Making calls from HubSpot means initiating a call directly from the CRM instead of dialing the number separately on your phone. In the contact record, simply click the phone icon, and the call begins. The key difference from traditional phone calls isn’t in the dialing process itself, but in what happens afterward: The call is automatically logged, assigned to the correct contact, and made available for analysis.
HubSpot’s built-in calling feature is initiated from the contact record. In the call dialog, you select the caller ID and the device. You can choose to make calls via the browser using a headset connected to your computer, make calls using your own phone (with HubSpot establishing the connection), or make calls via the HubSpot mobile app.
One detail with cost implications: The option of using your own phone consumes twice as many call minutes because, technically, two connections are established. For teams with high call volumes, making calls via the browser is therefore generally the more cost-effective choice.
When it comes to phone numbers, HubSpot distinguishes between two types, and this difference is more significant than it might initially seem. A number provided by HubSpot is set up directly within HubSpot and can handle both outgoing and incoming calls, including call forwarding and voicemail. With a registered number, on the other hand, you keep your existing number with your current provider and simply verify it in HubSpot using a code. This works only for outgoing calls: If the customer calls back, your regular phone rings, and HubSpot isn’t notified of that call.
Yes, in principle, that’s correct. Switzerland is on both the list of countries where HubSpot provides phone numbers and the list of countries that can be called from within HubSpot. This means the basic requirement is met.
Important for Switzerland
If you only register your existing Swiss number with HubSpot instead of fully transferring it, calls to Swiss customers may no longer be delivered correctly: the recipient may see “unknown” on the display, or the call may be blocked by their telephone provider before the phone even rings.
The reason: Swiss network operators such as Swisscom and Sunrise check whether a displayed Swiss number actually originates from a Swiss network. HubSpot calls, however, technically originate from abroad. This check is intended to prevent fraudulent calls using spoofed numbers, but it also affects legitimate businesses. It initially applied only to fixed-line numbers and, since 1 July 2026, also applies to mobile numbers. HubSpot itself identifies two possible solutions: porting the existing number or obtaining a new number directly from HubSpot. We clearly recommend the second option; the next section explains why.
In practice, three architectures have become established, which differ in terms of ease of use, effort required, and regulatory compliance.
Call minutes for HubSpot’s in-house calling service are allocated per account and shared by the entire team, not per person. This is crucial when planning, because an active sales team will use up its quota faster than a per-person calculation would suggest.
Additional minutes and phone numbers can be purchased, though prices vary depending on the location of the caller and the recipient. To make calls, each person also needs a personal user license, known as a “Sales” or “Service” seat.
Just as important as the possibilities are the limitations, as this is where projects that sought to implement HubSpot as a full-fledged replacement for traditional phone systems have failed.
HubSpot also does not offer voice menus (“Press 1 for Sales”), call queues, or rule-based call routing. Incoming calls ring simultaneously for all assigned users, and even this basic routing requires a Professional or Enterprise plan. Anyone who needs a traditional switchboard with extensions, hold queues, and group rules will have no choice but to use a PBX system or a specialized provider.
For outbound sales, there’s no power dialer that automatically dials numbers one after another. Instead, HubSpot uses task lists and sequences that display a call task at the right time but do not automatically initiate the call. For teams that make a large number of cold calls every day, this is where an additional provider becomes worthwhile.
Text messages are often the fastest channel for customer contact, such as for appointment confirmations or follow-up questions. Swiss companies should take a closer look here, as the situation varies greatly when it comes to SMS and WhatsApp.
This section applies to HubSpot's own telephony service (Option 1), since that is the only one where calls are made through the browser. If you use a specialized provider for your calls (Option 2), you’ll need to follow that provider’s own, comparable guidelines, and if you keep your existing phone system (Option 3), you’ll continue making calls as usual, without any new requirements.
Because calls are routed through the browser, voice quality depends on the internet connection and the company network. The details are the responsibility of the IT department; you should provide them with two pieces of information from the HubSpot documentation: a stable connection with 10 Mbit/s upload and download speeds, and the approval of the IP range 168.86.128.0/18 and UDP ports 10000 through 60000 in the firewall.
Missing firewall permissions are the most common reason why calls fail to connect or drop on corporate networks. This issue should therefore be addressed early on with the IT team—ideally before the trial period begins. Mobile browsers and tablets are not supported for telephony; the HubSpot mobile app is the recommended solution for these devices.
The following points summarize all the technical details in this article for preparation. As a decision-maker, you can confidently leave this section to your IT department. The points regarding the network, firewall, and end devices apply to HubSpot’s own telephony solution (Option 1).
The real benefit lies not in making the call, but in comprehensive documentation, and all three options provide this core benefit: Each call is automatically assigned to the contact and also appears under the linked company and the active sales opportunity (the deal). No one has to manually log who they spoke with or when anymore.
