How to Set Up Real-Time API Sync in Follow Up Boss

What is real-time API sync and why does it matter for Follow Up Boss?

Real-time API sync means data flows between your lead sources, tools, and Follow Up Boss immediately — or within seconds — rather than on a scheduled batch. For real estate agents, speed matters because lead response time is directly correlated with contact rates. A lead that's in your CRM and assigned to an agent 30 seconds after submitting a form is different from one that arrives 15 minutes later. Real-time sync is what enables real-time response.

Follow Up Boss supports real-time sync through two mechanisms:

• Webhook-based push integrations: The lead source sends a data payload to a FUB-provided webhook URL the moment a new lead is created. This is near-instant.
• REST API write: A custom integration or middleware (like Zapier) calls the FUB API to create or update a contact. Speed depends on when the call is made — can be instant with webhook triggers, or delayed with polling triggers.

How do you get your FUB API key?

The API key is the authentication credential for all FUB API calls. To generate one:

1. Log into your Follow Up Boss account as an Admin
2. Go to Admin > API
3. Click "Add Key" or "New API Key"
4. Give it a descriptive name that identifies what it's used for (e.g., "Website Contact Form," "Zapier Integration," "Custom CRM Sync")
5. Set the access level — most integrations need read/write access
6. Copy and store the key securely. FUB will not show you the key again after you navigate away.

Use a separate API key per integration. This lets you revoke a single key if one tool is compromised or decommissioned without disrupting other integrations.

What is the difference between FUB webhooks and the REST API?

How do you set up a real-time webhook for a website contact form?

If your website uses a form builder (Gravity Forms, WPForms, Elementor, Typeform, etc.), you can send new leads directly to FUB via a webhook URL. FUB provides a webhook endpoint specifically for this:

1. In FUB, go to Admin > API and find your Webhook URL (different from the API key — it's a POST endpoint FUB provides for inbound push data).
2. In your form builder, navigate to the form's notification or integration settings. Look for "Webhook" or "HTTP POST" integration options.
3. Enter your FUB webhook URL in the form builder's webhook destination field.
4. Map your form fields to FUB fields: first name, last name, email, phone. Additional fields like message or property address can go into the "notes" field in FUB.
5. Submit a test form submission. Check your FUB contact list to verify the contact appeared within 60 seconds.
6. Add the lead source label to the webhook payload so FUB tags the contact's source correctly (e.g., "Website" or the specific page name).

How do you call the Follow Up Boss REST API directly?

For custom integrations (e.g., connecting an in-house database, a property management tool, or a custom app), you call the FUB REST API directly using your API key as credentials. The FUB API documentation (at developers.followupboss.com) specifies endpoints for creating people, notes, events, and deals.

A basic example of creating a contact via the API using HTTP Basic Auth:

POST https://api.followupboss.com/v1/people
Authorization: Basic BASE64(api_key:)
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "firstName": "Jane",
  "lastName": "Smith",
  "emails": [{"value": "[email protected]"}],
  "phones": [{"value": "555-555-5555", "type": "mobile"}],
  "source": "Website",
  "stage": "New"
}

The API key goes in the username field of Basic Auth; the password field is left empty. Most HTTP client libraries handle this with a simple username/password call where you pass the API key as username and an empty string as password.

How do FUB's native push integrations work for lead portals?

Follow Up Boss has native, webhook-based push integrations with major lead portals including Zillow, Realtor.com, Homes.com, and several IDX platforms. These are managed in FUB's Admin > Lead Sources section. Setup varies by source, but the general pattern is:

1. In FUB, navigate to Admin > Lead Sources and find the integration for your lead portal
2. FUB provides a routing email address or webhook URL for the portal
3. In the portal's lead routing settings, enter FUB's address or URL as the destination for new leads
4. FUB receives the lead, creates or updates the contact, and fires any matching action plans

Native push integrations are faster and more reliable than Zapier-based alternatives for high-volume portals. They don't use Zapier task credits, they fire immediately on lead creation, and FUB's team manages the parser to keep them current as portal formats change.

How do you troubleshoot API sync failures in Follow Up Boss?

When data isn't appearing in FUB as expected, diagnose with these steps:

• Check API key validity: Go to Admin > API and confirm the key is still active. Keys can be revoked manually or expire if configured with an expiry date.
• Verify the endpoint URL: FUB's API base URL and webhook URLs are documented at developers.followupboss.com. Confirm you're not using a stale URL from an old integration guide.
• Inspect the HTTP response: Your integration should log the response status code from the FUB API. A 200 or 201 means success. A 401 means authentication failed (bad API key). A 422 means validation error — usually a missing required field. A 429 means rate limited.
• Check for duplicate detection: FUB deduplicates contacts by email and phone. If the contact already exists, the API call may update rather than create — not an error, but worth confirming the existing record was updated.
• Rate limit awareness: FUB's API has rate limits that vary by plan. If you're syncing a large batch of historical contacts, add a delay between API calls (typically 200–500ms is sufficient) to avoid hitting the rate ceiling.
• Test with a tool like Postman or curl: If your integration is failing, isolate the issue by making the same API call directly from Postman with your API key. If it works in Postman but not from your integration, the issue is in your integration code, not FUB.

Can AI tools connect to Follow Up Boss via API?

Yes — this is how Follow Up Ace connects. Rather than a simple data pipe, the Follow Up Ace integration embeds directly into the FUB interface and uses a Model Context Protocol (MCP) connection with 215 available tools (verified at mcp-server/src/index.ts:206). MCP tools give the AI agent structured, permissioned access to FUB data — reading contacts, writing notes, analyzing pipeline patterns — without requiring agents to leave the CRM interface.

For developers building AI agents that interact with Follow Up Boss, the Ace MCP server is accessible via two endpoints: a Streamable HTTP connection at https://followupace.com/mcp and an SSE endpoint at https://followupace.com/api/mcp/sse/ (verified at chat-app/routes/embed.js:4308-4309). This enables Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI tools to connect to your FUB data through a single URL — no custom API integration needed.

For a broader look at how real-time data flows power team performance, see the Ace Trove hub and the pipeline management guide.

Real-time API sync checklist for Follow Up Boss

• Generate one API key per integration — never share keys across tools
• Use FUB's native push integrations for Zillow, Realtor.com, and major portals — faster and more reliable than Zapier for these sources
• For website forms, use your form builder's webhook output pointed at FUB's webhook URL
• For custom integrations, use FUB REST API with Basic Auth (API key as username, empty password)
• Always include lead source in the payload so contacts are tagged correctly on creation
• Log HTTP response codes in your integration — don't assume success without a 200/201 response
• Test every new integration with a real form submission or API call before going live
• Set up a monitoring alert if your integration's task volume drops to zero — silent failures (no errors but no data) are the hardest to catch