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If you don’t see your preferred webhook provider, you can request support for it.
This guide explains how to use ngrok to receive HubSpot webhooks on your localhost app. By integrating ngrok with HubSpot, you can:
  • Develop and test HubSpot webhooks locally without deploying to a public environment or setting up HTTPS.
  • Inspect and troubleshoot requests from HubSpot in real time via the inspection UI and API.
  • Modify and replay HubSpot webhook requests with a single click instead of reproducing events manually in your HubSpot account.
  • Secure your app with HubSpot webhook validation provided by ngrok. Invalid requests are blocked by ngrok before reaching your app.

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What you’ll need

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1. Start your app

For this tutorial, you can use the sample Node.js app on GitHub. To install the sample, run the following in a terminal:
Then start the app:
The app runs on port 3000 by default. You can confirm it’s running by visiting http://localhost:3000. The app logs request headers and body in the terminal and shows a message in the browser.

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2. Expose your app with ngrok

Once your app is running locally, you’re ready to put it online securely using ngrok.
The ngrok agent uses your authtoken to authenticate when you start a tunnel.
  • Start ngrok:
  • Copy the URL ngrok displays. Your app is now exposed at that URL for use with HubSpot.

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3. Configure HubSpot to send webhooks

HubSpot can send webhook requests to your app from an automation workflow (HubSpot Pro or developer account) or from an app in HubSpot Developers. The following uses an automation workflow. Follow HubSpot’s documentation for using webhooks in workflows, add a Send a webhook action, and set the following:
  • Method: POST.
  • Webhook URL: your ngrok URL (for example, https://1a2b-3c4d-5e6f-7g8h-9i0j.ngrok.app).
  • Authentication type: None.
Set the workflow trigger to the change you want to test. For this example, use a new contact with a specific contact owner.

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Run webhooks with HubSpot and ngrok

To trigger calls from HubSpot to your app, create a record that matches your workflow trigger. For this example, create a contact and set the same Contact owner you used in the trigger.
Contact owner must match the user you selected in the workflow trigger.
Confirm your localhost app receives the contact-created event and logs both headers and body in the terminal.

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Inspecting requests

ngrok’s Traffic Inspector captures all requests made through your ngrok endpoint to your localhost app. Select any request to view detailed information about both the request and response.
To avoid exposing secrets, accounts only collect traffic metadata by default. You must enable full capture in the Traffic Inspector section of your account settings to capture complete request and response data.
Use the traffic inspector to:
  • Validate webhook payloads and response data
  • Debug request headers, methods, and status codes
  • Troubleshoot integration issues without adding logging to your app

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Replaying requests

Test your webhook handling code without triggering new events from your service using the Traffic Inspector’s replay feature:
  1. Send a test webhook from your service to generate traffic in your Traffic Inspector.
  2. Select the request you want to replay in the traffic inspector.
  3. Choose your replay option:
    • Click Replay to send the exact same request again
    • Select Replay with modifications to edit the request before sending
  4. (Optional) Modify the request: Edit any part of the original request, such as changing field values in the request body.
  5. Send the request by clicking Replay.
Your local application will receive the replayed request and log the data to the terminal.

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Secure webhook requests

ngrok can verify that incoming requests are from your HubSpot webhook so only that traffic reaches your app.
Webhook verification is limited to 500 validations per month on free accounts. If you need more, you can upgrade to Hobbyist or Pay-as-you-go. See TPU Pricing for details.
To add verification:
  • Create a custom app in your HubSpot developer account and note its ID.
  • In the workflow, click Actions for the Send a webhook step and Edit, then enter the app ID and save.
  • In the developer account, go to Manage apps, open your app, Auth tab, and copy the Client secret.
  • Create a Traffic Policy file named hubspot_policy.yml. Replace {your client secret} with the value you copied:
  • Restart ngrok with the policy file:
  • Create a new contact in HubSpot (with the same Contact owner) to trigger the webhook.
Your app should receive the request and log it in the terminal.