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Setting Up Slack for HubSpot

Connect a Slack workspace to a HubSpot workspace, pick the HubSpot inbox that should surface Slack conversations, and activate the channel.

Written by Tarek Khalil

Before you start

You need:

  • A HubSpot workspace already connected to Octopods.

  • A Slack workspace where you have permission to install apps. Slack workspaces with admin approval requirements will require an admin to approve the installation.

  • The Slack channels you want to use in the integration.

  • Admin access to the HubSpot portal with permission to grant additional HubSpot permissions.

  • At least one inbox already configured inside HubSpot.

Step 1: Open the Slack setup

  1. Sign in to Octopods and open the HubSpot workspace.

  2. Click the option to add a new channel.

  3. In the Add a Channel modal, select Slack under Popular Channels.

Step 2: Re-authorize HubSpot (if prompted)

If this is the first channel on the workspace needing HubSpot’s Custom Channels permissions:

  1. Click the re-authorize button.

  2. Sign in to HubSpot and approve the added permissions — the ones that let Octopods create and manage custom channels in your HubSpot inbox.

  3. HubSpot redirects back to Octopods.

Step 3: Sign in with Slack

  1. Click the Slack sign-in button. A Slack window opens asking you to install the Octopods app into your Slack workspace.

  2. Pick the Slack workspace.

  3. Review the permissions Octopods needs (read messages from selected channels, post messages on behalf of users, view basic profile information).

  4. Click Allow.

If your Slack workspace enforces admin approval for app installs, a Slack admin will need to approve the install before you can proceed.

Step 4: Pick Slack channels

  1. Back in Octopods, pick the Slack channels you want to route into HubSpot.

  2. Invite the Octopods bot user to each of those Slack channels by typing /invite @Octopods inside Slack. Without the invite, the bot can’t see messages posted in the channel.

Step 5: Pick a HubSpot inbox and activate

  1. Octopods shows the channel detail page with a Select HubSpot Inbox dropdown and an Activate button that is disabled until you pick an inbox.

  2. Pick the HubSpot inbox that should receive Slack messages.

  3. Click Activate.

  4. Octopods registers the channel as a custom channel inside HubSpot.

  5. The channel status changes to Connected, and Slack messages from the selected Slack channels start flowing into the HubSpot inbox.

Step 6: Confirm it’s working

  1. From a member of the connected Slack channel, post a message.

  2. Open the HubSpot inbox you selected. A new conversation appears with the message.

  3. Reply from HubSpot.

  4. The reply posts back into the original Slack channel as a threaded reply from the Octopods bot.

What’s different from Intercom

Compared to Setting Up Slack Integration on an Intercom workspace, the HubSpot setup:

  • Adds the HubSpot re-authorization step for Custom Channels permissions.

  • Replaces the Intercom-specific Backreply / Community Support mode choice. The HubSpot integration surfaces Slack messages into your HubSpot inbox in a single, simplified flow — you pick the Slack channels you want to mirror and the HubSpot inbox they route to.

  • Requires an inbox selection and Activate step after Slack authorization.

Managing the channel

  • Add or remove Slack channels — open the channel detail page and edit the list of Slack channels. Newly added channels still require the /invite @Octopods step inside Slack.

  • Change the HubSpot inbox — pick a different inbox from the dropdown on the channel detail page. New messages route to the new inbox.

  • Reauthorize Slack — if a teammate leaves and the install is tied to their account, reconnect through the channel detail page using another admin account.

Common issues

  • “Octopods bot can’t see messages” — invite the bot to the Slack channel with /invite @Octopods.

  • Inbox dropdown is empty — create an inbox in HubSpot first.

  • “HubSpot re-authorization required” — HubSpot hasn’t granted the Custom Channels permissions. Follow the prompt.

  • Admin approval pending — your Slack workspace is enforcing app approval. Ask a Slack admin to approve the Octopods install.

  • “Token revoked” — the installing Slack user lost workspace access. Re-authorize through the channel detail page with another admin.

What’s next

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