How to Use Serverless Functions in HubSpot

As technology continues to evolve, companies are constantly developing innovative solutions with the future in mind. One such advancement in web development is serverless functions.

Have you ever struggled with server management while hosting your website? As your site grows, maintaining, updating, and managing your server can become increasingly time-consuming and complex.

Now, imagine if all of that was handled for you—allowing you to focus entirely on writing your code. Sounds great, right? This is exactly where serverless functions come in!

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the key aspects of serverless functions in HubSpot and show you how to create them effortlessly within HubSpot CMS.

What are Serverless Functions in HubSpot?

Serverless functions in HubSpot let you write server-side code that interacts with HubSpot and third-party services via APIs, enabling dynamic components.

Built into HubSpot, serverless functions run backend code without requiring server space. They work with HubDB to store data and execute in Node.js.

After facing challenges with my first serverless function, I created this guide to help fellow HubSpot developers. Let’s dive in!

Why use Serverless Functions?

• Serverless functions enable faster, simpler, and automated code deployment.
• They reduce the risk of downtime during deployment.
• These functions improve application performance and enhance the user experience.
• Serverless architecture is cost-effective, as most platforms follow a pay-as-you-go model, ensuring you only pay for what you use.
• With lower overhead, serverless functions make it easier to scale as your business grows.

How to create Serverless Functions?

Open Design Tools

• Navigate to Design Tools in your HubSpot account.
  
  

Create a Functions Folder

• Click File and create a new folder named functions.

Add Necessary Files

• • • serverless.json (defines function endpoints)
    • hello-world.js (holds backend logic)
      
      

serverless.json

{
  "runtime": "nodejs18.x",
  "version": "1.0",
  "environment": {},
  "endpoints": {
    "hello-world": {
      "method": "GET",
      "file": "hello-world.js"
    }
  }
}

hello-world.json

exports.main = (context, sendResponse) => {
  sendResponse({
    body: {
      response: "Hello, World!"
    },
    statusCode: 200
  });
};

Hello, World! (GET)

A simple function that returns JSON, and console.logs "Hello, World!". This function is designed to get you up and running with your function as quick as possible, showing how to return data from your function, and log data as part of the function execution.

Hitting the endpoint

The endpoint is executed with the GET request method:

  GET /_hcms/api/hello-world

In vanilla JavaScript, this might look like:

fetch('/_hcms/api/hello-world')
.then(response => response.json())
.then(data => {
    console.log(data)
})
.catch(error => console.error(error))

Outpute :

Hello, World!

Key Considerations:

1. Performance and Limitations

   • Serverless functions are fast and designed for quick responses, ideal for front-end interactions.
   • HubSpot functions are limited to:
     • 50 secrets per account
     • 128MB memory
     • 100 endpoints per account
     • Must use application/JSON content type.

2. Execution Limits

   • Max execution time: 10 seconds per function.
   • Total execution time per account: 600 seconds per minute.

   Examples of usage within limits:

   • 60 executions, each taking 10 seconds
   • 6,000 executions, each taking 100 milliseconds

   Exceeding these limits results in a 429 error, with logs available for tracking execution time.