HubSpot Custom Channels: Making Operator Messages Shine
Integrating external messaging systems with HubSpot's Conversations tool using Custom Channels can be a game-changer for streamlining communication. However, a recent HubSpot Community discussion highlighted a common challenge: ensuring that messages sent by operators within the external system are correctly attributed within HubSpot.
The Challenge: Incoming vs. Outgoing Messages
The original poster was building a Custom Channels integration to sync WhatsApp messages into HubSpot. They were using the Conversations API to publish received messages, but encountered an issue: all messages, regardless of whether they were sent by a customer or an operator, appeared as incoming messages from an "external participant/visitor" in HubSpot. This made it difficult to distinguish between customer inquiries and operator responses, hindering accurate reporting and conversation tracking. The core issue was that the Custom Channels publish endpoint seemed strictly designed for INCOMING messages.
The ideal scenario, as outlined in the community post, is this:
- Customer sends messages to the operator (outside HubSpot).
- Operator sends messages to the customer (outside HubSpot).
- HubSpot should associate the conversation with the customer (known contact or unknown visitor).
- Operator messages synced into HubSpot should appear as "company-side" and be attributable to the corresponding HubSpot agent.
Unfortunately, the current functionality falls short on point 4.
Understanding the Limitations
A HubSpot Community Manager confirmed that the Conversations API documentation only references the 'incoming' message direction. This suggests that the platform, as it stands, doesn't natively support distinguishing between incoming and outgoing messages when publishing via Custom Channels.
Possible Workarounds and Future Considerations
While a definitive solution wasn't presented in the thread, here are some potential workarounds and considerations:
- Data Enrichment: While you can't directly mark a message as "outgoing," you might explore enriching the message data with custom properties. For example, you could add a property indicating the sender type (customer or operator). This would require custom reporting to differentiate the messages.
- Alternative Integration Methods: Depending on the external messaging system, explore if there are alternative integration methods that might offer more control over message attribution. However, this might involve significantly more development effort.
- Feature Request: The original poster's request for an "outgoing publish" model or the ability to associate messages with a HubSpot agent is a valid one. Consider submitting this as a feature request to HubSpot, highlighting the importance of accurate authorship for reporting and conversation management.
Free EKM Alternative Considerations
If you're currently using a standalone e-commerce platform (like EKM or BigCartel) integrated with HubSpot, and facing similar limitations with data synchronization, it might be worth considering a built-in e-commerce solution for HubSpot. While this might seem like a drastic step, a native solution can often provide tighter integration and avoid these kinds of API limitations. Several options exist, some even offering a free EKM alternative for basic needs.
ESHOPMAN Team Comment
This HubSpot Community thread highlights a frustrating limitation of the Custom Channels API. While the API is powerful, the lack of support for distinguishing between incoming and outgoing messages significantly impacts its usefulness for businesses relying on external messaging systems. We agree with the original poster that HubSpot should prioritize adding functionality to properly attribute operator-sent messages. This would greatly improve the accuracy and value of HubSpot's conversation tracking and reporting capabilities.
Wrapping Up
While there isn't a perfect solution to this problem right now, understanding the limitations of the Custom Channels API is the first step. By exploring potential workarounds and advocating for feature enhancements, you can strive to achieve a more accurate and insightful view of your customer conversations within HubSpot. Keep an eye on HubSpot's updates and API changes, as they are constantly evolving the platform based on user feedback.