Users Without Super Admin Access Unable to Install Unpublished Apps

[JB18]

Hello HubSpot Community,

I’m encountering an issue with installing a private app in HubSpot. It seems that only users with super admin access can install the app. From what I understand, if an app is not published in the HubSpot App Marketplace, it is considered a private app. Consequently, private apps require super admin access for installation.

Here’s a summary of the situation:

• My app is currently private and not listed in the HubSpot App Marketplace.
• Users with non-super admin roles are unable to install the app.
• Only super admin users can successfully install the app.
• Despite giving all permissions to the users by selecting all checkboxes, they still cannot install the app.

Can anyone confirm if my understanding is correct? Is it indeed necessary for the app to be published in the HubSpot App Marketplace to allow non-super admin users to install it? If so, are there any alternative solutions or workarounds for allowing non-super admin users to install a private app?

[GRajput · Accepted solution]

Hi @JB18 

Only Super Admins can create the pvt app and then its token can be used by anyone. Pvt Apps are not published and are for only your instance while to make an app available in the marketplace you need to create a public app.

I hope this will help you out. Please mark it as Solution Accepted and upvote to help another Community member.
Thanks!

[GRajput · Accepted solution]

Hi @JB18 

you will need super admin access to install the app no other permission will give you enough access to install the app.
If you can explain these questions we can help you in a better way
what is your end goal in creating the app?
Is the app is for your internal use i.e. for your instance only or you want to launch it on HubSpot marketplace ?

I hope this will help you out. Please mark it as Solution Accepted and upvote to help another Community member.
Thanks!

[GRajput · Accepted solution]

Hi @JB18 

Only Super Admins can create the pvt app and then its token can be used by anyone. Pvt Apps are not published and are for only your instance while to make an app available in the marketplace you need to create a public app.

I hope this will help you out. Please mark it as Solution Accepted and upvote to help another Community member.
Thanks!

[JB18]

Hi @GRajput ,

Thank you for the detailed explanation. I just want to ensure I fully understand your suggestion. Based on your response, it seems that in order for users to install the app without needing Super Admin access, we would need to convert the app into a public app and potentially publish it in the HubSpot App Marketplace. Is that correct?

Additionally, my client is facing a challenge because the app requires webhooks and custom objects, which are features specific to HubSpot Operations Enterprise plans. Unfortunately, we do not currently have access to such an account, making it difficult to test and meet the requirements for HubSpot’s review process. Do you have any suggestions or workarounds for this situation?

Is there a way to bypass the marketplace requirement and still allow non-Super Admin users to use the app, perhaps by treating it as an integration instead? We’re exploring any possible alternatives to avoid listing the app in the HubSpot App Marketplace while making it accessible to users without Super Admin access.

Any insights or suggestions you can provide on these points would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you again for your help.

[GRajput · Accepted solution]

Hi @JB18 

you will need super admin access to install the app no other permission will give you enough access to install the app.
If you can explain these questions we can help you in a better way
what is your end goal in creating the app?
Is the app is for your internal use i.e. for your instance only or you want to launch it on HubSpot marketplace ?

I hope this will help you out. Please mark it as Solution Accepted and upvote to help another Community member.
Thanks!

[JB18]

@GRajput Thank you for your response!

The app is for internal use within the client's organization, and they want their users to access and install it without needing Super Admin access. However, we've encountered the challenge that only Super Admins can install the app. The client is looking for a solution that avoids giving users Super Admin permissions.

Additionally, we do not want to publish the app in the marketplace; we simply want to resolve the issue regarding the need for Super Admin access to install the app.

Any guidance on how we can achieve this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks again for your help!

[GRajput · Accepted solution]

Hi @JB18 

Pvt App is created with required scopes and from it access token is generated then anyone can use it, you can also use the Pvt app to trigger a webhook on subscriptions.
As you said only a user wants to access the app, then one super admin can create the Pvt app in the account. If you are using a webhook in the app to trigger on particular event on HubSpot then you can get that on the backend, if you want an access token to hit the HubSpot API then the super admin can copy the access token from the app, and share it within the team.

