| name | integration-hubspot |
| description | Connect HubSpot CRM (contacts, companies, deals, tasks) to a self-hosted Hermes agent over SSH using a Private App access token. Idempotent and rollback-safe. Works from Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Hermes itself, and Gemini CLI. |
/integration-hubspot — connect HubSpot to a remote Hermes (SSH-first)
You are the engineer connecting HubSpot to a self-hosted Hermes agent on the user's VPS.
You (the AI agent — Hermes, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini, any of them) work over
SSH as root against the VPS. The user only does the thing a machine cannot: mint the
Private App token in the HubSpot UI and pick the right scopes.
Everything else — token storage, MCP/REST wiring, gateway reload, verification — runs
on the VPS via SSH, idempotently.
Honest auth picture (verified 2026-06): HubSpot ships a first-party remote MCP at
https://mcp.hubspot.com (GA 2026-04-13) but it is OAuth-only — OAuth 2.0 / 2.1
authorization-code with PKCE against a registered MCP auth app. There is no static-bearer
or API-key mode. A headless Hermes container cannot complete that browser handshake. So we
do NOT wire the hosted MCP. We use HubSpot's REST API with a Private App access token —
a static, non-expiring, scope-limited credential perfect for headless agents. Legacy
account-level API keys (hapikey) are deprecated and no longer accepted.
Before you start — gather (ask once, in one batch)
| Variable | What | Where to get it |
|---|
$VPS_IP | IP/hostname of the VPS running Hermes | User's hosting dashboard |
$VPS_USER | SSH user (typically root) | User's hosting dashboard |
$HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN | Private App access token (pat-na1-... or pat-eu1-...) | HubSpot UI: Settings (gear) -> Integrations -> Private Apps -> Create a private app -> Scopes tab (pick crm.objects.contacts.read/.write, crm.objects.companies.read/.write, crm.objects.deals.read/.write, plus crm.objects.tasks.* if the agent should manage tasks) -> Create app -> Auth tab -> Show token -> Copy |
Docs: https://developers.hubspot.com/docs/guides/apps/private-apps/overview
The token embeds the data center; the same REST host (https://api.hubapi.com) works
for both pat-na1- and pat-eu1- tokens.
Confirm SSH access before doing anything:
ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new -o BatchMode=yes \
"$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "echo ok" 2>&1 | grep -q '^ok$' \
|| { echo "ABORT: SSH to $VPS_USER@$VPS_IP failed. Run /setup-ssh-keys first."; exit 1; }
Step 1 — verify Hermes is reachable on the VPS
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" '
set -e
if command -v hermes >/dev/null 2>&1; then
hermes --version
elif docker ps --format "{{.Names}}" | grep -q hermes; then
AGENT=$(docker ps --filter name=hermes --format "{{.Names}}" | head -1)
docker exec "$AGENT" hermes --version
else
echo "FAIL: hermes not found on host or in container"; exit 1
fi
' || { echo "ABORT: Hermes is not installed/running. Run /hermes-install first."; exit 1; }
Expected: 0.15.x or 0.17.x.
Step 2 — idempotency check (skip if already wired)
ALREADY=$(ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes mcp list 2>/dev/null | grep -ci hubspot" || echo 0)
if [ "$ALREADY" -gt 0 ] && [ "${FORCE:-0}" != "1" ]; then
echo "HubSpot is already wired. Set FORCE=1 to rewire."
exit 0
fi
If no MCP entry exists but HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN is already in ~/.hermes/.env, you are
on Path B (REST-only). Check with:
HAVE_TOKEN=$(ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "grep -c '^HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN=' ~/.hermes/.env 2>/dev/null" || echo 0)
if [ "$HAVE_TOKEN" -gt 0 ] && [ "${FORCE:-0}" != "1" ]; then
echo "HubSpot token already present (REST mode). Set FORCE=1 to overwrite."
exit 0
fi
Step 3 — DRY RUN preview (always show before writing)
cat <<EOF
DRY RUN — the following will happen on $VPS_USER@$VPS_IP:
1. Validate the Private App token against https://api.hubapi.com/crm/v3/objects/contacts -> expect 200
2. Write HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN (length ${#HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN}, prefix ${HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN:0:8}...) via 'hermes config set'
3. chmod 600 ~/.hermes/.env
4. Register MCP if available (Path A) OR document the REST tool (Path B):
Base URL: https://api.hubapi.com
Auth: Authorization: Bearer \${HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN}
5. Reload gateway: hermes gateway stop && hermes gateway run
6. Verify in logs: grep -i "registered.*hubspot" (Path A) OR skip (Path B)
7. Smoke test: GET /crm/v3/objects/contacts?limit=1 -> expect 200
The token is NEVER printed in plaintext.
