threndle.ai · How-to guides · Updated November 4, 2026
Marketing automation with HubSpot: what each plan can do for a small business
HubSpot can automate marketing on every plan, including the free one, but how much it can do depends on the plan you pay for. On HubSpot's free tools you get one follow-up email after each form submission. Marketing Hub Starter lets that follow-up run up to 10 actions. Full workflows need Marketing Hub Professional or Enterprise, according to HubSpot's Knowledge Base.
Setup difficulty
2 of 5 for a first-timer
The form follow-up is a few clicks in the form editor. You also write the email and check who is set as a marketing contact. How we grade it.
This guide shows what HubSpot automates on its free tools, what Marketing Hub Starter adds, when you need Professional workflows, the steps for each and what it costs. It is written for small businesses in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, Agassiz, Hope and the rest of Canada. threndle.ai is an independent agency and is not affiliated with HubSpot, Anthropic or OpenAI.
Key takeaways
- Free tools: one "Send an email after form submission" simple workflow per form, with one action.
- Marketing Hub Starter: one simple workflow per form, with up to 10 actions.
- Marketing Hub Professional or Enterprise: more than one simple workflow per form, as many actions as you need, and full workflows.
- Contacts must be set as marketing contacts to get emails sent from workflows, if your plan includes marketing contacts.
How does marketing automation work in HubSpot?
HubSpot has two kinds of automation. A simple workflow sits on a form: every time someone submits it, HubSpot runs the actions you chose, such as sending a follow-up email. HubSpot says simple workflows enroll contacts on every submission, and the form submission trigger cannot be changed. A workflow is the full tool: you choose what enrolls a contact and add as many steps as you need.
What can you automate on HubSpot's free tools?
You can send a follow-up email after each form submission. These are HubSpot's steps (HubSpot Knowledge Base, "Automate form submission actions").
- Click More if it appears, then go to Marketing > Forms.
- Hover over the form's name and click Edit, or create a new form.
- In the form editor, click the workflows automation icon in the left panel. On a legacy form, use the Automation tab.
- Under Send an email after form submission, click Create this workflow.
- To turn it on, click the switch next to the workflow's name, then click Got it.
On the free tools you get one of these per form, with one action.
What does Marketing Hub Starter add?
With Marketing Hub Starter, the same simple workflow on each form can hold up to 10 actions. If you pay for another HubSpot product at Starter or above but not Marketing Hub, the limit is three actions. HubSpot lists these actions for simple workflows:
- Communications: send a marketing email, an internal email notification or an internal marketing email.
- CRM: create a record or a task, or assign the contact to a team or a user. HubSpot says this needs activated, paid users.
- Marketing: add contacts to or remove them from an ads audience or a static list.
- Data: send a webhook to another app.
So one form on Starter can email the lead, tell you a lead came in, create a follow-up task and add the contact to a list, all from one submission.
When do you need Professional workflows?
When the automation has to do more than react to one form: a series of emails over several weeks, a lead that changes stage, or anything that starts from something other than a form. HubSpot lists workflows as available on Marketing, Sales, Service, Data, Smart CRM and Revenue Hub at Professional and Enterprise (HubSpot Knowledge Base, "Create workflows"). These are HubSpot's steps for a workflow from scratch:
- Click More if it appears, then go to Automation > Workflows.
- In the upper right, click Create workflow, then select From scratch.
- Choose the object type, such as contacts, and click the Trigger enrollment box to set what enrolls a record.
- Click the + icon, choose an action, set it up and click Save. Repeat for each step.
- Optional: set re-enrollment and unenrollment in the Settings tab.
- Click Review and publish, then Turn on workflow.
HubSpot says the number of workflows and the actions you can use depend on your subscription.
Which HubSpot plan does what?
| Plan | Form follow-up | Actions | Full workflows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tools | 1 simple workflow per form | 1 | No |
| Marketing Hub Starter | 1 simple workflow per form | Up to 10 | No |
| Marketing Hub Professional or Enterprise | More than 1 per form | As many as you need | Yes |
What should you check before you turn it on?
- Marketing contacts. HubSpot says that if your Marketing Hub plan includes marketing contacts, a contact must be set as a marketing contact to get emails sent from workflows. Check the people filling in your form will be.
- The email reads like you. We suggest writing the follow-up the way you would answer the person yourself, with one clear next step.
- You hear about the lead too. On Starter, add an internal email notification, so a new lead does not sit for days.
- Test it. We suggest submitting the form yourself once and checking the email arrives before you share the form.
How do you connect HubSpot to Claude or ChatGPT?
