Automate Lead Enrichment with HubSpot Breeze Intelligence and n8n (2026)

By Ryan Nichols · Founder, CTO, AI Solutions Architect · · 13 min read

Automatically enrich leads with company and contact data using HubSpot Breeze Intelligence and n8n. Add firmographics, technographics, and role signals the moment a new lead comes in.

You can automate lead enrichment with HubSpot Breeze Intelligence and n8n by connecting an n8n webhook trigger to the Breeze Intelligence API, calling /crm/v3/objects/companies/search or /integrations/v1/me with a lead's email or domain, then writing the returned firmographics directly to HubSpot. The result: every new inbound lead gets company data appended automatically, with no manual research required.

Migration note: If your workflow still calls the legacy Clearbit API, be aware that Clearbit was acquired by HubSpot and rebranded as Breeze Intelligence in 2023. You'll need to replace your Clearbit Bearer token with a HubSpot private app token and update your endpoints to the HubSpot Breeze paths covered below.

What is lead enrichment

Lead enrichment is the process of taking a basic lead record (usually name, email, and maybe company) and automatically adding useful context like:

  • Company name, website, industry, size, location
  • Job title and role signals
  • Technologies used (technographics)
  • Social links (when available)

The practical goal is simple: help sales and marketing decide who to prioritize and how to personalize outreach without spending hours researching.

Done well, enrichment improves downstream performance. Lead enrichment can increase conversion rates by 30% (source), and enriched leads can have 2x higher close rates (source). Even if your results differ, those numbers explain why enrichment is often one of the highest-ROI automations for B2B sales teams.

If you're already capturing leads with n8n, enrichment is a natural next step. For a broader capture foundation, see the complete guide to n8n lead capture automation.

Why use HubSpot Breeze Intelligence

HubSpot Breeze Intelligence is the successor to the Clearbit enrichment API. If you already use HubSpot as your CRM, Breeze Intelligence is worth considering because:

  • Enrichment data stays inside the HubSpot ecosystem, reducing integration surface area
  • You call the same HubSpot API you use for contacts and companies, so credential management is simpler
  • Company-level and person-level data come back in a consistent format you can map directly to HubSpot properties

Breeze Intelligence pairs well with n8n because:

  • n8n can call the Breeze API via HTTP Request nodes in a repeatable workflow
  • You can add branching, scoring, and routing logic around the enrichment response
  • You control cost by enriching only when it matters (more on that below)

Note: Make and Zapier can also call the Breeze API, but this post focuses on n8n because it gives you explicit control over fallback branches and data mapping.

Setting up HubSpot Breeze Intelligence in n8n

API authentication setup

HubSpot Breeze Intelligence uses private app tokens, not the legacy Clearbit Bearer token format. Here's how to configure authentication:

  1. Create a HubSpot private app

    • In HubSpot: Settings > Integrations > Private Apps
    • Create a new private app and give it the scopes: crm.objects.contacts.read, crm.objects.companies.read, and crm.objects.companies.write
    • Copy the generated access token

  2. Store it in n8n credentials

    • In n8n, go to Credentials > Add Credential > Header Auth
    • Set the header name to Authorization and value to Bearer YOUR_PRIVATE_APP_TOKEN
    • Alternatively, store the token as an n8n environment variable and reference it in your HTTP Request nodes

  3. Create an HTTP Request node

    • Method: POST (for company search) or GET (for identity check)
    • Base URL: https://api.hubapi.com
    • Authentication: use the Header Auth credential you created above

  4. Test with a known input

    • Start with one real company domain from your own team to validate your request and response handling before connecting live lead sources

If you're still building your capture flow, this walkthrough pairs well: how to set up webhook lead capture in n8n step-by-step.

Enriching leads automatically

Email-based enrichment

Email-based enrichment is usually the most direct path for inbound leads because forms reliably collect email addresses.

