How to Connect HubSpot to Claude Desktop Using Howly
If you're a Howly user, you now have a direct path to bring your HubSpot data into Claude Desktop — without switching tabs, copying records, or losing context. This guide walks you through exactly how to set it up using a Howly MCP token.
What You'll Need
A Howly account connected to your HubSpot portal
Claude Desktop installed on your computer
About 3 minutes
What Is an MCP Token?
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol — an open standard that lets AI tools like Claude Desktop securely connect to external data sources. A Howly MCP token is what authorizes that connection, giving Claude Desktop read access to your HubSpot data through Howly's infrastructure.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Your Howly MCP Token
Step 1: Go to Account Settings in Howly
Log into your Howly portal and navigate to Account Settings. Scroll to the bottom of the page — you'll find the Howly MCP section there.
Step 2: Create a New Token
Click New Token. Howly will generate a unique token for your portal. You'll see two things:
The token itself
A desktop config snippet — a small block of code you'll paste into Claude Desktop
Step 3: Name Your Token (Optional)
By default, the token is named "Claude Desktop." You can rename it to anything that helps you stay organized — useful if you're managing multiple portals or team members.
Step 4: Add the Config Snippet to Claude Desktop
Copy the config snippet provided by Howly and paste it into your Claude Desktop configuration file. Once saved, Claude Desktop will use that snippet to authenticate with your HubSpot data via Howly.
That's it — your connection is live.
Watch the Full Walkthrough
See the setup in action (under 2 minutes):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFSm9-vnXUM
Why Connect HubSpot to Claude Desktop?
Right now, the integration surfaces Howly's workflow health analysis directly inside Claude Desktop. The same data you'd find in your Howly dashboard — health scores, issue counts, broken enrollments, circular dependencies, stale workflows — becomes queryable in plain English.
That means instead of opening the dashboard, you can just ask:
"Which of my workflows have broken enrollments?"
"How many critical issues do I have?"
"List all stale workflows"
It's a different way to interact with an analysis you're already running. Useful if you'd rather ask a question than navigate a UI — or if you want to pull workflow health into a broader conversation you're already having with Claude.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be a HubSpot admin to set this up? You need access to Howly's account settings, which typically requires admin or manager-level permissions in your Howly portal.
Is my HubSpot data safe? Yes. The MCP token authorizes a read connection through Howly's infrastructure — no data is stored by Claude Desktop itself.
Can I create multiple tokens? Yes. You can create separate tokens for different team members or MCP-compatible tools.
What other tools work with a Howly MCP token? Any MCP-compatible system can use the token, not just Claude Desktop. Claude Desktop is the most common use case today.
What if I need to revoke access? You can delete a token at any time from the Howly MCP section in your account settings.
Summary
To connect HubSpot to Claude Desktop using Howly:
Go to Account Settings → scroll to Howly MCP
Click New Token
Copy the config snippet
Paste it into Claude Desktop
You're connected. Start asking Claude questions about your HubSpot data directly from your desktop.
