How to sync Instantly.ai activity to HubSpot in real time?

[Jacquesdem]

After connecting HubSpot to Instantly, is it possible for activity from Instantly to update in real time within HubSpot?

Hi

Once you have connected HubSpot to instantly is there a way for activity on Instantly to be updated in real time to HubSpot? Right now it looks like the app only allows me to import HubSpot leads to Instantly?

Moderator Note: this post was reviewed for relevancy and optimized for clarity on October 23, 2025. Thank you for your contributions to the HubSpot Community!

[kennedyp · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jacquesdem! Welcome to the Community-- happy to have you here 😊

From the Instantly integration documentation "How to connect HubSpot to Instantly", I understand that you can only import leads between these apps.

That said, there may be some sort of custom API set up you can explore! 

Best,

Kennedy

[hkenosi · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jacquesdem, what @kennedyp wrote is exactly right.

Instantly’s native integration currently focuses on exporting leads from HubSpot into Instantly (via lists), mapping fields, and enrolling contacts into outbound campaigns.

If you’re looking to sync activity from Instantly (opens, clicks, replies, etc.) back into HubSpot in real time, that’s not supported natively, but there are a few options.

For context: I’ve spent the last couple of years working on this specific problem and built an Instantly HubSpot integration  called OutboundSync: "OutboundSync Instantly HubSpot Integration".

We’re a HubSpot App Partner listed in the HubSpot App Marketplace: "OutboundSync", and we’re actively updating our listing to reflect newer capabilities (especially since we started by supporting only Smartlead, an Instantly alternative).

OutboundSync uses webhooks + API to:

• Sync Instantly activity into HubSpot as timeline events

• Log outbound emails for visibility and automation

• Create 20+ custom contact properties (e.g. “Last reply date”)

• Associate Instantly activity to the company object

• Update block lists from HubSpot lists

• And it includes pre-built packages for Lists, Workflows, Dashboards, and Reports

It’s also possible to do some of this with low-code tools like Make, Zapier, or n8n, and that might be a good fit depending on your stack and team.

That said, some common challenges with the DIY route:

• Can be time-consuming to build and debug

• Webhooks are temporal (missed events = data loss)

• No long-term logging unless you build it

• You’ll need to create and maintain a private HubSpot app to use the data effectively

• Ongoing maintenance as APIs/webhooks evolve

Totally doable! But these are a few reasons why folks often choose OutboundSync instead.

Hope this helps, and happy to answer any follow-up questions if you’re weighing options.

[Sweely · Accepted solution]

• The short answer is:

You are correct that the native Instantly integration is limited to one-way lead import.

To sync activity like opens, clicks, and replies back to HubSpot in real-time, you need a custom solution that utilizes the HubSpot API and Instantly's API v2.

- While third-party apps and low-code tools like Make or Zapier can work,
- a custom server-side setup using your own environment (like Google Cloud Platform or a specialized service like Stape) is often a better and cheaper long-term solution because it gives you complete control over data transformation, reduces reliance on expensive, transaction-based middleware, and ensures true real-time synchronization via webhooks without data loss ✅

• The long answer is:

The challenge you're facing is common when dealing with specialized sales tools and CRMs.

The native integrations prioritize getting leads into the outreach tool, not getting activity data out and back into the CRM.

While third-party solutions like OutboundSync mentioned in the thread provide a great pre-built service, they involve a recurring cost.

If you have the internal resources for development, a custom integration using the APIs is a more cost-effective and powerful solution.

This involves leveraging Instantly's API v2, which exposes endpoints and webhooks for all outbound activity, including 'Email Sent,' 'Email Opened,' 'Link Clicked,' and 'Reply.'

You would then set up a secure listener on a server-side environment, such as a custom script running on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or a similar service like Stape.

This script serves as the glue: when Instantly fires a webhook for a new 'Reply,' your server instantly catches that event.

The script then uses the HubSpot API to locate the matching contact (using their email address or a unique ID you passed to Instantly) and creates a corresponding Timeline Event or updates a custom contact property like 'Last Instantly Reply Date.'

The key benefit is cost: after the initial development, your operational cost for running the synchronization script on a platform like GCP is often minimal compared to the recurring, volume-based fees of most third-party integration apps or low-code middleware.

Furthermore, using a server-side setup managed via Google Tag Manager (which is mainly for web-based event routing but can conceptualize the centralized data layer) gives you total control over data transformation, ensuring that the Instantly data is perfectly mapped to your HubSpot workflows and reports, resulting in a true real-time, bi-directional sync that the native connection lacks.

This custom API approach is the superior and cheaper long-term method for ensuring all your Instantly activity is accurately reflected in HubSpot's CRM capabilities.

This comment was generated with the assistance of an AI tool, incorporating my expertise in integrations 🙂

[hkenosi · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jacquesdem, what @kennedyp wrote is exactly right.

Instantly’s native integration currently focuses on exporting leads from HubSpot into Instantly (via lists), mapping fields, and enrolling contacts into outbound campaigns.

If you’re looking to sync activity from Instantly (opens, clicks, replies, etc.) back into HubSpot in real time, that’s not supported natively, but there are a few options.

For context: I’ve spent the last couple of years working on this specific problem and built an Instantly HubSpot integration  called OutboundSync: "OutboundSync Instantly HubSpot Integration".

We’re a HubSpot App Partner listed in the HubSpot App Marketplace: "OutboundSync", and we’re actively updating our listing to reflect newer capabilities (especially since we started by supporting only Smartlead, an Instantly alternative).

OutboundSync uses webhooks + API to:

• Sync Instantly activity into HubSpot as timeline events

• Log outbound emails for visibility and automation

• Create 20+ custom contact properties (e.g. “Last reply date”)

• Associate Instantly activity to the company object

• Update block lists from HubSpot lists

• And it includes pre-built packages for Lists, Workflows, Dashboards, and Reports

It’s also possible to do some of this with low-code tools like Make, Zapier, or n8n, and that might be a good fit depending on your stack and team.

That said, some common challenges with the DIY route:

• Can be time-consuming to build and debug

• Webhooks are temporal (missed events = data loss)

• No long-term logging unless you build it

• You’ll need to create and maintain a private HubSpot app to use the data effectively

• Ongoing maintenance as APIs/webhooks evolve

Totally doable! But these are a few reasons why folks often choose OutboundSync instead.

Hope this helps, and happy to answer any follow-up questions if you’re weighing options.

[kennedyp · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jacquesdem! Welcome to the Community-- happy to have you here 😊

From the Instantly integration documentation "How to connect HubSpot to Instantly", I understand that you can only import leads between these apps.

That said, there may be some sort of custom API set up you can explore! 

Best,

Kennedy