Hi everyone,
We currently track Google Local Services Ads (LSA) message leads in CallRail and use a Zapier integration to push incoming lead data and tasks directly into HubSpot for record-keeping.
Our main operational issue is that our team operates entirely within HubSpot and needs to communicate with leads from there. However, because Google LSA message leads rely on a specific relay system tied to the CallRail tracking number, texting the contact phone number directly from HubSpot breaks the relay connection. CallRail support confirmed that replies currently must be sent via CallRail’s Messaging inbox or the Google LSA tool to successfully reach the customer.
Having our team switch between tools is a no go for our workflow, or else we would disrupt our commercial team lead distribution and SLA management.
Has anyone in the community found a workaround, custom integration (e.g., using CallRail API, webhooks, Zapier, or a specific SMS integration), or alternative setup to allow front-line reps to reply to LSA message leads directly from HubSpot without breaking the relay?
Any advice or setup tips from peers who have tackled this would be greatly appreciated!
Native HubSpot SMS to the contact phone will never preserve the LSA relay. The reply has to leave through CallRail (or Google LSA), even if the rep’s UI stays HubSpot-shaped.
Patterns that usually work:
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Keep HubSpot as the system of record only. Create/update Contact + Task/Note from Zapier as you already do, but do not use HubSpot’s SMS/sequence send on that phone number for LSA threads.
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Add an outbound path that calls CallRail’s messaging API (or CallRail Zapier “Send message” style action) when a rep completes a HubSpot task or updates a property like LSA reply draft. The send must use the CallRail tracking number that owns the relay, not the raw mobile.
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Mirror the sent text back onto the HubSpot timeline (note or logged engagement) so SLA/reporting still live in HubSpot even though the wire went via CallRail.
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If API access is painful, a thin shared view is still better than breaking relay: HubSpot task link + CallRail Messaging inbox filtered to LSA. Painful, but commercially safer than silent undelivered texts.
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Confirm with CallRail which object id they need on send (conversation id / tracking number / lead id). Zapier mapping often fails because it only has the customer phone and not the relay id.
Quick test: one sandbox LSA lead, reply only via the CallRail-backed path, confirm the customer receives it inside the Google thread, then confirm HubSpot shows the mirrored note. If that works, roll the same action to the commercial queue.
If you can share whether reps need true two-way SMS inside HubSpot UI, or just “click task → reply goes out correctly,” the build size changes a lot.
Hi,
I was considering connecting our sales team’s email inbox to HubSpot to manage Google Local Services Ads (LSA) leads.
Since Google creates an email thread for every message lead (e.g., [token]@googlelocalserviceads.com), replying to that email allows Google to capture the message and forward it to the lead via SMS. Connecting the inbox to HubSpot would allow it to automatically create a contact and log an interaction for every new email.
Do you think this approach would work, or should we pursue a custom LSA API integration instead?
Best regards,
Yeah, the email route can work, and it’s usually less work than a custom LSA API. One non‑negotiable though: HubSpot has to reply on the Google LSA email thread (the googlelocalserviceads.com address). Don’t SMS the contact’s phone from HubSpot, and don’t start a fresh email to their personal inbox. That breaks the relay.
How I’d do it:
Connect the inbox that gets those LSA emails to HubSpot Conversations as a real shared inbox, not just BCC for logging.
When the contact lands, mark it as an LSA message lead and save that relay email on the record. Dedupe against whatever CallRail + Zapier already created, same phone + same relay email, or you’ll get doubles.
First reply should always be Conversations → Reply on that thread. Kill HubSpot SMS and any sequence that texts that number for this segment. Native SMS still breaks it even if email works fine.
Run one live test before you trust it: LSA message comes in → email shows in HubSpot → you reply from Conversations → customer sees it in the Google LSA thread → both sides show on the timeline. Only then hand it to the commercial team.
Skip email and go CallRail (or LSA) messaging if CallRail still owns SMS for your account, if Google’s email threading is incomplete, or if reps need proper two‑way SMS with SLA timers inside HubSpot. In that case keep HubSpot as the system of record, fire CallRail’s send‑message from a task or property update, and log the sent text back as a note.
I’d try Conversations + LSA email first. Custom LSA API only if that live test fails.
Thanks a lot for the clarification