In a recent announcement, HubSpot stated that Private Apps are now available. If you're not familiar with the term or are unsure how this will affect your HubSpot portal, keep reading. In this article, we explain what Private Apps are and what happens now that API keys are being phased out.
What are HubSpot Private Apps?
HubSpot Private Apps are basically custom-made applications that you can create to enhance the functionality of your HubSpot account. Private Apps are built using the HubSpot API and are exclusively available to your organisation.
With Private Apps, you can build custom integrations that can help you automate your business processes, improve your data management, and make your workflows more efficient. Some examples of Private Apps include personalised integrations with third-party tools, custom lead-scoring algorithms, and bespoke report builders.
One thing to keep in mind is that Private Apps are not available in the HubSpot App Marketplace and can only be used by you and your team. They also go through a review process by HubSpot to make sure they're secure, reliable and comply with HubSpot's API policies before being used in production.
All in all, Private Apps are a great way to customise your HubSpot account to fit your specific business needs and requirements.
When to use HubSpot's Private Apps
HubSpot's Private Apps can be useful for a variety of business scenarios. Here are some common situations where you might want to use Private Apps:
- When you need to integrate HubSpot with other tools: If you're using other software tools in your business, you might want to integrate them with HubSpot to streamline your workflows and improve your data management. Private Apps can help you build custom integrations that can sync data between HubSpot and your other tools.
- When you want to customise HubSpot's existing functionality: While HubSpot provides a lot of powerful features out-of-the-box, you might want to customise certain aspects of the platform to fit your specific business needs. With Private Apps, you can build custom lead-scoring algorithms, custom report builders, and custom dashboards that can help you make better use of HubSpot's data.
- When you want to automate business processes: Private Apps can help you automate repetitive tasks and workflows, freeing up your team's time for more valuable activities. For example, you could build a Private App that automatically creates tickets in your helpdesk software when a customer submits a form in HubSpot.
- When you want to create a unique user experience: Private Apps can help you create a unique user experience for your team or your clients. For example, you could build a Private App that provides a custom interface for managing leads, or a Private App that displays data in a way that's tailored to your client's needs.
What's happening to HubSpot's API keys?
As part of HubSpot's continuous efforts to improve the platform, its developers have been updating its API key system to enhance security and ensure better management of API usage. As a result, the use of old API keys is being phased out and replaced by a new OAuth 2.0 authentication system.
OAuth 2.0 is an industry-standard authentication protocol that allows you to grant access to your HubSpot account to authorised third-party applications without giving them your login credentials. This new system provides better security and more control over your API usage by allowing you to manage access through HubSpot's app management dashboard.
The migration to OAuth 2.0 will impact users who currently use old API keys to access HubSpot's API. If you're one of these users, you'll need to switch to OAuth 2.0 before the old API keys are phased out.
To migrate to OAuth 2.0, you'll need to create a new HubSpot Developer Account and register your application. Once your application is registered, you can obtain a new set of credentials to use in your app. With these credentials, you can start using OAuth 2.0 to authenticate your app and access HubSpot's API.
Overall, HubSpot's API key system update is a positive change that will improve security and make it easier to manage API usage. If you're a HubSpot user who currently uses API keys, it's important to migrate to OAuth 2.0 before the old API keys are phased out to ensure uninterrupted access to HubSpot's API.
Conclusion
HubSpot's Private Apps provide a level of security that is unmatched by other third-party applications. By restricting access to only authorised users, HubSpot ensures that sensitive data remains secure and confidential. Additionally, Private Apps undergo rigorous security testing and review by HubSpot's dedicated security team, ensuring that they meet HubSpot's high standards for data protection.
HubSpot users should take advantage of Private Apps to safeguard their business and customer data, reduce the risk of data breaches, and ensure compliance with privacy regulations. Using Private Apps also allows businesses to customise their HubSpot experience, creating a more personalised and efficient workflow.
Don't have developers in-house? BEE's team of experts can help you create highly effective Private Apps, ensuring your HubSpot account and data are secure. Let's have a quick conversation and see how we can help.
