Blogs | Markivis

How to Set Up HubSpot Chatbots | Markivis

Written by Markivis | Apr 13, 2026 5:33:13 AM

Key Takeaways

  • HubSpot chatbots engage visitors automatically, even outside business hours
  • You can create chatbots without coding in under 20 minutes
  • Chatbots qualify leads by gathering key information in conversation
  • A chatbot on your website can increase lead capture by 30-40%
  • Chatbots work on websites, landing pages, and HubSpot portals

Why Use HubSpot Chatbots

A chatbot is an AI-powered conversation tool that engages visitors automatically. Instead of a visitor leaving your site because no one's available, a chatbot answers their questions, qualifies them as a lead, and books meetings.

The result: You capture leads 24/7, even when your team is sleeping. Chatbots also handle repetitive questions, freeing your sales team to focus on selling instead of answering "What's your pricing?" 100 times a day.

Types of HubSpot Chatbots

Lead Qualification Chatbot: "Hi! Are you evaluating a solution like ours? Let me see if we're a good fit for you."

Sales Chatbot: "Ready to talk to our team? Let's schedule a demo."

Support Chatbot: "How can I help you today? Browse our knowledge base or contact support."

Meeting Booking Chatbot: "Would you like to schedule a 15-minute call with our team?"

Step-by-Step: Create Your First Chatbot

Step 1: Access the Chatbot Builder

  1. Log into HubSpot
  2. Click "Conversations" in the top menu
  3. Select "Chatbots"
  4. Click "Create chatbot"
  5. Choose a template:

- "Lead qualification"

- "Schedule a meeting"

- "Support chat"

- "Start from scratch"

    6. Name your chatbot: "Website Lead Qualification Bot"

Step 2: Design Your Greeting Message

The greeting message appears when someone first sees the chatbot:

  1. Click on the first message bubble
  2. Edit the greeting: "Hi! 👋 I'm here to help. Are you looking to [your main offer]?"
  3. Keep it friendly and specific
  4. Example: "Hi! 👋 I'm here to help. Are you looking to automate your marketing?"
  5. Click "Done"

Step 3: Create Conversation Branches

Now create different conversation paths based on visitor responses:

  1. Click "Add response"
  2. Create response options for your greeting:

- Option 1: "Yes, tell me more"

- Option 2: "I'm just browsing"

- Option 3: "I want to talk to sales"

    3. For each response, create the next message

If they click "Yes, tell me more":

  • Message: "Great! What's your biggest challenge with [your industry/problem]?"
  • Add a text input field so they can type a response

If they click "I'm just browsing":

  • Message: "No problem! Feel free to look around. I'm here if you have questions."

If they click "I want to talk to sales":

  • Message: "Perfect! Let me get your contact info to have someone reach out."
  • Ask for: Name, email, company
  • After submission, offer: "Thanks! Someone will be in touch within 2 hours."

Step 4: Add a Meeting Booking Option

One of the most valuable chatbot actions is booking meetings:

  1. In the conversation flow, find where you want to offer meeting booking
  2. Click "Add action"
  3. Select "Schedule a meeting"
  4. Choose which calendar (your sales team member's calendar)
  5. Set available times (e.g., "Weekday business hours")
  6. Click "Save"

Step 5: Set Qualification Conditions

Chatbots can qualify leads based on their answers:

  1. Create a branching question: "What's your company size?"
  2. Add options:

- "1-10 employees"

- "11-50 employees"

- "51-500 employees"

- "500+ employees"

    3. For responses you're interested in, have the bot say: "You sound like a great fit. Let's schedule a quick call."

    4. For responses outside your target, say: "We focus on [your ideal market]. But we'd still love to connect!"

Step 6: Add Lead Capture

At some point, capture their information:

  1. Add a message: "To make sure we follow up with you, can I get your contact info?"
  2. Add form fields:

- First name

- Last name

- Email

- Company name

    3. These automatically create a HubSpot contact

Step 7: Set Visitor Criteria

Decide which visitors see the chatbot:

  1. Click "Visitor criteria"
  2. Set rules like:

- Show to all visitors

- Only show after 30 seconds on the page (so they actually engage)

- Only show on specific pages (e.g., pricing page)

- Don't show to existing customers

    3. Click "Save"

Step 8: Preview Your Chatbot

  1. Click "Preview" in the top right
  2. Walk through the chatbot as a visitor would
  3. Test all conversation branches
  4. Verify form submissions work
  5. Check that meeting booking works

Step 9: Publish Your Chatbot

  1. Click "Publish" in the top right
  2. Choose where to display:

- Entire website

- Specific pages only

     3. Verify the install location

     4. Click "Confirm"

Step 10: Monitor Chatbot Performance

After launching:

  1. Check "Analytics" weekly
  2. Key metrics to track:

- Visitors who opened chatbot

- Completion rate (% who finished the conversation)

- Meetings booked through chatbot

- Leads qualified through chatbot

    3. Optimize based on data

Chatbot Conversation Best Practices

Be Conversational: "What challenge are you facing?" sounds better than "Please describe your pain points."

Keep It Short: Chatbots work best when conversations are 3-5 exchanges. After that, people want to talk to a human.

Offer an Out: Always give people an option to leave. "Not interested in chatting? No problem!"

Use Specific Questions: "What's your role?" is better than "Tell me about yourself."

Move Qualified Leads to Sales: Once someone is qualified, offer to connect them with sales: "Ready to talk to our team?"

Be Clear About Next Steps: "We'll contact you within 2 hours" is better than vague follow-up promises.

Troubleshooting Chatbots

Problem: Chatbot isn't appearing on my website

Solution: Verify it's set to "Publish" and check the visitor criteria settings.

Problem: Visitors report the chatbot is slow to respond

Solution: Chatbot response time depends on your HubSpot server. Check your internet connection and HubSpot system status.

Problem: Form submissions through chatbot aren't creating contacts

Solution: Verify the form fields are mapped to HubSpot properties. Re-publish the chatbot.

Conclusion

HubSpot chatbots are one of the fastest ways to turn website visitors into qualified leads — without adding headcount. In under 20 minutes, you can have a bot greeting visitors, answering questions, capturing contact details, and booking meetings around the clock.

Start simple: deploy one chatbot on your highest-traffic page, monitor the results for two weeks, then expand. The leads your team misses at 2 AM won't miss themselves — but your chatbot won't either.
View full post