If you’re looking to build a real-time HubSpot Data Cloud integration, you’ve probably realized that waiting for a standard connector to sync once a day just doesn’t cut it for a fast-moving sales team. I’ve seen plenty of marketing teams capture hot leads in HubSpot, only for those leads to sit in limbo because the sync schedule is too slow.
But here’s the thing: you don’t have to wait. By using Zapier and the Salesforce Ingestion API, you can push those contacts into Data Cloud the second they’re created. It’s a bit more technical than a standard “plug and play” connector, but the speed you get in return is worth the extra effort. Let’s break down how to get this running without losing your mind over API headers.
Why a HubSpot Data Cloud integration beats nightly syncs
Most teams rely on the out-of-the-box connectors. They’re fine for some stuff, but they often have lag. If your sales reps need to act on a lead while the customer is still thinking about your product, you need near real-time data flow. This approach gives you that edge.
Setting up a custom HubSpot Data Cloud integration also gives you way more control over your schema. You aren’t stuck with whatever fields the standard connector decides to bring over. You define the YAML, you define the mapping, and you control exactly when the data hits your Data Lake Objects.
Setting up the HubSpot Data Cloud integration foundation
Before we even touch Zapier, we have to prep the Salesforce side. This is where most people get stuck because the UI for Data Cloud isn’t exactly intuitive if you’re coming from a standard Sales Cloud background.
1. Create the Ingestion API Connector
In Setup, head over to Data Cloud, then External Integrations, and find Ingestion API. Create a new one – call it something obvious like “Zapier_HubSpot_Lead_Ingest”. Once you save it, it’ll tell you that a schema is required. That’s our next step.
2. The Schema Upload
You’ll need a YAML file that tells Salesforce what the incoming data looks like. Don’t overthink this. Keep your field names simple. Here is a basic example of what that Lead_Data schema might look like:
# Example Schema
leadId: text
firstName: text
lastName: text
email: text
phone: text
company: text
createdDate: datetime
Upload that YAML in the connector’s Schema section. Once that’s done, the status will change to “Need Data Stream”.
3. Deploy the Data Stream
Go to the Data Stream tab and hit New. Choose the Ingestion API as your source and pick the Lead_Data object you just defined. You’ll need to set a primary key (usually the HubSpot Email or ID) and an event time. Hit deploy, and you’ve officially built the bucket where your data will land.
The Connected App and Security
Now we need a way for Zapier to actually talk to Salesforce. This means building a Connected App. If you’ve ever done a Salesforce API integration before, this part will feel familiar, but the scopes are specific here.
When you create the app, make sure you include these three scopes:
- Manage user data via APIs (api)
- Perform requests at any time (refresh_token, offline_access)
- Manage Data Cloud Ingestion API data (cdp_ingest_api)
Save your Consumer Key and Consumer Secret. You’re going to need them in about five minutes.
One thing that trips people up is the double-token dance. You can’t just use a standard Salesforce access token to push data; you have to exchange it for a specific Data Cloud token. If you skip this, you’ll just get 401 errors all day.
Building the Zapier Flow
Now we get to the HubSpot Data Cloud integration logic in Zapier. We’re going to use webhooks because they give us the flexibility to handle the token exchange I mentioned earlier.
The Trigger
Set your trigger to “New Contact” in HubSpot. This is the easy part. Just make sure you pull in a sample contact that has all the fields filled out so you can map them later.
Step 1: Get the Salesforce Access Token
Use a “Webhooks by Zapier” action (Custom Request). Set the method to POST and use the standard Salesforce OAuth URL. You’ll send your client_id, client_secret, username, and password as form data. This gets you your initial access token and your instance URL.
Step 2: Exchange for a Data Cloud Token
This is the “secret sauce”. Create another Webhook POST request. This time, you’re hitting your instance URL plus /services/a360/token. You’re basically saying, “Hey Salesforce, I have this regular token, now give me a Data Cloud token.”
Step 3: Push the Data
Finally, you’ll make one last POST to the ingestion endpoint. It looks something like this: https://YOUR_INSTANCE/api/v1/ingest/sources/Zapier_Connector/lead_data. The body needs to be JSON, and it has to match the schema you uploaded earlier.
{
"data": [
{
"leadId": "12345",
"firstName": "John",
"lastName": "Doe",
"email": "[email protected]",
"company": "Acme Corp"
}
]
}
Testing and Verification
Once you turn the Zap on, go into HubSpot and create a dummy contact. Then, jump back into Salesforce and open the Data Cloud Query Builder. If everything worked, you should see your dummy contact sitting in the Data Lake Object within a minute or two.
If it isn’t there, check the Zapier task history. Most of the time, the error is just a typo in the JSON body or a missing field that was marked as required in your YAML schema. If you’re looking for more advanced ways to use this data, you might want to check out this Data Cloud tutorial on grounding AI agents.
Key Takeaways
- Real-time ingestion beats the standard connector’s lag every time.
- The YAML schema must match your Zapier JSON payload exactly.
- Don’t forget the
cdp_ingest_apiscope in your Connected App. - Always exchange your Salesforce token for a Data Cloud token before the final POST.
Setting this up takes a little more legwork than a standard sync, but once it’s running, it’s rock solid. You’re giving your team the data they need exactly when they need it, and honestly, that’s what being a good consultant is all about. Use this pattern whenever you need to move data from a third-party tool into Data Cloud without waiting for the next scheduled sync.