In short: 3CX CRM integration links the 3CX phone system to CRMs and helpdesks such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Zoho, Zendesk, Freshdesk and Pipedrive. It looks up callers, logs calls and chats on contact records, creates contacts and adds click to call. It is included in PRO and AI, and other CRMs can be added with 3CX's template wizard.
What 3CX CRM integration does
3CX's integration guides describe the same core features for each supported CRM:
- Caller ID to contact name. An inbound call triggers a lookup in the CRM, and the caller's name appears in the 3CX app with a link to open the CRM record.
- Contact lookup. Searching for a name in the 3CX web client can look up contacts in the CRM by name, number or email.
- Call and chat journalling. Calls and chats are logged on the contact record as call activities, so the history is in one place.
- Contact creation. When a call comes from a number the CRM does not know, the user can create a new contact from the 3CX client.
- Click to call. Using 3CX's Click2Call browser extensions for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, staff can dial a number shown in the CRM straight through 3CX.
The integration is configured once in the 3CX admin console rather than installed on each PC; for some CRMs, such as HubSpot, that includes registering an app in the CRM so 3CX can connect to it. For a platform-neutral view of what phone and CRM integration can do, see phone system CRM integration.
Which CRMs 3CX supports
3CX's CRM integration guides split integrations into two groups. Check 3CX's current list when you plan, because it changes.
| Group | Examples listed by 3CX | Who maintains it |
|---|---|---|
| Developed and maintained by 3CX | Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Zoho, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Pipedrive, Odoo, Bitrix24, ConnectWise, vtiger, Kommo and Jetpack CRM, plus SQL and MongoDB databases | 3CX, which updates them when the CRM changes |
| Vendor supported | HubSpot, Freshsales and Nutshell among others | 3CX or a third party built them; support comes from the vendor |
3CX also publishes a server-side configuration guide for HubSpot, which covers caller lookup, journalling and, where call transcription is in use, logging transcripts to the record. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are separate integrations for users, contacts and presence, rather than CRM integrations.
Edition requirements
According to 3CX's published feature list, CRM integration is included in PRO and AI. It is not part of Basic or SMB Free. A few related features have further requirements:
| Feature | Edition |
|---|---|
| CRM integration (lookup, journalling, contact creation, click to call) | PRO and AI |
| Call Flow Designer, for custom call flows that can use external data | PRO and AI |
| Data connectors and Power BI or Grafana reporting | PRO and AI, 16 SC and above |
| Call API for developers | AI |
| Call transcription and summaries for logging to records | AI |
See 3CX editions for the full comparison and 3CX pricing for how edition choice affects the licence.
CRMs that are not on the list
If your CRM, helpdesk or ticketing system is not listed, 3CX can still integrate with it, provided it has a REST API. 3CX provides a CRM integration wizard, a Windows tool downloaded from its customer portal, that builds a template describing how 3CX should talk to your system:
- Gather the CRM's API details: the authentication method (none, basic with a username and password or API key, or OAuth2) and the calls for looking up a contact by phone number and by email.
- Optionally add calls for searching contacts, creating contacts, and journalling calls and chats.
- Test the calls first with an API testing tool, then build the template in the wizard and map the responses to 3CX fields.
- Upload the template to the 3CX admin console and test contact lookup with real calls.
3CX notes that this needs only basic coding and web skills plus the CRM's API documentation. We can build and test the template for you.
Getting it right in practice
- Number format matters. 3CX's guides ask for numbers stored in international (E.164) format, such as +44 followed by the number. Numbers with spaces or brackets may not match, so a data tidy-up is often the first job.
- Decide what to log. Choose whether to journal all calls, only answered calls, or chats too, and which user the activity is assigned to.
- Mind your data. Call logs and any transcriptions attached to records are personal data under UK GDPR. Agree retention and access rules, and see call recording for the wider picture.
- Check CRM editions. Some CRMs only allow API access on certain plans; 3CX's Salesforce guide, for example, needs REST API access enabled on the Salesforce account.
- Think about queues. For contact centre teams, pair CRM integration with 3CX queues and wallboards. See call centre phone systems and cloud contact centre.
How we help
We set up 3CX CRM integration as part of a hosted 3CX deployment or on an existing 3CX system: we check your CRM plan and API access, register the OAuth app, configure lookup and journalling, tidy number formats, roll out the click to call extensions and train users.
If you need integration with a CRM that 3CX does not support, we build and test a template with the wizard. Ask us for a quote.
Why choose your cloud phone system with Forever Systems
We are vendor-neutral. Forever Group supplies and supports several cloud phone platforms, so we recommend the one that fits how your organisation works rather than the one we happen to sell.
- Side-by-side comparison of hosted 3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone, Forever UC, Forever Teams and Webex Calling for your users
- Contact centre and call recording options matched to your call volumes and CRM
- Number porting, handsets and set-up handled for you, including the move off analogue and ISDN lines
- Connectivity checked so call quality is right from day one
- UK support for moves, adds, changes and faults
- For BT Cloud Voice, see our BT Business Partner site cloudvoice.cloud
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations. We do not sell consumer phone services.
Want a vendor-neutral cloud phone system comparison and quote?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Which CRMs does 3CX integrate with?
3CX lists integrations for Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, HubSpot, Zoho, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Pipedrive, Odoo, Bitrix24, ConnectWise, vtiger and others, plus SQL and MongoDB databases. Some are maintained by 3CX and some by the CRM vendor or a third party. Other CRMs with a REST API can be added using 3CX's template wizard.
Is CRM integration included in 3CX Basic?
No. According to 3CX's feature list, CRM integration is included in the PRO and AI editions, not in Basic or SMB Free.
Does 3CX log calls in Salesforce?
Yes. 3CX's Salesforce integration logs calls and chats on the contact record, looks up callers by number, lets users create contacts for new numbers and adds click to call from Salesforce through 3CX's browser extensions. The Salesforce account needs REST API access.
Does 3CX work with HubSpot?
Yes. 3CX publishes a server-side HubSpot configuration guide covering caller lookup, contact search, call and chat journalling, contact creation and click to call. 3CX lists HubSpot among its vendor-supported integrations.
Can 3CX integrate with a CRM that is not listed?
Yes, if the CRM has a REST API. 3CX's CRM integration wizard creates a template for contact lookup, search, contact creation and call and chat journalling, which is then uploaded to the 3CX admin console.