EOF
Wait for user confirmation (or skip if AUTO_APPROVE=1).
Step 4 — write the secret (chmod 600, no echo, no logging)
First validate the token against the live API so we never store a bad credential:
PRECHECK=$(ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "
curl -sS -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer $HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN' \
'https://api.hubapi.com/crm/v3/objects/contacts?limit=1&archived=false'
")
case "$PRECHECK" in
200) echo "OK: token valid, contacts-read scope present." ;;
401) echo "FAIL: token invalid or has stray whitespace. Re-copy from HubSpot UI."; exit 1 ;;
403) echo "FAIL: token valid but missing required scope. Add scopes in Private App UI."; exit 1 ;;
*) echo "WARN: unexpected HTTP $PRECHECK from HubSpot. Inspect manually before proceeding."; exit 1 ;;
esac
Now store the secret:
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes config set HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN '$HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN'"
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "chmod 600 ~/.hermes/.env"
Verify (returns 1, NEVER the value):
WROTE=$(ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "grep -c '^HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN=' ~/.hermes/.env" || echo 0)
[ "$WROTE" = "1" ] || { echo "FAIL: HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN not written. Rolling back."; rollback; exit 1; }
If your Hermes build has no config set subcommand, use the safe sed pattern.
Use | as the sed delimiter — Private App tokens contain - and may carry other
punctuation in future formats. Never echo >> (it merges onto the previous line
if that line lacks a trailing newline):
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "
grep -q '^HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN=' ~/.hermes/.env || printf 'HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN=\n' >> ~/.hermes/.env
sed -i 's|^HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN=.*|HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN=$HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN|' ~/.hermes/.env
chmod 600 ~/.hermes/.env
"
Step 5 — wire the agent's HubSpot tool
No first-party static-token MCP exists. Pick the path that matches the Hermes build on
the VPS. Path B is the recommended default.
Path A (optional) — self-hosted community MCP server
Community HubSpot MCP servers that accept a Private App token via env exist (see
https://www.pulsemcp.com/servers/hubspot and similar Glama/npm-indexed servers). Most
are stdio/Node, not hosted HTTP. Use one only if you self-host it behind an HTTP transport
and have vetted the code. Treat it as third-party.
If you have a vetted stdio server:
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "
hermes mcp add hubspot \
--command npx \
--args '-y,<verified-hubspot-mcp-package>' \
--env 'HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN=\${HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN}'
"
Do NOT try to register https://mcp.hubspot.com with a bearer token — that endpoint is
OAuth-only and will return an auth error.
Path B (recommended) — generic REST tool against the HubSpot CRM API
Point a generic HTTP/tool action at the documented REST API. The agent reads
HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN from ~/.hermes/.env.
- Base URL:
https://api.hubapi.com
- Auth header:
Authorization: Bearer ${HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN}
- Content type:
Content-Type: application/json
Common endpoints:
| Method | Path | Purpose |
|---|
GET | /crm/v3/objects/contacts?limit=10 | List contacts |
GET | /crm/v3/objects/companies?limit=10 | List companies |
GET | /crm/v3/objects/deals?limit=10 | List deals |
POST | /crm/v3/objects/contacts | Create contact {"properties":{"email":"...","firstname":"..."}} |
POST | /crm/v3/objects/deals | Create deal {"properties":{"dealname":"...","pipeline":"...","dealstage":"..."}} |
POST | /crm/v3/objects/contacts/search | Search contacts by filterGroups |
Optional — inspect the token's actual granted scopes:
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "
. ~/.hermes/.env
curl -sS -H \"Authorization: Bearer \$HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN\" \
\"https://api.hubapi.com/oauth/v1/access-tokens/\$HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN\" | head -c 800
"
Step 6 — reload the gateway (stop + run, NOT restart)
gateway restart does NOT reliably re-read .env. Always use stop + run.
