There are two native options to sync data between HubSpot and Mailchimp but this is usually not enough for power users.
HubSpot's own native integration with Mailchimp syncs your HubSpot contacts to Mailchimp and syncs Mailchimp's email activity over to HubSpot. However, this only works for new contacts added to the HubSpot CRM (existing contacts are not synced when you connect the tools), and contacts or updates to contacts' info are not synced from HubSpot to Mailchimp.
Data sync by HubSpot syncs contacts both ways between the two systems, but it does not record Mailchimp email engagement in HubSpot. Additionally, custom fields are only included in the $45 Starter plan or above.
Outfunnel takes care of these frustrations. Our solution syncs contacts 2-way between HubSpot CRM and Mailchimp, along with any default and custom fields and logs all email engagement back to the contact profiles in HubSpot.
Connect HubSpot and Mailchimp, deeply and easily
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How it works
Bi-directional contact sync. Make all contacts or a subset(s) available on either platform along with your custom contact and company fields and keep them in sync going forward.
Sync email engagement to your CRM. Give your sales team full context on email opens, clicks, unsubscribes, and more.
Comprehensive field Mapping. Sync any default or custom field two-way or in a single direction so you always have the right information available in any app. If any data conflicts arise, you can easily select the conflict winner.
Deduplication built-in. Outfunnel creates links based on the email address and we'll automatically cross-reference contacts to prevent duplicate contact entries. If a contact already exists we'll simply link it. If it doesn't we'll create a new contact.
Near instant data sync. Outfunnel syncs most data instantly and some within 2 hours.
Monitor sync status. Clear overview of the sync health which includes actionable error messages so you can fix them as they happen.
Historical sync. Sync all of your customer data, no matter when it was created. Outfunnel syncs not only new contacts but also existing ones.
Transparent pricing. Each contact that's part of the sync only counts once, regardless of how many updates get synced or to how many apps.
Reliable and secure data. Outfunnel uses advanced authentication methods, such as OAuth, and deploys encryption measures to make sure the data is secure in transit.
Set up contact sync
Set up the sync two-way or in a single direction, based on your specific use case.
1. Choose your apps
Outfunnel syncs data two-way or in a single direction. To get started head to Outfunnel > App connector and select your apps.
2. Select the connection type
Click on Connect and choose Contact sync as the connection type
3. Authenticate your apps
Most apps can be authenticated with a secure, one-click, no-code OAuth authentication.
4. Set the sync direction and database
Choose to sync data two-way or in a single direction and choose the desired database if either of the apps supports multiple databases (ie Mailchimp).
5. Define contact sync rules
If you chose to sync contacts in a single direction you'll only see a single ruleset. If you chose to sync contacts two-way then you'll see two rulesets where the first set syncs contacts from CRM > Marketing tool and the second ruleset syncs contacts the other way around.
HubSpot contacts: Choose whether to sync all HubSpot contacts or only contacts you’ve defined with HubSpot static/active lists. Learn how to set up HubSpot Lists.
Mailchimp contacts: You can choose to sync Mailchimp segments
If this is your first sync we recommend syncing a limited number of (test) contacts to get a feel for the sync.
🏁 Initial sync
Contacts are linked based on the email address. If an existing contact is not found a new contact is created. If multiple contacts are found with the same email address then the link is made with the oldest contact and no duplicates will be created.
Initial sync actions in Mailchimp.
Contacts are created in the database.
Contacts are subscribed to the audience.
Manually unsubscribed and archived contacts are resubscribed on initial sync. To avoid resubscribing archived contacts, delete them from Mailchimp or remove them from the CRM segment. If any contacts are archived in Mailchimp after the initial sync but nothing changes in the CRM then they will not be resubscribed.
Bounced and opted-out contacts are not resubscribed.
Initial sync actions in HubSpot.
Contact gets created in the database.
🔄 Continuous sync
Contact changes. As long as the contact matches the rule any changes to its profile in the source app will be synced to the destination app.
When contact stops matching rules. When a contact stops matching the rules all updates will stop but they will not be deleted from the destination app. In Mailchimp, the contact will be unsubscribed.
💡 Other things to keep in mind
Contacts do not get removed/unsubscribed from Mailchimp if you remove the contact sync rule or change the target segment.
Multiple email addresses on a contact. Outfunnel creates a link with the first email address on a contact profile. Other addresses on the profile will be ignored.
