HubSpot Calling Extensions: Get Contact Names for Outbound Calls Easily

Ever found yourself trying to pull a specific piece of data from HubSpot without diving headfirst into the complexities of API authentication and backend management? You're definitely not alone. It's a common challenge for developers and RevOps professionals looking to streamline their HubSpot integrations. Recently, a fantastic discussion in the HubSpot Community shed light on just such a scenario, offering a clever solution for those integrating custom softphones with HubSpot's Calling Extensions SDK.

The Outbound Calling Conundrum: Missing Contact Names

The original poster, Ruben, laid out a clear problem: when integrating their custom softphone with the HubSpot Calling Extensions SDK, displaying contact names for inbound calls was a breeze thanks to the onCallerIdMatchSucceeded event. HubSpot handles the lookup, and voilà, the name appears.

However, for outbound calls initiated via click-to-dial, the onDialNumber event payload was a bit sparse. It provided crucial details like phoneNumber, objectId, objectType, and calleeInfo, but conspicuously absent were the contact's firstName, lastName, or displayName. The goal was simple: show the contact's name in the softphone UI for outbound calls, just like for inbound.

The tricky part? A strong preference to avoid the full CRM API with its OAuth requirements, token management, and backend changes. Ruben had already explored a couple of avenues:

Trying @hubspot/ui-extensions / useCrmSearch within the Calling iframe, which failed due to a lack of UI Extensions runtime.
Attempting to request data from a CRM card, but discovered no official channel exists between the Calling iframe and CRM cards due to different origins and sandboxes.

So, the question hung in the air: Was there a workaround, an undocumented field, or a HubSpot-recommended trick to pass the name directly without the CRM API?

The Official Stance and the Practical Solution

A community member, Berangere, quickly jumped in to confirm the official line: the supported approach is indeed to use the objectId from the onDialNumber event in conjunction with the CRM API. This might have seemed like a dead end for Ruben's "no CRM API" preference, but Berangere followed up with a crucial clarification and a practical workaround.

She reiterated that the onDialNumber payload doesn't currently include name fields like displayName. While inbound calls benefit from HubSpot's automatic lookup via onCallerIdMatchSucceeded, a similar mechanism for outbound calls isn't available yet. The recommended path remains using the objectId and objectType from onDialNumber, then making a CRM API request to fetch the contact or company name.

But here's where the insight truly shines: to keep things lightweight and avoid the complexity of OAuth or managing backend services, Berangere suggested using a private app token. This token, configured with the necessary permissions (e.g., crm.objects.contacts.read), allows you to call the CRM API directly from your client-side iframe, completely bypassing the need for an OAuth flow or a dedicated backend service. It's an elegant solution that still leverages the powerful CRM API but dramatically simplifies the integration process.

Implementing the ESHOPMAN-Approved Approach

For those of us building robust integrations, especially for e-commerce platforms, this approach is a game-changer. Here’s how you can implement it:

Generate a Private App Token: In your HubSpot account, navigate to Settings > Integrations > Private apps. Create a new private app, ensuring you grant it the crm.objects.contacts.read and crm.objects.companies.read scopes (or whatever specific object types you need to fetch names for). Copy this token securely.
Capture objectId and objectType: Within your Calling Extensions iframe, listen for the onDialNumber event. The payload will give you the objectId and objectType of the contact or company being called.
Make a Client-Side CRM API Call: Use a JavaScript fetch or XMLHttpRequest call directly from your iframe to the HubSpot CRM API. Construct your API endpoint using the objectId and objectType. For example, to get contact details: GET https://api.hubapi.com/crm/v3/objects/contacts/{objectId}.
Authenticate with the Private App Token: Include your private app token in the Authorization header of your API request, formatted as Bearer YOUR_PRIVATE_APP_TOKEN.
Parse and Display: Once you receive the API response, parse the JSON to extract the firstName, lastName, or displayName from the properties. Update your softphone UI to display this information to your users.

This method brilliantly sidesteps the overhead of OAuth, making it much easier to deploy and manage for simpler integrations.

Why This Matters for Your E-commerce Business

Think about it: whether you're managing a busy online shop built with the best ecommerce website maker or a niche brand using a specialized website builder for clothing store, every customer interaction counts. Having immediate access to a caller's name and context in your softphone isn't just a 'nice-to-have'; it's critical for providing personalized, efficient service. This streamlined approach to fetching contact names directly impacts your team's productivity and your customers' experience, turning every call into an opportunity for better engagement.

ESHOPMAN Team Comment

We absolutely agree with the community's refined solution here. While the initial instinct to avoid any API call for simplicity is understandable, leveraging a private app token for client-side CRM API access is a brilliant compromise. It provides the necessary data without the heavy lift of managing OAuth tokens or building out backend infrastructure, which is a significant win for agile e-commerce operations integrating with HubSpot. It's about smart development that empowers your sales and service teams.

This discussion highlights the power of the HubSpot Community and the flexibility of the platform. Even when the direct path isn't available, there are often clever, efficient ways to achieve your goals without over-engineering. Keep experimenting, keep asking questions, and keep building better experiences for your HubSpot users!