How to Automate Lead Enrichment and Routing with n8n

1 Trigger on new HubSpot contacts

The n8n workflow starts with the HubSpot Trigger node, which listens for HubSpot webhook events and starts one n8n execution for each new contact. This is the real-time entry point of the n8n flow: every lead is enriched the moment it appears in the CRM.

Add an n8n HubSpot Trigger node and configure:

Node: HubSpot Trigger
Authentication: Developer API
App ID: your HubSpot developer app ID
Developer API Key: your developer API key
Event: Contact Created
Additional Fields > Max Concurrent Requests: 5

The trigger needs a HubSpot developer app so HubSpot can call the n8n webhook URL. Create the app, add the crm.objects.contacts.read scope, and copy the n8n production webhook URL into the app's webhook settings. Remember that the Test URL only works while the editor listens.

{
  "objectId": 4102,
  "subscriptionType": "contact.creation",
  "portalId": 1234567,
  "occurredAt": 1730737200000
}

The payload holds only the contact ID. The next node fetches the email address, so add an n8n HubSpot node with Operation: Get on that contact ID, requesting the email, firstname, lastname and company properties.

2 Call the Clearbit Enrichment API with an HTTP Request node

The n8n HTTP Request node sends the lead email to the Clearbit Combined endpoint, which returns person and company data in one response. Clearbit is now part of HubSpot, so confirm which API access and keys your plan includes before you rely on it, and swap the URL if you use another provider with similar fields.

Node: HTTP Request
Method: GET
URL: https://person.clearbit.com/v2/combined/find
Send Query Parameters: On
  email: {{ $json.properties.email }}
Authentication: Generic Credential Type > Header Auth
  Name: Authorization
  Value: Bearer sk_YOUR_CLEARBIT_KEY
Options:
  Response > Never Error: On
Settings > On Error: Continue (regular output)

Setting Never Error and On Error: Continue matters. Clearbit answers 404 for unknown people and 202 when a lookup is queued. Without these settings, n8n marks the execution as failed and the lead is never scored. The n8n Code node in the next step treats both cases as empty enrichment.

{
  "person": {
    "name": { "fullName": "Alex Kim" },
    "employment": { "title": "VP of Operations", "role": "operations", "seniority": "executive" },
    "linkedin": { "handle": "in/alexkim" }
  },
  "company": {
    "name": "Brightpath",
    "category": { "industry": "Software" },
    "metrics": { "employees": 240 }
  }
}

3 Merge the enrichment data into the lead record

An n8n Code node flattens the nested response into the fields the CRM and the scoring step need. Optional chaining keeps the n8n node from crashing when Clearbit returns a partial profile. Name this n8n node Merge Enrichment.

Node: Code
Mode: Run Once for Each Item

const e = $json;
const contact = $('Get Contact').item.json.properties;
const title = e.person?.employment?.title || '';
const linkedinHandle = e.person?.linkedin?.handle || '';
return { json: {
  contactId: $('Get Contact').item.json.id,
  email: contact.email,
  firstName: contact.firstname,
  company: e.company?.name || contact.company || '',
  jobTitle: title,
  role: e.person?.employment?.role || '',
  seniority: e.person?.employment?.seniority || '',
  industry: e.company?.category?.industry || '',
  companySize: Number(e.company?.metrics?.employees || 0),
  linkedinUrl: linkedinHandle ? 'https://www.linkedin.com/' + linkedinHandle : '',
  enriched: Boolean(e.person || e.company)
}};

{
  "contactId": "4102",
  "email": "alex@brightpath.io",
  "company": "Brightpath",
  "jobTitle": "VP of Operations",
  "industry": "Software",
  "companySize": 240,
  "linkedinUrl": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexkim",
  "enriched": true
}

Numbers are coerced with Number() so the scoring comparison later works on integers, not strings. The enriched flag lets you report in n8n on how many leads Clearbit could match.

4 Update the HubSpot contact with enriched fields

A second n8n HubSpot node writes the new fields back, so sales sees the job title, company size and LinkedIn link inside the contact record without leaving the CRM.