Typical flow in n8n:

  1. Trigger: form submit (webhook), HubSpot form, Google Form, etc.
  2. Validate: confirm email is present and not a free domain (optional gate)
  3. Extract the domain from the work email
  4. Call Breeze Intelligence with the domain via /crm/v3/objects/companies/search
  5. Parse the response and map fields
  6. Update HubSpot contact and company records, then notify sales (optional)

Sample request body for company search:

{
  "filterGroups": [
    {
      "filters": [
        {
          "propertyName": "domain",
          "operator": "EQ",
          "value": "techfirm.com"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "properties": ["name", "domain", "industry", "numberofemployees", "country", "city"]
}

Realistic response example (simplified)

Your HTTP Request node might return a JSON structure that resembles the following (field names vary by plan; treat this as an example shape you'll map from):

  • results[0].properties.name: "TechFirm Inc"
  • results[0].properties.domain: "techfirm.com"
  • results[0].properties.industry: "Computer Software"
  • results[0].properties.numberofemployees: "120"
  • results[0].properties.country: "United States"
  • results[0].properties.city: "Austin"

In n8n, you'd take the response and map it to your HubSpot contact and company properties (see "Updating CRM" below).

Domain-based enrichment

Domain-based enrichment is useful when:

  • You don't have an email yet (chat leads, webinar signups with only company info)
  • You want to enrich accounts for ABM lists rather than individuals
  • The email is personal (Gmail) but the lead provided a company website

Typical domain enrichment steps:

  1. Extract the domain from:
    • A company_website form field, or
    • The email domain (if not a free provider like Gmail or Outlook)
  2. POST to /crm/v3/objects/companies/search with the domain as a filter
  3. Populate company properties in HubSpot
  4. Optionally create a Company object first, then associate the contact afterward

Company data vs person data

In most B2B pipelines, company data drives qualification and routing, while person data drives personalization.

Company data (firmographics) you'll usually want in CRM:

  • Industry
  • Employee count range
  • Country/region
  • Company description
  • Technologies (if available on your plan)

Person data you'll usually want in CRM:

  • Title and seniority
  • Department and role signals
  • LinkedIn URL
  • Location (sometimes)

Practical tip: decide before you build which fields are routing-critical vs. nice-to-have.

  • Routing-critical: employee count, industry, country, tech stack
  • Nice-to-have: short bio, extra social links

That decision matters for cost control and fallback logic.

Handling enrichment failures

Fallback logic

Even with solid coverage, enrichment won't always return data. Build your n8n workflow assuming three outcomes:

  1. Full match (company and person data returned)
  2. Partial match (company only, or limited fields)
  3. No match (empty results array or 404-style outcome)

Recommended n8n pattern

After the HTTP Request, add an IF node:

  • If results array is non-empty and results[0].properties.domain is present, proceed with mapping.
  • Otherwise, run a fallback branch.

Fallback actions that keep your pipeline moving

  • Create or update the lead in HubSpot with what you do have
  • Tag the record: enrichment_status = failed
  • Add a task: "Research company details" (only for high-value sources)
  • If the domain is present but the company search returned nothing, try a broader search or queue for manual review

This keeps your automation reliable and prevents silent data gaps.

Updating CRM with enriched data

Data mapping

For B2B sales teams, HubSpot is a common destination. Here's a practical mapping example using Breeze Intelligence response fields.

Example HubSpot Contact properties

  • firstname, lastname from any person-level data returned
  • jobtitle from role signals
  • A custom LinkedIn field from profile references (when available)

Example HubSpot Company properties

  • domain from results[0].properties.domain
  • name from results[0].properties.name
  • industry from results[0].properties.industry
  • numberofemployees from results[0].properties.numberofemployees
  • country from results[0].properties.country

n8n workflow tips

  • Use a Set node to normalize values before writing to HubSpot:
    • Map raw employee numbers to ranges (1-10, 11-50, 51-200, etc.)
    • Standardize country names or codes
  • Use an Upsert pattern:
    • Find contact by email, update if exists, create if not
    • Find company by domain, update if exists, create if not
    • Associate contact to company

If you want to add prioritization right after enrichment, connect it to scoring logic like: automated lead scoring with n8n and HubSpot.

