Latest / Sidekick's What Just Shipped / HubSpot MCP server: plug any AI tool into your CRM | Shipped Apr 2026
Transcript
- Rob (AI host): Claude, ChatGPT, Notion, your own custom agent. Rob (AI host): What if every one of them could read and update your HubSpot CRM? Dana (AI host): That's the HubSpot MCP server. Generally available since April 13, 2026, for all HubSpot accounts. Rob (AI host): This is Sidekick's What Just Shipped. Let's go. Narrator (AI voice): This is Sidekick's What Just Shipped, presented by Sidekick Strategies. Narrator (AI voice): Your hosts, Rob and Dana, are AI. Narrator (AI voice): The voices are synthetic, the research is real, and humans check every claim before it reaches you. Dana (AI host): Welcome in! I'm Dana, and a reminder: Rob and I are AI hosts. Rob (AI host): And today's topic is basically a door for AI to walk into your CRM. Rob (AI host): So, we have feelings. Dana (AI host): Okay, plain English. What's an MCP server? Rob (AI host): MCP is Model Context Protocol. Rob (AI host): Our research calls HubSpot's version a secure bridge that lets MCP compatible AI tools talk directly to your HubSpot CRM. Rob (AI host): HubSpot hosts it, at mcp dot hubspot dot com. Dana (AI host): So it's not a chatbot. Rob (AI host): Not a chatbot, not a Breeze feature. A protocol layer. Dana (AI host): And the history? Rob (AI host): HubSpot's developer changelog says the first public beta went live September 1, 2025, across all hubs and tiers. Rob (AI host): Then on January 13, 2026, a self service beta for creating and managing connections. Dana (AI host): And April? Rob (AI host): April 13, 2026. Rob (AI host): HubSpot says it graduated from beta to general availability for all HubSpot accounts, adding write capabilities, activity history, marketing content, and organizational context. Dana (AI host): Write. So it can change records. Rob (AI host): It can. Rob (AI host): HubSpot's current docs list creating and editing contacts, companies, deals, tickets, leads, products, and custom object records. Rob (AI host): Plus calls, notes, and tasks at GA. Dana (AI host): Okay, and what's new since April? Rob (AI host): In September 2026, our research covered a bundle for the HubSpot connector for Claude, which runs on this server. Rob (AI host): Intent signals, AEO tools, saved reports, website pages, and setting up pipelines and custom properties. Dana (AI host): And the docs today? Rob (AI host): The current docs go further. Publish landing pages, website pages, and blog posts. Rob (AI host): Create and update campaigns. Draft marketing emails. Build static segments. Dana (AI host): That's a lot of doors. And this is the same thing developers use to build apps? Rob (AI host): No, and HubSpot is clear on that. Rob (AI host): It's separate from the developer MCP server, which is for building apps and CMS content locally. Dana (AI host): Got it. Two different servers. Rob (AI host): It is. Two tier notes. AEO features need Marketing Hub Professional or Enterprise. Rob (AI host): And on free tools, it can't create custom pipelines, only edit the default one. Dana (AI host): Wait, intent signals. Does that just work? Rob (AI host): Not automatically. Rob (AI host): Our September research says company tracking has to be active in HubSpot's buyer intent app, plus an optional signals read scope turned on when you connect. Dana (AI host): And can it read conversations? Rob (AI host): HubSpot's docs say yes. Rob (AI host): Messages and threads from live chat, team email, WhatsApp, SMS, and more, from help desk or the conversations inbox. Dana (AI host): Okay. Who's already plugged in? Rob (AI host): Our April research says Notion, Writer, Perplexity, and Glean had connected their products to HubSpot using this server. Dana (AI host): Quick break, then permissions, plus a couple of things that don't match. George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): Hey, it's George B. Thomas from Sidekick Strategies. George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): Full honesty, this is my AI voice clone, made with my permission. George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): The MCP server lets any AI tool write to your CRM, with your existing permissions. George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): So if your permissions are a mess, that mess now has an AI attached to it. George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): At Sidekick, we fix what's broken and build what's missing, and we train your humans to run it. George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): Want a second set of eyes on your permissions before you connect anything? George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): Book a free strategy call at Sidekick Strategies dot com. Dana (AI host): And we're back. How does it stay safe? Rob (AI host): HubSpot says all actions respect your existing user permissions. Rob (AI host): Users can only access or modify records they already have permission to view or edit. Dana (AI host): And how do you connect? Rob (AI host): OAuth 2.1 with PKCE is required for every connection. Our research adds a caution. Rob (AI host): Not every MCP client supports that yet, so check your tool first. Dana (AI host): Then what? Rob (AI host): Our April research said go to Development, then MCP Auth Apps. Rob (AI host): HubSpot's current docs say Development, then MCP Connectors, then Create MCP connector. Same idea, newer label. Dana (AI host): Okay, the sensitive data thing. Rob (AI host): If your account has sensitive data turned on, calls, emails, meetings, notes, and tasks are blocked through the MCP server. Rob (AI host): HubSpot says that's specific to the MCP server, not the standard CRM APIs. Dana (AI host): Huh. Good to know before you promise anyone call summaries. Rob (AI host): Right. And if you already connected, you may need to reconnect for new scopes. Rob (AI host): HubSpot says an app can show requires reauthorization. Dana (AI host): Okay. What doesn't match? Rob (AI host): Two things. First, revenue objects. Rob (AI host): The April changelog listed read access to carts, invoices, orders, quotes, and subscriptions at GA. Rob (AI host): HubSpot's current docs label those revenue objects as beta. Dana (AI host): So, GA or beta? Rob (AI host): We can't tell you. The two HubSpot pages disagree. Check in your own connection. Rob (AI host): HubSpot suggests calling the get user details tool at the start of a session to see what's available. Dana (AI host): And second? Rob (AI host): Bulk changes. Rob (AI host): Our September research says bulk creates or updates are capped at ten records at a time. Rob (AI host): We couldn't confirm that limit in HubSpot's current MCP docs. Dana (AI host): Fair. Does it at least ask before it changes things? Rob (AI host): Our September research says actions that make changes show a preview and ask for your approval before executing. Rob (AI host): That's described for the Claude connector, so check your own tool. Dana (AI host): And validation rules? Rob (AI host): HubSpot's docs say the MCP server respects conditional field logic, including custom pipeline stage validations. Dana (AI host): Good. Monday. Three things. Rob (AI host): One. Check whether sensitive data is on in your portal, because it blocks activity history. Dana (AI host): Two? Rob (AI host): Two. Confirm your AI tool supports OAuth with PKCE before anyone sets up a connector. Dana (AI host): And three? Rob (AI host): Three. If you connected before April, reconnect, then ask what tools are available. Dana (AI host): Check, confirm, reconnect. Got it. Dana (AI host): That's our show. Dana (AI host): The HubSpot MCP server went from a 2025 beta to general availability in April 2026, and keeps adding doors. Rob (AI host): Our full research is on the HubSpot Updates page at Sidekick Strategies dot com. Dana (AI host): Thanks for listening to Sidekick's What Just Shipped. Rob (AI host): See you next update. Narrator (AI voice): Sidekick's What Just Shipped is presented by Sidekick Strategies, with AI hosts Rob and Dana and AI-generated music. Narrator (AI voice): We're independent, and not affiliated with HubSpot. Find our research at Sidekick Strategies dot com.