HubSpot makes its own connector for each, and both are available on every HubSpot plan, including the free tools. Once connected, Claude or ChatGPT can read your HubSpot records, create and update contacts and deals, and draft marketing emails for you. HubSpot says a Super Admin, or a user with App Marketplace Access, can connect without approval; anyone else needs a Super Admin to approve the connector first.
How do you connect HubSpot to Claude?
You need a paid Claude plan: Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. These are HubSpot's steps (HubSpot Knowledge Base, "Set up and use the HubSpot connector for Claude").
- In Claude, select your profile icon in the bottom left and click Settings.
- On the left, click Connectors, then click Browse.
- Search for and select HubSpot, then click Connect.
- Log in to the HubSpot account you want to use with Claude.
- Select the permissions you want to allow, then click Connect app. You are sent back to the Claude chat window.
HubSpot says the Claude connector can view, create and update but cannot delete.
How do you connect HubSpot to ChatGPT?
HubSpot says its ChatGPT connector is available to all HubSpot customers with an OpenAI account. These are HubSpot's steps (HubSpot Knowledge Base, "Set up and use the HubSpot connector for ChatGPT").
- In ChatGPT, select your profile icon in the bottom left and click Settings.
- Click Apps, select HubSpot, then click Connect.
- Click Continue to HubSpot and log in with your HubSpot account.
- Select the HubSpot account you want to connect.
- Select the permissions you want to allow, then click Connect App. You are sent back to the ChatGPT chat window.
HubSpot suggests including the word "HubSpot" in your prompts.
What should you set before Claude or ChatGPT changes anything?
- Write tools on Needs Approval. HubSpot recommends setting the connector's write tools to Needs Approval in Claude or ChatGPT, so you confirm each change. On Always allow, edits can happen without asking.
- 10 records at a time. HubSpot says both connectors create or update at most 10 records in one go.
- Drafts, not workflows. HubSpot says that when you ask for an email campaign or a workflow, Claude and ChatGPT give you the drafted content to set up in HubSpot yourself.
For the social media side of marketing automation and how we connect HubSpot follow-up, see marketing automation for small businesses.
What does marketing automation with HubSpot cost?
HubSpot's pricing page, in US dollars, lists its Free plan at $0 for up to 2 users, Marketing Hub Starter at $7 to $20 per seat per month depending on billing and HubSpot's current offer for new customers, and Marketing Hub Professional at $800 to $890 a month, plus a required one-time Professional Onboarding fee of $3,000 (HubSpot pricing, read November 4, 2026). Prices change, so check that page before you buy.
If you want us to build it for you, our published pricing is on the homepage: a Foundation build for one bottleneck is typically $3,000 to $3,500, and every build carries a monthly care plan of $300 to $600, in Canadian dollars.
Who sets up HubSpot marketing automation in the Fraser Valley?
threndle.ai is an AI automation agency in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, working on site in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, Agassiz and Hope. We connect CRMs such as HubSpot, social media channels and accounting tools such as QuickBooks.
Frequently asked questions
Can you do marketing automation with HubSpot's free tools?
Yes, a little. You can send one follow-up email after each form submission, with one action per form.
How many actions does Marketing Hub Starter allow?
Up to 10 actions in the simple workflow on each form.
Which HubSpot plan has workflows?
Professional and Enterprise, on Marketing, Sales, Service, Data, Smart CRM and Revenue Hub.
Why did a contact not get the follow-up email?
If your plan includes marketing contacts, check that the contact is set as a marketing contact. HubSpot only sends workflow emails to marketing contacts.
Can ChatGPT connect to HubSpot?
Yes. HubSpot makes a connector for ChatGPT, available to all HubSpot customers with an OpenAI account. In ChatGPT, go to Settings, then Apps, and connect HubSpot.
Can Claude or ChatGPT build HubSpot workflows?
No. HubSpot says both give you the drafted content, and you set up the workflow in HubSpot.
What should you do first?
Open the form that brings you the most leads and turn on the follow-up email. To see where your own time goes first, try the 3-minute diagnostic, or book a meeting.
Sources
- HubSpot Knowledge Base, "Automate form submission actions", read November 4, 2026
- HubSpot Knowledge Base, "Create workflows", read November 4, 2026
- HubSpot Knowledge Base, "Set up and use the HubSpot connector for Claude", read November 4, 2026
- HubSpot Knowledge Base, "Set up and use the HubSpot connector for ChatGPT", read November 4, 2026
- HubSpot, Marketing Hub pricing, read November 4, 2026
- threndle.ai, Marketing automation for small businesses