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How To Use HubSpot Contact API [A Beginner's Guide]

Written by Randeep Singh | Apr 22, 2021 6:00:00 AM

Contacts are the essence of your marketing and sales strategies - they're the people who help you expand your business. Implementing an effective contact management strategy lets you boost your business revenue and increase productivity.

Imagine you're the owner of an e-commerce website, using HubSpot CRM to keep track of your customer data, including contact information, purchase history, and preferences. Now, you want to input data from your e-commerce platform into HubSpot. That's where the Contact API steps in!

But wait, what's an API anyway? An API is built to empower you to create a functional application or integration effortlessly. HubSpot APIs are what power the HubSpot application. The ecosystem of developers using integrations at the top of the APIs is active and diverse, varying from webinars to CRMs to social media.

Now let's get back to the HubSpot Contact API overview. It is one such API that makes managing your lead data much more straightforward. You must be wondering how to use HubSpot Contact API. Don't worry. We're here to guide you through the entire process of setting up and using your Contacts API. Let's get started!

What is the Contact API?

Contact API in HubSpot allows different software applications or systems to communicate and share information about contacts (people) in a HubSpot account.

It provides a way for developers to access and manipulate contact data. This integration enables you to manage and use contact information across various platforms seamlessly.

Getting started with Contact API

Before we move to create and set up a contact API, let's understand a few terms associated with Contact API.

  • Batch Endpoints: The batch endpoints allow you to make a GET or POST call that further returns or creates/updates multiple contacts at once, respectively.

  • Deduplication: The prime identifier for any contact in HubSpot is the email address, and the Contacts API de-duplicates email addresses in HubSpot automatically.

  • Contact Properties: The details for a contact record are stored in contact properties. Further, HubSpot users can also store required custom data by creating custom contact properties.

  • Contact Owners: The owner of a contact record is managed via the contact owner property, with the internal name of hubspot_owner_id. While using this property via the Contacts API, the internal ID of the owner is required. 

  • Lifecycle Stage Updates: Suppose you are trying to convert a contact into a customer (to reflect an updated deal stage) via the API. In that case, you have to set the value of the lifecycle stage property to “customer.”

  • Associations between Contacts and other Objects: A contact can be associated with deals, engagements, organizations, and tickets. To create and manage object associations, you can use HubSpot CRM Associations API.

  • Response Details: Data returned by the Contacts will be read-only, except for the individual contact property values.

  • Source-type: The source type of a property version reveals how the property was modified, and it is different from the original source for a contact record. For instance:
    • If the source type is API, the contact property is updated using the Contacts API.
    • Similarly, if the source type is FORM, the value has been updated based on form submission.

Requirements for creating an API

Here is the list of requisites for creating an API in HubSpot: 

  • OAuth Access Token: Also known as API key, this token or key is used to authenticate the request. It provides access to fetch and insert data in HubSpot via API.

  • Contact Properties: You have to include at least one property for the new contact, or else you will get an error.

  • URL: We need a URL for requests and responses.

  • Data: Push JSON object to update or create the contacts.

  • Method: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.

  • Results: Get a response after using the API.

Now let's understand the step-by-step process of creating HubSpot Contacts API. 

How to create Contacts API?

Follow these steps to set up your HubSpot Contact API.

Step 1: Navigate to Settings

Log in to your HubSpot account and go to settings for access. You’ll need a HubSpot API Key for access to the API.

Step 2: Check the API Key

In the left sidebar of your dashboard, go to Integrations and click API Key. 

Step 3: Copy API Key

You will see an Active API Key. Copy this API key as it will be used for creating and fetching data throughout.

Step 4: Create a New Contact

Create a new contact in HubSpot using the create a new contact endpoint. This new contact will be allocated a unique ID (vid), which you use to look it up later.

Step 5: Use HubSpot API Key

Hapikey is the "HubSpot API key." So, please use your HubSpot API key accordingly. This is how your API key will appear: https://api.hubapi.com/contacts/v1/contact?hapikey=demo.

Step 6: Send JSON Format

Send JSON format for creating and updating data of HubSpot contacts.

Step 7: Click POST

Once you have updated the data, click on the POST method, and your contact is finally created.

