What Marketers Need to Know About Hubspot’s API Key Update

If you use Hubspot’s API integrations to connect with other platforms – and there’s a good chance you do – take note. Hubspot is making a significant change to its authentication process that will require you to reconfigure your integrations.

As part of an ongoing focus on protecting customer data, Hubspot is sunsetting API keys popularly known as the ‘hackey’ after November 30, 2022. Instead, users will be required to use private apps to authenticate their integrations.

This change is mandatory – but the end of API keys is for a good reason. Switching to more robust authentication methods increases data security between Hubspot and other platforms by giving you greater control over which information is shared between applications.

How Will Hubspot’s API Key Update Affect You?

Hubspot is sunsetting API keys in favor of private apps, a more secure method for integrating third-party software.

There are two key dates to remember in this transition – and the first has already passed. 

November 30: All existing API keys will no longer function.

If you use API keys (and if you have existing integrations, you almost certainly do), you have until November to create private apps for all your integrations.

They will no longer function if you fail to migrate your integrations to private apps.

Hubspot is making this significant change to protect your data security better.

While API keys allow data to flow between platforms, private apps offer additional layers of security. Here’s what that means:

API keys provide read and write access to your Hubspot CRM data, which can introduce security risks. In addition, using an API key to connect platforms is like giving out Super Admin permissions to everyone who uses your Hubspot portal.

While it makes sense to give your CMO access to all parts of your Hubspot platform, you probably have stricter controls for your marketing coordinators because providing all users access to all data all the time introduces risk.

Private apps allow you to mitigate that risk. Unlike an API key, private apps enable you to share specific, need-to-know data between Hubspot and third-party platforms.

Going back to the access example, using a private app is like giving your marketing coordinator access to only the Marketing Hub. They have access to all the functionality they need – and you can keep the rest of your data confidential.

How to Migrate Your Hubspot API Keys to Private Apps

If you have a developer on your team – or you’re incredibly tech savvy – you can migrate your integrations to private apps. Hubspot has a detailed, step-by-step developer’s guide that walks you through the entire process – screengrabs, code snippets, and all.

For those of you who don’t have the time, knowledge, or in-house developers to manage the transition, help is available! Origin 63 has a team of tech-savvy Hubspot experts (including developers!) ready to help you out.

Whether you try the DIY approach or enlist the help of a Hubspot consulting service, here’s a high-level view of the migration process.

1. The first step is creating a new private app in Hubspot. Your private apps allow you to use Hubspot’s APIs to access specific data from your account or a third-party platform. When creating an app, you can specify permissions for the data each app can request or change in your account.
   
   
2. Once you’ve created your private apps, you’ll update the authorization method of your integration’s API request. The authorization method allows your integration to use private access tokens to exchange information.
   
   
3. The final step of the migration is replacing all mentions of API keys from your code with your private app’s access token. After you’ve taken this step, your team should monitor Hubspot’s call log and verify requests to be sure your integration is fully operational.

Origin 63: Your Hubspot Technical Consulting Partner

Hubspot’s decision to replace API keys with private apps is the right decision for greater data security – but that doesn’t mean the transition will be easy.

API keys are a user-friendly way to integrate other platforms with Hubspot without needing a developer. However, if you glanced at Hubspot’s developer guide to the migration, you’d see that private apps take a more complex approach. 

Origin 63 is a Hubspot Technical Consulting Diamond Solutions Partner with a team of experts – including developers. We’ve built several custom integrations and private apps for our clients.

Unlike other Solutions Partners, full-service marketing agencies that “happen to do Hubspot,” Origin 63, a top HubSpot agency partner, focuses on Hubspot activation and support services. As a result, our technical experts can review your existing integrations, craft a custom game plan for your migrations, and carry the project through to the end.

We provide advanced support services for custom technical projects, high-touch onboarding, and a subscription program for strategic ongoing Hubspot support needs. 

Want to learn more about migrating your Hubspot integrations? Let’s talk! Get in touch with us here and speak to one of our Hubspot technical experts