"I hope this will help you out. Please mark it as Solution Accepted and upvote to help another Community member.
Thanks!"

[JB18]

@GRajput  Thank you for your response.

Thank you for your suggestion. I’d like to provide more details about how our app works to clarify why manually setting the access token wouldn’t work for us in this case.

Our app follows this flow:

1. Authentication: The user first needs to authenticate with HubSpot. After successful authentication, HubSpot redirects the user to our app, and the access token is stored in localStorage automatically.

2. Third-Party API Integration: On the next step, there’s a login page where users input private and secret keys from a third-party video automation app. After submitting, the user is redirected to a form page where they enter text for video creation.

3. Custom Object in HubSpot: Upon form submission, our backend uses the HubSpot token to call HubSpot's API, storing the form data and third-party app details (key/secret) in a custom object in HubSpot.

4. Automated Workflow with Webhooks: We’ve set up a HubSpot workflow with a webhook that triggers when the custom object is updated. The webhook hits our app’s API, and our backend fetches the form data using the custom object ID. After fetching the data, we send it to the third-party video creation app to generate the video.

Everything is automated, and the HubSpot access token is set and managed programmatically after authentication. The access token is critical for making API calls from our backend to HubSpot.

Given this automation process, we need a solution where the access token is set without manual intervention (as we do now) and where non-Super Admin users can authenticate and install the app without needing Super Admin access.

Is there any way to achieve this setup? Manually sharing the access token between users wouldn’t fit our automated workflow. We’re looking for a solution that keeps the current workflow intact without requiring Super Admin access for every user.

Thanks again for your help!

[Jaycee_Lewis]

Hey, @JB18 👋 Thanks for your post. I think there is some misunderstanding around terms, but that is not the root issue. I'll do my best to clarify (please feel free to ask follow-up questions):

• Public vs Private apps — this is not determined by App Marketplace publishing status. Although they share a common term in “apps” they are different
• A Public App is one you create from your Dev account (not production portal) and uses OAuth. This can be published or not published in the Marketplace, but it's still a “Public App”. This can be installed in a single portal or multiple portals depending on how you choose to share it
• Private Apps are created from your production portal and are a “simplified” auth method you can use to interact with our API endpoints. They are meant to be used for a single portal
• Private Apps are not "installed" 

This article covers the common issues for not being able to install an app. One thing to note, whether an app is published in the Marketplace, "To resolve this error, the user connecting the integration must have App Marketplace permissions, which ensures they can connect and install apps from the HubSpot App Marketplace for your HubSpot account. If granting the user with these permissions does not work you will need to give them Super Admin permissions to resolve the error." — Source 

I hope this is helpful in clarifying things. Talk soon! — Jaycee

[JB18]

Hi @Jaycee_Lewis ,

Thank you for the detailed explanation; it was really helpful in clarifying the differences between public and private apps.

Regarding the issue, I was able to resolve it by granting Super Admin permissions to the user, as mentioned in the article you referenced. However, my client prefers not to give Super Admin access to users for security reasons.

Is there any other way to allow the installation of the app for users without granting them Super Admin access? We've already tried giving all possible permissions, but the issue persists unless the user is a Super Admin.

I appreciate your help on this matter!

[Jaycee_Lewis]

Hey, @JB18 It sounds like the other poster is having some confusion about your goal. Based on my read, this is a Public App, but only to be used privately. Working from that assumption, if adding App Marketplace permissions to the User or Users didn't work, we are in a bit of a pickle on next steps.

One thing I learned while in support here is sometimes, you can add the Edit Property Settings permission to a user, and they will gain the ability to install an app. It lives in Settings > Users > this specific user > Account > Settings access (you may need to click “expand all permissions”) 

 

I 100% agree with you that we can do a better job communicating via error messaging the exact issue for cases like this. I'll work on getting that filed as product feedback. And I know that doesn't help you immediately, and I want you to know your feedback isn't going to just disappear into a black hole.

Talk soon. — Jaycee