How to Import Event Leads from Google Sheets to HubSpot with N8n

Main dashboard > New workflow

Install and configure N8n

Set up N8n on your server or local machine. You need the self-hosted version to handle lead imports efficiently without per-execution costs.

1. 1Run 'npx n8n' in your terminal to start N8n locally
2. 2Open http://localhost:5678 in your browser
3. 3Create your admin account with email and password
4. 4Click 'New workflow' to start building

Workflow canvas > + > Google Sheets

Add Google Sheets trigger node

Configure N8n to monitor your event leads spreadsheet. This watches for new rows you paste after collecting leads at events.

1. 1Click the '+' button to add a new node
2. 2Search for 'Google Sheets' and select it
3. 3Choose 'On Row Added' as the trigger event
4. 4Click 'Sign in with Google' to authenticate

Google Sheets node > Parameters

Select your event leads spreadsheet

Point the trigger to your specific Google Sheet where you paste event leads. This sets up monitoring for new lead entries.

1. 1In the 'Spreadsheet' dropdown, find your event leads sheet
2. 2Select the worksheet tab (usually 'Sheet1' or 'Leads')
3. 3Set 'Trigger On' to 'Row Added'
4. 4Click 'Test step' to verify connection

Workflow canvas > + > HubSpot

Add HubSpot node

Connect to HubSpot's API to create new contacts. This handles the actual import of lead data into your CRM.

1. 1Click '+' after the Google Sheets node
2. 2Search for 'HubSpot' and select it
3. 3Choose 'Contact' as the resource type
4. 4Select 'Create' as the operation

HubSpot node > Credential > Create New

Authenticate with HubSpot

Connect N8n to your HubSpot account using a private app token. This gives permission to create and update contacts.

1. 1In HubSpot node, click 'Create New Credential'
2. 2Select 'Private App Token' authentication method
3. 3Go to HubSpot Settings > Private Apps > Create app
4. 4Copy the token and paste into N8n credential field

HubSpot node > Additional Fields

Map lead data fields

Configure which columns from your Google Sheet map to HubSpot contact properties. This ensures lead information transfers correctly.

1. 1In the HubSpot node, click 'Add Property' for each field
2. 2Map 'email' to your spreadsheet's Email column using the expression editor
3. 3Add 'firstname' mapped to your Name/First Name column
4. 4Add 'company' mapped to your Company column

HubSpot node > Additional Fields > Tag

Add event source tag

Tag imported contacts with their event source for tracking. This helps identify which leads came from which events in HubSpot.

1. 1In the HubSpot node, click 'Add Property'
2. 2Select 'Tag' from the property dropdown
3. 3Set the value to your event name like 'TechCrunch Disrupt 2024'
4. 4Click 'Add Property' again to add more tags if needed

HubSpot node > Settings

Set up error handling

Configure what happens when lead imports fail. This prevents losing leads when HubSpot API issues occur or duplicate emails are detected.

1. 1Click the HubSpot node settings (3 dots menu)
2. 2Select 'Settings' from the dropdown
3. 3Set 'Continue On Fail' to true
4. 4Choose 'Output Error Data' to capture failed imports

Workflow > Test workflow

Test the complete workflow

Run a test import with sample lead data to verify the end-to-end process works. This catches mapping errors before you import real event leads.

1. 1Click 'Test workflow' button in the top toolbar
2. 2Add a test row to your Google Sheet with sample lead data
3. 3Wait 30 seconds for the trigger to fire
4. 4Check the execution log for success or error messages

Workflow header > Active toggle

Activate the workflow

Turn on automatic monitoring so the workflow runs whenever you paste new event leads. This enables hands-off lead import after events.

1. 1Click the toggle switch at the top of the workflow to 'Active'
2. 2Save the workflow with a descriptive name like 'Event Leads Import'
3. 3Add a test row to verify the active workflow triggers correctly
4. 4Check HubSpot to confirm the contact was created with proper tags

Drop this into an n8n Code node.

// Clean and validate email before sending to HubSpot
const email = $json['Email'].toLowerCase().trim();
if (!email.includes('@') || email.includes(' ')) {

// Clean and validate email before sending to HubSpot
const email = $json['Email'].toLowerCase().trim();
if (!email.includes('@') || email.includes(' ')) {
  throw new Error('Invalid email format: ' + email);
}
return { email };