Step 8: Check Result

After this response, check the contacts of HubSpot. To do so, go to contacts and check the result of the API.

As you can see, the new contact has been added to your contact list.

Following these simple steps, you can effortlessly Create a New Contact using Contacts API. Let's check some of the endpoints and learn to manage contacts more efficiently. 

What are the endpoints for Contact API

In the context of an API (Application Programming Interface), "endpoints" refer to specific URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) or URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) that you can use to perform various operations or actions on the data managed by the API. Each endpoint typically corresponds to a specific function or set of related functions within the API.

For example, if you're working with the HubSpot Contacts API, the different endpoints allow you to perform actions like getting information about a specific contact, creating a new contact, updating contact details, searching for contacts based on certain criteria, deleting a contact, and more.

Here are some common endpoints for the HubSpot Contacts API along with their general use cases:

  • Get all contacts:

    • Endpoint: GET /contacts/v1/lists/all/contacts/all
    • Use Case: Retrieve a list of all contacts in your HubSpot account.

  • Get a single contact by ID:

    • Endpoint: GET /contacts/v1/contact/vid/:vid/profile
    • Use Case: Retrieve detailed information about a specific contact using their unique visitor ID (vid). This can be handy for accessing or updating individual contact details.

  • Create a contact:

    • Endpoint: POST /contacts/v1/contact
    • Use Case: Add a new contact to your HubSpot account. This endpoint is useful for integrating external systems that generate new leads or contacts.

  • Update a contact:

    • Endpoint: POST /contacts/v1/contact/vid/:vid/profile
    • Use Case: Modify or update the details of an existing contact. This can be useful when there are changes in a contact's information.

  • Search for contacts:

    • Endpoint: GET /contacts/v1/search/query
    • Use Case: Conduct a search for contacts based on specific criteria. This allows you to filter and retrieve contacts that meet certain conditions.

  • Delete a contact:

    • Endpoint: DELETE /contacts/v1/contact/vid/:contact_id
    • Use Case: Remove a contact from your HubSpot account. This can help maintain a clean and accurate contact list.

  • Get recent contacts:

    • Endpoint: GET /contacts/v1/lists/recently_updated/contacts/recent
    • Use Case: Retrieve a list of contacts that have been recently updated. This can be valuable for tracking recent interactions or changes in your contact database.

Why is Contact API Important?

The HubSpot Contact API serves as a crucial tool for users due to several key reasons:

1. Seamless Integration:

HubSpot Contact API allows for seamless integration between HubSpot and other applications or systems. This integration ensures that contact data flows across various platforms, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors.

2. Automated Workflows:

By leveraging the Contact API, businesses can automate workflows associated with contact data. This means that tasks such as updating customer information, tracking interactions, and managing lead generation processes can be automated, saving time and resources.

3. Enhanced Customer Engagement:

The API facilitates real-time access to contact information. This enables you to understand your customers better, personalize interactions, and ensure a better user experience. Timely and relevant communication with leads and customers becomes more achievable.

4. Centralized Data Management:

HubSpot Contact API allows you to centralize your contact data. This centralized approach ensures that all customer information is consistently updated ensuring an organized data management system.

5. Customization and Scalability:

The Contact API allows for customization according to specific business needs. Developers can tailor the integration to suit the unique requirements of the organization, making it a scalable solution that can grow alongside the business.

6. Analytics and Reporting:

You can extract valuable insights from contact data using the API. By integrating with analytics tools, the Contact API enables the generation of detailed reports and analytics, aiding in data-driven decision-making and strategy formulation.

What's your take on HubSpot Contacts API?

From seamless integration to personalized customer engagement, HubSpot Contacts API empowers you to streamline your contact management strategy. Whether you're a marketer aiming for targeted campaigns or a developer seeking data synchronization, the Contacts API offers endless possibilities.

Now, it's your turn to manage your contacts effectively without any extra effort. Get your contact management strategy up and running using the Contacts API. 

Let us know what's your take on utilizing the HubSpot Contacts API in your operations. Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below.

If you find yourself still unsure about how to make the most of the Contacts API, feel free to contact us for expert advice. 

Editor: Richa Sharma
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