Create private apps with projects (BETA)
Sales Hub
- Enterprise
Service Hub
- Enterprise
Create private apps to access your HubSpot data through HubSpot's APIs. Private apps can only be installed into the account where they're defined. Serverless functions can use a private app's access token to authenticate calls to access account data similar to using an API key, but with additional security and usability benefits. You can create multiple private apps per project and per account.
When created as part of a HubSpot project, private apps are stored in a folder that contains an app.json
file, and will also contain extensions and serverless function files needed by the app.
In this guide, learn how to create a private app in a project and view it in HubSpot. Then, you can create a custom card within the app to customize the CRM UI.
Create a private app within a project
To create a private app in a project, you'll first need to install the HubSpot CLI. To get started with HubSpot projects, you can also check out the quickstart guide.
To create a private app within your project:
- Within the
src
folder of your project directory, create anapp
folder. - Within the app folder, create an
app.json
file. This file will contain your app definitions. - Copy the following code into your
app.json
file:
name string
A unique name for the app. |
description string
The app's description. |
scopes array
The app's allowed scopes. At least one scope is required. |
public boolean
Set to |
extensions object
Contains the extensions included in the app. For CRM cards, include a If you have not yet defined your extension, you can leave this object empty. |

- With your app defined and saved, you can then upload it to HubSpot using the
hs project upload
command.
On upload, the build will be triggered and HubSpot will validate your project files and provision any needed resources. By default, HubSpot will automatically deploy successful builds. Alternatively, you can link a GitHub repository to the project to automatically trigger a new build when you push a change to the project files in GitHub.
With your app uploaded, learn how to view it in HubSpot below.
If you're a super admin, you can access and manage private apps in your HubSpot account, including viewing your apps, their build history, and the access token required to make API calls.
To view a private app's details in HubSpot:
- In your HubSpot account, navigate to CRM Development.
- In the left sidebar menu, navigate to Private apps.
- Click the name of the private app.
You'll then be taken to the app's Details page where you can view and manage its access token, view request logs and included extensions, and delete the app.
Next, learn how to create a custom card in the app to customize CRM records with various components.
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