Node: HubSpot
Resource: Contact
Operation: Update
Contact ID: {{ $json.contactId }}
Update Fields:
  Job Title: {{ $json.jobTitle }}
  Company Name: {{ $json.company }}
  Website URL: (leave empty)
Custom Properties:
  industry_enriched: {{ $json.industry }}
  company_size_enriched: {{ $json.companySize }}
  linkedin_url_enriched: {{ $json.linkedinUrl }}

Create the three custom properties in HubSpot first, before you run n8n, as single line text for industry and LinkedIn and as a number for company size. Use separate enriched properties instead of overwriting form values, so you can always see what the lead typed versus what the enrichment API returned.

{
  "id": "4102",
  "properties": {
    "jobtitle": "VP of Operations",
    "industry_enriched": "Software",
    "company_size_enriched": "240"
  }
}

The n8n HubSpot node returns the contact, not your original fields. Reference the merge node by name in later expressions with $('Merge Enrichment').item.json.

5 Score the lead with a multi-factor formula

Another n8n Code node converts the enriched profile into a number. The formula adds points for each signal that suggests a good fit. Keep the weights in one object so a sales manager can tune them without reading the n8n logic.

Node: Code
Mode: Run Once for Each Item

const m = $('Merge Enrichment').item.json;
const target = ['software', 'saas', 'financial services', 'technology'];
let score = 0;
const reasons = [];
if (m.companySize > 100) { score += 20; reasons.push('company_size>100: +20'); }
if (/\b(vp|vice president|director)\b/i.test(m.jobTitle)) { score += 30; reasons.push('senior_role: +30'); }
if (target.includes(m.industry.toLowerCase())) { score += 25; reasons.push('industry_match: +25'); }
if (m.linkedinUrl.length > 0) { score += 5; reasons.push('has_linkedin: +5'); }
return { json: { ...m, score, hot: score >= 60, reasons } };

In n8n, the scoring formula is: score = 20 (size over 100) + 30 (VP or Director title) + 25 (industry match) + 5 (LinkedIn present), for a maximum of 80. The listed weights and the industry list are examples; replace them with the traits of your own best customers.

{
  "contactId": "4102",
  "score": 80,
  "hot": true,
  "reasons": ["company_size>100: +20", "senior_role: +30", "industry_match: +25", "has_linkedin: +5"]
}

6 Route hot leads with an IF node

An n8n IF node separates leads that deserve immediate attention from the rest. With the example weights, a score of 60 means the lead has at least a senior title plus a second strong signal.

Node: IF
Conditions:
  Value 1: {{ $json.score }}
  Operation: Number > Larger or Equal
  Value 2: 60

The true output of the n8n IF node goes to Slack. The false output can end the workflow, or write a lower priority tag to HubSpot for nurture campaigns. The n8n IF node keeps the logic visible, and you can change the threshold in one field.

{
  "score": 80,
  "branch": "true"
}

7 Alert the sales channel in Slack

The final n8n Slack node posts the full enriched profile to #sales-hot-leads, so a rep can reply within minutes with context. n8n sends the message as soon as scoring ends.

Node: Slack
Resource: Message
Operation: Send
Send Message To: Channel
Channel: sales-hot-leads
Text: Hot lead (score {{ $json.score }}): *{{ $json.firstName }}* at {{ $json.company }}
Title: {{ $json.jobTitle }}
Industry: {{ $json.industry }}  |  Size: {{ $json.companySize }} employees
LinkedIn: {{ $json.linkedinUrl }}
Why: {{ $json.reasons.join(', ') }}
HubSpot: https://app.hubspot.com/contacts/YOUR_PORTAL_ID/contact/{{ $json.contactId }}

{
  "ok": true,
  "channel": "C10HOTLEAD",
  "ts": "1730737305.000500"
}

Including the reasons list shows the rep why the lead scored high, which builds trust in the n8n model and exposes weights that need adjusting. Activate the n8n workflow, create a test contact in HubSpot, and watch the execution complete.