Cost optimization strategies

Breeze Intelligence enrichment is powerful, but if you enrich everything, costs can add up. n8n makes it straightforward to control when enrichment happens.

1) Enrich only when the lead meets a threshold

Common gates:

  • Source is "demo request" or "pricing page"
  • Form includes a company website or work email
  • Country is in your target regions
  • Email is not a student or personal domain

2) Use a two-step enrichment approach

  • Step A: cheap qualification from your existing fields (form answers, UTMs)
  • Step B: only if the lead looks promising, call Breeze Intelligence and enrich fully

This is aligned with performance: enriched leads can have 2x higher close rates (source), so it's rational to invest enrichment credits where you expect return.

3) Store enrichment status and timestamp

In HubSpot, add:

  • enrichment_status: success / partial / failed
  • enriched_at: date
  • enrichment_provider: HubSpot Breeze Intelligence

Then, in n8n:

  • Skip enrichment if enriched_at is within the last 90 days
  • Re-enrich only if key fields are blank (industry, employees, domain)

4) Cost-per-lead calculation (simple and usable)

You don't need complex math to make good decisions. Track:

  • Enrichment cost per lead = (Breeze spend in period) / (number of leads enriched)
  • Cost per qualified lead influenced = (Breeze spend) / (number of enriched leads that became SQLs)

Then compare those to:

  • Your average cost per SQL from ads
  • Your team's time cost for manual research

Because lead enrichment can increase conversion rates by 30% (source), even modest improvements can justify the spend if you measure it with your own funnel numbers.

FAQ

What data does HubSpot Breeze Intelligence provide?

Breeze Intelligence commonly provides company firmographics (name, domain, industry, location, size) and, when available, person-level details tied to an email (name, title, and social profile references). What you receive depends on the specific endpoint you call and the data available for that record.

How much does HubSpot Breeze Intelligence cost?

Breeze Intelligence pricing is usage-based and can change over time. The most practical way to manage cost is to control when you enrich (gate by lead source or fit score), store enrichment status to avoid repeat lookups, and measure cost per qualified lead rather than enriching every inbound submission.

What if Breeze Intelligence can not find data?

Design your n8n workflow with fallback logic:

  • Save the lead anyway (do not block your pipeline)
  • Tag the record as enrichment_status = failed
  • Try a domain-based search if you have a company website or domain
  • Route high-value failed enrichments to a short manual research step

Failures are expected for personal emails, new domains, and stealth companies. Handle them deliberately rather than letting the workflow stall.

Can I enrich existing leads?

Yes. Instead of triggering on new form submissions, run an n8n workflow on a schedule:

  • Pull a batch of HubSpot contacts missing key fields (industry, employee count, domain)
  • Enrich with Breeze Intelligence
  • Update only blank fields (to avoid overwriting curated data)
  • Record enriched_at to prevent repeat enrichment

How accurate is Breeze Intelligence data?

Accuracy varies by field and by company. Use enrichment as a way to fill gaps and improve routing, but avoid treating any single field as guaranteed correct. For critical fields like employee count thresholds or regulated routing rules, add validation logic or a manual review step for high-value deals.

Do I need HubSpot Breeze Intelligence for lead enrichment?

No. Breeze Intelligence is one option. You can enrich leads using other providers, internal databases, or manual research, especially if your volume is low. Breeze Intelligence becomes more compelling when you have consistent inbound lead flow, you already use HubSpot as your CRM, and you want enrichment automated end-to-end without managing a separate third-party API provider.

If you want help designing the exact n8n workflow, including mapping to your HubSpot properties and building reliable fallback branches, get in touch. You can also explore our services to see how we approach automation builds for B2B sales teams.

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