes lead to headaches if you’re not careful. One common mistake is not clearly deciding which system is the “source of truth” for different pieces of information, like contact details. Make sure you know where the most accurate data lives. Don’t ignore the limitations of each integration; understand what they can’t do before you rely on them for important tasks. Always, always test your setup thoroughly, especially if you’re using an iPaaS, using some sample data before you turn it on for your live customer interactions. And finally, pay attention to the quality of your data in both systems before you sync; if you put bad data in, you’ll get bad data out!

How integration empowers AI support agents

Connecting HubSpot and Zendesk isn’t just about making things smoother for your team. It also gives AI support agents a much better view of your customers.

Instead of working with just a support ticket and a few help center articles, AI tools can tap into rich CRM data from HubSpot. That means they can see more than just the issue in front of them. They can understand who the customer is, what they’ve bought, what emails they’ve opened, how long they’ve been with you, and whether they’re part of an active deal or not.

With this full picture, AI can step up and do a lot more. It can help prioritize tickets based on customer value, give smarter and more personalized replies, and even trigger actions based on a mix of support and sales data. For example, if a support request comes in from someone who’s about to close a deal, the AI can flag it right away and alert their sales rep so nothing slips through the cracks.

This kind of smart automation is what eesel AI is built for. It connects with Zendesk and learns from your help desk, but it can also use additional context from tools like HubSpot if those systems are connected. That way, eesel AI Agents and Assistants can respond with more clarity, help your team work faster, and make sure customers get the right support every time. Want to see it in action? Check out our Zendesk integration page.

Maximize your integrated data with eesel AI

Connecting your platforms is great, but actually making that connected data work hard for you? That’s where things get really exciting. While integration links your systems, eesel AI makes your support truly intelligent by using all that unified data.

eesel AI offers smarter automation, responses that understand the context, and flexible ways to learn from all your different knowledge sources, including the data you’ve connected between HubSpot and Zendesk. Plus, with our straightforward pay-per-interaction pricing, you get powerful AI without the unexpected costs or per-agent fees you might find elsewhere. eesel AI works smoothly with Zendesk and the other tools you’re already using. It’s designed to help you automate support tasks, assist your agents, and make the customer experience even better.

Ready to see how AI can really change your support using your integrated data? Experience the power of AI-driven automation for yourself. You can start a free trial today – no credit card needed! Or, if you’d like a personalized look at how eesel AI can fit into your specific workflows, feel free to book a demo. Your perfect AI partner is waiting!