Aloware's SMS Inbox integration brings SMS and MMS messaging into HubSpot’s Conversations Inbox. By using your Aloware lines, teams can send and receive messages directly in HubSpot, alongside existing email and chat threads.
This integration keeps your communications centralized and fully logged within the CRM. It enables real-time responses, allows file attachments, and helps teams manage customer conversations without switching platforms.
What problems does this solve?
Customer-facing teams often rely on SMS for fast, personal communication, but when SMS messages are handled outside the CRM, context and data continuity are lost.
Aloware’s integration with HubSpot fixes that by:
Centralizing SMS and MMS interactions in HubSpot.
Ensuring messages are correctly linked to contacts.
Enabling real-time replies and media attachments.
Reducing the need to switch between tools.
Supporting multiple Aloware lines in a single inbox setup.
How business admins can use it
Business admins are responsible for setting up and managing the integration. With this setup, admins can:
Connect and manage multiple Aloware lines (SMS channels) in HubSpot inboxes.
Assign specific lines to teams or inboxes for better routing.
Monitor sync status, integration health, and line capabilities.
Trigger manual syncs if changes in HubSpot or Aloware are not reflected.
Re-authenticate connections when permission scopes change.
Admin configuration steps
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure:
You have admin access to both Aloware and HubSpot.
Your Aloware user role can manage integrations and campaign lines.
Your HubSpot user has permissions to manage custom channel integrations.
You have at least one SMS/MMS-capable line in Aloware.
HubSpot scopes for Conversations and Custom Channels are enabled.
Step 1: Authenticate or re-authenticate HubSpot in Aloware
In Aloware, go to Settings > Integrations > HubSpot, then click Authenticate or Re-authenticate.
Do this during the first-time setup or if you’ve recently changed HubSpot permissions.
Step 2: Connect Aloware lines to a HubSpot inbox
In HubSpot, go to Inboxes > Channels.
Select Connect Channel, choose the desired inbox, and select Aloware SMS.
Pick the Aloware campaign line (must be SMS/MMS-enabled).
(Optional) Set routing rules.
Finalize and connect.
Note: One line can only connect to one inbox at a time, but a single inbox can have multiple lines.
Step 3: Monitor integration in Aloware
Use the Channel Accounts tab to:
View connected lines and their sync status.
Identify lines with issues (e.g., SMS disabled, inactive inbox).
Trigger a manual Sync with HubSpot.
Check the timestamp of the last successful sync.
Step 4: Ongoing maintenance
Review integration status regularly.
Watch for sync issues, disconnected lines, or permission errors.
Re-authenticate if HubSpot permissions are updated.
Prefer visuals? You can follow this interactive demo alongside the steps for a guided walkthrough.
Key limitations and considerations
While the integration offers a seamless SMS experience inside HubSpot, there are a few technical behaviors to keep in mind:
Each Aloware line can only be mapped to one HubSpot inbox. You can connect multiple lines to the same inbox, but each line must remain unique to a single destination.
New conversation threads are only triggered by incoming messages. Sending outbound SMS from HubSpot will only continue existing threads—it won't start a new one.
Outbound replies are routed to the primary HubSpot contact if multiple contacts share the same phone number. This ensures consistency, but may cause confusion if records aren’t clean.
For users to send outbound SMS from HubSpot, both the Aloware user and the HubSpot contact must be synced and properly associated.
Files sent via SMS/MMS must be under 5MB and limited to common formats like PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, and PDF.
How end users can use SMS inbox
Once the integration is active, sales, support, and marketing team members can:
Communicate with customers using SMS or MMS directly inside their HubSpot inbox.
Add images, files, or media to enhance messaging.
View new messages as they come in, without leaving HubSpot.
Use SMS in tandem with email and chat for unified communication.
Check full conversation history and contact details for context-driven replies.
End user steps to use the SMS inbox
Receive incoming SMS
When a customer sends a message to your Aloware-enabled number:
HubSpot receives it as a new conversation in the assigned inbox.
It attempts to match the sender’s phone number with an existing contact record.
Even if the contact is updated inside HubSpot, Aloware uses the original phone number or contact ID for thread continuity.
Reply or continue the conversation
Open the thread and reply directly. Attachments can be included when sending MMS. New threads will only be created if the customer sends the first message.
Manage ongoing threads
You can view, organize, and follow conversations as part of your normal inbox routine. If a message fails to send, check if the associated Aloware line has lost SMS capability.
Contact association
Messages are matched to contacts using phone numbers. If multiple contacts share the same number, HubSpot links it to the first record.
Special scenarios
If the thread is moved to a support ticket, SMS can still be sent and received. Changing the contact in HubSpot won’t affect message routing. If “Unknown Visitor” appears, it likely means the message couldn’t match a contact.
Integration with other Aloware tools
This integration works alongside other Aloware tools. Teams using Aloware for calls, voicemails, or campaigns can also handle SMS inside HubSpot.
It supports HubSpot workflows, where admins can add SMS actions as part of automated sequences.
SMS joins email and chat inside HubSpot’s inbox view, giving users access to all supported channels in one place.
Configuration requirements recap
To configure the SMS inbox integration successfully, keep the following requirements in mind:
You must authenticate Aloware with HubSpot using the correct scopes.
Admin-level privileges are required on both platforms to complete setup.
Only SMS/MMS-capable lines can be connected.
Outbound messaging relies on both user and contact profiles being synced between systems.
If data or sync status doesn’t update as expected, use the manual Sync with HubSpot button in Aloware to refresh it.
Troubleshooting guide
Messages not appearing in HubSpot
If messages don’t show up in the HubSpot inbox:
Make sure Aloware is authenticated in HubSpot.
Confirm the correct Aloware line is connected to the inbox.
Try a manual sync using the Sync with HubSpot option in Aloware.
Check if SMS capability is still enabled for the line.
Failed to send SMS or MMS
If your message fails to send:
Verify the contact exists in both systems and is synced.
Confirm the user has proper permissions in Aloware and HubSpot.
Make sure the selected line and HubSpot inbox are both active.
Duplicate contacts or "Unknown Visitor"
HubSpot links messages to the first matching contact when phone numbers are duplicated.
Update and sync contact information in both platforms to avoid mismatches.
Line status doesn't match
Use the Sync with HubSpot button in Aloware to refresh the channel list and statuses.
Unable to remove or disconnect a channel
Disconnect channels from the HubSpot user interface.
Manually remove any orphaned entries from HubSpot if needed.
Messages not routed as expected
Inbound SMS starts a new conversation thread.
Outbound replies are tied to the existing thread and do not change the contact association.
MMS attachments appear as links
HubSpot displays MMS attachments as links. This is expected behavior. Inline previews are visible in Aloware, but not in HubSpot.