How can Hubspot app user authenticate with our API?

[KKauper]

Hi Everyone,

I've created a Hubspot CRM app using the CRM extensions API. The app authenticates with Hubspot during install using OAuth to get a Hubspot token.

The app defines a card, with a data fetch URL which fetches card data from our API. That fetch is authenticated using the Hubspot signature in the request header.

The two above authentications work fine.

But, what I'm confused about is how to authenticate as a user account in our API. When the user of our Hubspot app makes request to our API, via the Hubspot card, they must be authenticated. But I see no way to do that. Our API uses an email/password scheme for authentication -- is there any way to include a login step in the Hubspot app?

I've also seen examples (such as the Jira app), which does not authenticate with Hubspot on login, but rather with Jira, via Oauth. It's my understanding that Hubspot apps must authenticate with the installer's Hubspot account via OAuth when installing the app. How is it that apps like Jira instead authenticate with their own api?

[Mike_Eastwood · Accepted solution]

Hi @KKauper 

Typically the request (from the CRM Card) is pushed to your server which returns the data. 

So, your server could access another sever (e.g. Jira) to get the data, but I think you'll find that too slow and the CRM Card will time out.

In our apps we hit our external sever which has all the data stored locally so it's a fast reply.

We also use Modals (opened from the CRM Card) to POST data to our server. If you're exploring this you will want to study HubSpot's  Request Signatures.

Have fun

Mike

[Jaycee_Lewis]

Hey, @KKauper 👋 Let's see if we can get some feedback from our amazing community on how to accomplish your goal — @himanshurauthan have you built an integration that required additional authentication like what @KKauper is describing?

Thank you! — Jaycee