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes gateway stop || true"
sleep 2
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes gateway run --daemon"
sleep 5
Step 7 — verify registration in logs (poll up to 30s)
Path A only — Path B has no MCP entry so this step is informational.
REGISTERED=0
for i in $(seq 1 6); do
if ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes logs 2>&1 | tail -200" \
| grep -qiE "registered.*tool.*hubspot|MCP server.*hubspot.*(ok|ready)|env.*HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN.*loaded"; then
REGISTERED=1
echo "OK: hubspot wiring visible in gateway logs."
break
fi
sleep 5
done
if [ "$REGISTERED" = "0" ] && [ "${PATH_B:-0}" != "1" ]; then
echo "FAIL: hubspot not in logs after 30s. Rolling back."; rollback; exit 1
fi
Step 8 — live API smoke test (inside the VPS so the token stays put)
HTTP=$(ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "
. ~/.hermes/.env
curl -sS -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' \
-H \"Authorization: Bearer \$HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN\" \
'https://api.hubapi.com/crm/v3/objects/contacts?limit=1&archived=false'
")
case "$HTTP" in
200) echo "OK: HubSpot REST API reachable and token valid." ;;
401) echo "FAIL: token invalid or empty. Re-check Step 4."; rollback; exit 1 ;;
403) echo "FAIL: token valid but missing scope for contacts. Add scope in Private App UI."; exit 1 ;;
429) echo "WARN: rate-limited (Retry-After header). Back off and retry." ;;
*) echo "WARN: unexpected HTTP $HTTP from HubSpot API. Check manually." ;;
esac
200 with an empty results array means the token works but the portal has no contacts
yet — not a wiring failure. Then prove end-to-end from chat:
@<agent> list my 5 most recent HubSpot contacts
Rollback (auto-runs on any failure above)
rollback() {
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes mcp remove hubspot 2>/dev/null || true"
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes config unset HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN 2>/dev/null || \
sed -i '/^HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN=/d' ~/.hermes/.env"
ssh "$VPS_USER@$VPS_IP" "hermes gateway stop; sleep 2; hermes gateway run --daemon"
echo "Rolled back. HubSpot is no longer wired."
}
Pitfalls
| # | Pitfall | Why it bites | Prevention |
|---|
| 1 | Wiring https://mcp.hubspot.com with a bearer token | It is OAuth-only (PKCE); static tokens are rejected | Use Private App + REST (Path B) or vetted stdio MCP (Path A) |
| 2 | Trying legacy hapikey query param | Account-level API keys are deprecated and no longer accepted | Only OAuth or Private App tokens work |
| 3 | Scope errors look like 403, not 401 | 401 = bad/revoked token; 403 = token valid but missing scope for that object | Add the scope in Private App Scopes tab; re-copy token from Auth tab |
| 4 | Token grants account-wide scope | A Private App token acts with exactly the selected scopes for the whole account | Pick least privilege; create the app from an admin who should own that access |
| 5 | Token has no expiry but is revocable | Private App tokens never expire, but an admin can delete the app at any time -> sudden 401 | Treat 401 after working as "admin revoked"; re-mint |
| 6 | Rate limits (429 Too Many Requests) | Private apps allow ~190 req/10s burst; daily caps vary by tier | Respect Retry-After header; back off; do not hammer |
| 7 | Token format assumed pat-na1- only | EU portals issue pat-eu1- tokens; both work against api.hubapi.com | Treat token as opaque past the pat-na1- / pat-eu1- prefix |
| 8 | Secret in config.yaml or compose-level .env | Wrong file -> world-readable or not loaded by Hermes runtime | Only ~/.hermes/.env, chmod 600, via hermes config set |
| 9 | gateway restart to pick up env | Restart does NOT reliably re-read .env | Always stop + run |
| 10 | echo "$TOKEN" >> .env | Merges onto a prior line that lacks trailing newline -> silently invalid | Always hermes config set; fallback uses printf + sed |
| 11 | sed with / delimiter on tokens | Future tokens may contain /+= and break the expression | Always use | delimiter |
| 12 | Container vs host confusion | Skill executed on the wrong layer -> changes invisible to Hermes | Always whoami; hostname on the VPS first; secrets go in ~/.hermes/.env (or /opt/data/.env inside the container) |
Definition of done
See reference/TROUBLESHOOTING.md for gateway and MCP failure modes.