Merging contacts. Outfunnel supports merging contacts with the same email. After you've merged a contact you may see the contact getting unsubscribed from Mailchimp if the contact you merged to was not in sync but they will get resubscribed in the next sync given that the email address is the same.
6. Set up field mapping
First, choose the default fields and/or custom fields you’d like to sync and in which direction. Then, choose the app that will be used in case of any conflicts.
Data conflicts
Data conflicts usually happen during the initial sync when a mapped field value is different on both apps. For example, when the name is different for the same contact then Outfunnel will use the selected app as the conflict winner. Most companies use their CRM as a system of record. Reach out to support if you are having doubts or want to talk through your use case.
💡 Things to keep in mind
Current limitation. Outfunnel cannot currently empty a field value in HubSpot due to an API limitation from HubSpot. Please reach out to support if this is important for your workflows.
Email is a default field that is matched automatically and cannot be changed. This is what Outfunnel uses as the unique identifier to create a link between contacts on two apps.
Read-only fields. Some fields are read-only (ie calculated fields) and cannot be edited which means they can only be synced in one direction.
Adding new fields. Create a new field in the corresponding app. Then head back to Outfunnel and click "refresh fields" to see the new field.
Single/Multiple option fields. If you are mapping single and multiple option fields please pre-create the values in the source and destination app.
7. Activate the connection
🏁 Initial sync
After activating the connection Outfunnel will run an initial sync to merge your databases and you should see contacts appearing in the sync status page. The initial sync usually takes a few minutes but can take up to a few hours depending on the number of contacts to sync.
The status page also shows errored contacts and provides actionable feedback on how to fix this.
🔄 Continuous sync
After the initial sync completes Outfunnel starts running a continuous sync that checks for updates with the following logic:
Most field changes for in-sync contacts are reflected immediately.
New contacts/removed contacts are checked every 2 hours.
You can trigger an instant sync anytime by clicking on Sync now.
Set up engagement sync
Outfunnel supports recording engagement from Mailchimp single email campaigns, automation, email journeys, and A/B tests. If you've already set up a connection, skip to the second step.
1. Authenticate your apps. Head to Outfunnel > App connector, select the two apps, and authenticate as per on-screen instructions if you haven't done so already.
2. Select the connection type. Click on Connect and choose Engagement sync as the connection type
3. Choose the audience. Choose the Mailchimp audiences for which you’d like to record email engagement (opens, clicks, unsubscribes, etc).
4. Define how engagement gets recorded. Then define how you’d like email activities like opens, clicks, bounces, or unsubscribes recorded in HubSpot – or simply use our default settings.
5. Set up field mapping. When Outfunnel syncs an engagement for a contact that does not yet exist in HubSpot, a new contact is created with the defined field mapping. Navigate to the field mapping step to select which fields or custom fields you’d like the sync to consider.
6. Activate. Activate the connection. By default, Outfunnel records engagement from emails that have been sent after activating the connection but you can also choose to sync engagement events from the last 30 days when activating the connection.
💡Activities in HubSpot. All engagement is recorded as a new activity type in HubSpot making it easily filterable in HubSpot so you can create a list of people based on engagements.
The engagements that Outfunnel creates might be hidden at first in HubSpot. Here's how to make them visible:
Make sure you have set up the automation and sent out at least one email campaign from Mailchimp.
Open any contact profile in HubSpot and click on "Filter activity" option on the top of the timeline.
Under the Integrations section, enable "Outfunnel" (if Outfunnel is not yet visible but you have sent out a campaign, the data sync might have not happened yet. Just open the connection and click on "Sync now". The activities will be created in the next 15 minutes.)
💡 Sync frequency. The sync runs every 2 hours automatically or you can trigger an instant sync anytime by clicking on Sync now.
💡 Unsubscribe recording. Outfunnel only records end-user initiated unsubscribes in HubSpot and manual unsubscribes in Mailchimp are not recorded. When a contact is unsubscribed manually but still match a list in HubSpot that is targeted by a connection, then Outfunnel will resubscribe them in Mailchimp. If you'd like to manually remove a contact in Mailchimp, they need to be permanently deleted under the contact profile in Mailchimp.
Learn more about the best ways to manage unsubscribes and bounces.
Do you use web forms to collect leads to your lists? See the following integrations to automatically sync contacts from web forms to HubSpot CRM:
Don't see your preferred web forms listed above? Browse the upcoming connections and sign up for early access.