However, the level of detail in the documentation varies depending on the option. With HubSpot’s own calling feature (Option 1) and specialized providers (Option 2), every call is initiated directly from the CRM, and the system records the destination, duration, and outcome of the call—that is, whether the person was reached, whether a message was left, or whether the number was incorrect. In addition, call recording and AI analysis are available upon request. Those who keep their existing phone system (Option 3) receive the key details of the calls—that is, who called whom, when, and for how long—with the aforementioned delay for Teams and without recording.
For sales management, Options 1 and 2 in particular provide a data foundation that did not exist before. Analyses show calls per day and per employee, average call duration, and the distribution of call outcomes. This makes it possible to determine how many contact attempts, on average, lead to an appointment and where in the process calls fall through. With Option 3, such analyses are correspondingly less detailed because the call outcome is missing.
For individual employees, the key benefit across all three options is that preparation is no longer necessary. The entire history is visible before the call, and nothing needs to be logged afterward. And when an employee is on vacation or handing off duties, their replacement can immediately see what was last discussed, rather than having to rely on handwritten notes.
First, a note on classification: The AI features in this section are available with HubSpot’s own telephony system (Option 1) as well as with select specialized providers (Option 2) whose recordings HubSpot can import. If you keep your existing phone system (Option 3), you won’t be able to use these features because recordings aren’t transferred to HubSpot.
Recorded calls are automatically transcribed and analyzed by HubSpot. This feature is called Conversation Intelligence and provides a summary that includes the purpose of the call, key points, decisions made, tone, and next steps. Additionally, transcripts can be searched, which makes it much easier to find specific statements.
Beyond simple transcription, HubSpot analyzes conversation data for sales management. Metrics such as talk time, speaking speed, longest monologue, and interactivity provide insight into how a conversation unfolded. Managers can comment on specific sections of the transcript, enabling them to provide targeted coaching rather than general feedback. In the Enterprise version, users can also define “tracked terms”—such as competitors’ names or common objections—which are then automatically recorded and analyzed whenever they are mentioned.
In addition, HubSpot suggests next steps based on call and deal data and highlights updates that would be useful in the CRM. Automatic transcription and call analysis require a seat in Sales Hub or Service Hub Professional or Enterprise; tracked terms are available only in the Enterprise version.
This point is regularly underestimated in telephony projects, as in Switzerland not only data protection laws apply, but also criminal law. According to Article 179ter of the Swiss Criminal Code, anyone who, as a participant in a conversation, records a non-public conversation without the consent of the other parties involved is liable to prosecution. The decisive factor here is not whether the recording is made secretly, but whether consent has been obtained.
While there is an exception for business-related conversations concerning orders, contracts, or reservations, the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner interprets this exception narrowly. Consultations, sales calls, and negotiations generally do not fall under this exception. Furthermore, recordings made in this manner may, in principle, be used only for evidentiary purposes—not for training, quality assurance, or evaluation. Yet these are precisely the purposes for which companies wish to use recordings.
Added to this are the requirements of the revised Data Protection Act: Data subjects must be informed in advance of the purpose and recipients; recordings must be deleted as soon as the purpose is fulfilled; and in cases of high risk, a data protection impact assessment may be required.
Consider data location
For telephony, HubSpot works with the US service provider Twilio, which technically handles calls on HubSpot’s behalf and processes data in the US. This also applies to HubSpot accounts hosted in the EU data centre in Germany. Moving the account location to the EU therefore does not resolve the issue for telephony. This transfer of data abroad must be reflected in the record of data processing activities and in the privacy notice, and must be contractually safeguarded.
A third point concerns the company’s own employees. According to Article 26 of Ordinance 3 to the Labor Act, surveillance systems designed to monitor behavior in the workplace are prohibited, regardless of whether consent has been given. Recordings for quality assurance purposes are permitted only if they are proportionate, employees have been informed in advance, and a clear notice is provided. Continuous, blanket recording of all conversations for performance evaluation purposes is the riskiest configuration imaginable.
Another practical consideration is that HubSpot does not document a configurable retention period for recordings. Anyone wishing to establish a deletion period must ensure that the process is implemented within their own organization.
This section reflects the current state of publicly available information and is not a substitute for legal advice. For specific implementation details, particularly regarding recordings of employee conversations, it is recommended to consult with an attorney.
HubSpot’s telephony feature integrates the channel into the CRM through which the most important sales conversations take place. Calls are automatically documented in all three scenarios; whether using HubSpot’s own telephony or a selected specialized provider, AI additionally summarizes the conversations and makes them analyzable, so that managers receive reliable data rather than relying on gut feelings.
Information in this post is current as of August 2026. All information in this article—such as license scope, call minutes, supported languages, and legal requirements—refers to this date and has been verified against the official HubSpot documentation. We expressly reserve the right to make changes to prices, content, and features.
