---
title: SendGrid & HubSpot Integration for Email Tracking
type: article
created: '2026-04-05'
updated: '2026-04-05'
source_docs:
- raw/2026-02-02-linkedin-sales-navigator-walkthrough-118971489.md
tags:
- email-marketing
- sendgrid
- hubspot
- integration
- outreach
- automation
layer: 2
client_source: null
industry_context: null
transferable: true
---

# SendGrid & HubSpot Integration for Email Tracking

## Overview

When running outbound email campaigns, maintaining a single source of truth for prospect history is critical — especially when multiple tools are involved. The pattern established for [[clients/aviary/index|Aviary]]'s outreach stack uses **SendGrid** as the email delivery platform, integrated with **HubSpot** as the CRM of record, with a **Google Sheet** as a redundant backup log.

This setup avoids the high cost of HubSpot's native email sequences while preserving full visibility into prospect engagement history.

---

## Architecture

### Email Delivery: SendGrid

- SendGrid handles all outbound email sending for the drip campaign sequence.
- A seat is provisioned per sender (in Aviary's case, Aaron Grossman obtained a seat through Justin).
- SendGrid is **not** connected directly to Outlook; HubSpot serves as the integration layer instead.

### CRM Integration: HubSpot

- SendGrid is connected to HubSpot so that all sent emails and engagement events (opens, clicks) are logged against the corresponding contact record.
- This keeps HubSpot as the **single source of truth** for prospect history, regardless of which tool initiated the send.
- Aaron's Outlook is already connected to HubSpot, so inbound replies are captured automatically.

### Backup Logging: Google Sheet

- Every outbound email sent via SendGrid also appends a row to a shared Google Sheet.
- This provides a lightweight, human-readable audit trail that doesn't require navigating HubSpot's UI.
- Rationale: HubSpot's interface can make it difficult to quickly review send history; the Sheet serves as a fast reference.

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## Why Not HubSpot Sequences?

HubSpot's built-in sequence and automation features require paid tier upgrades that add significant per-feature cost. The SendGrid + N8N approach achieves the same outcome — automated multi-touch outreach with CRM logging — using tools Aviary already licenses.

> "Everything you want to do [in HubSpot], you've got to pay more... so once we get this figured out, we can figure out a way to do it without buying anything from HubSpot." — Mark Hope

See [[knowledge/sales/outreach-playbook-manual-before-automation|Manual-First Outreach Playbook]] for the broader sequencing strategy this integration supports.

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## Setup Checklist

- [ ] Aaron obtains SendGrid seat from Justin
- [ ] SendGrid account connected to HubSpot (contact-level logging enabled)
- [ ] N8N workflow configured to trigger sends and write to Google Sheet on each send event
- [ ] Sebastian briefs designers on HTML email template requirements
- [ ] Drip campaign content loaded into SendGrid (content already drafted by Sebastian)

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## Related

- [[clients/aviary/index|Aviary Client Overview]]
- [[knowledge/sales/linkedin-sales-navigator-setup|LinkedIn Sales Navigator Setup]]
- [[knowledge/sales/outreach-playbook-manual-before-automation|Manual-First Outreach Playbook]]
- [[knowledge/tools/n8n-automation|N8N Automation]]