Struggling to get your development and business teams on the same page? Trust me, I’ve been there. Trying to connect tools like HubSpot and GitHub can feel like you’re speaking two different languages, but bringing them together can seriously level up your operations. This guide is all about showing you how to build a robust, secure bridge between HubSpot and GitHub using OAuth, which is basically the gold standard for secure data sharing these days. We’ll walk through setting up your apps, understanding how they talk to each other, and making sure everything stays locked down tight. By the end of this, you’ll have a clear roadmap to create integrations that automate tasks, improve communication, and give everyone a clearer picture of what’s happening.

Table of Contents

Why Connect HubSpot and GitHub? The Power of Integration

Connecting your CRM that’s HubSpot, for those keeping score with your code management platform GitHub, of course might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but the benefits are huge. Think about it: your sales, marketing, and customer service teams live in HubSpot, tracking deals, leads, and customer interactions. Meanwhile, your developers are in GitHub, building products, fixing bugs, and collaborating on code. When these two worlds don’t communicate, information gets stuck, and opportunities can slip through the cracks.

Integrating them helps you create a smoother flow of information and work, like a well-oiled machine. It’s about breaking down those walls between departments.

Here are some real-world perks you’ll see:

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Automated Data Sync: Imagine a new project kicking off in GitHub automatically updating a contact’s status in HubSpot, or a deal closing in HubSpot prompting a new repository creation in GitHub. No more manual updates or missing information! This helps keep both sides aligned, especially when dealing with critical information.
Enhanced Visibility: Sales teams can quickly see the development status of a feature a customer is asking about without bothering the dev team. Developers, in turn, can see customer feedback directly linked to issues they’re working on. It’s like everyone gets a peek into each other’s notebooks.
Streamlined Workflows: You can set up triggers and actions. For example, a new lead in HubSpot maybe from one of those “hubspot email examples” you sent out could automatically create an issue in GitHub for a sales engineer to review. Or, when a specific branch is merged in GitHub, it could update a custom property on a HubSpot company record, signalling product delivery. This kind of automation saves tons of time.
Better Collaboration: When information flows freely, teams can collaborate more effectively. Marketing can understand product timelines better, and development can prioritize features based on sales trends and customer needs from HubSpot data. This really helps foster a more unified approach to projects.

While HubSpot offers a “Hubspot integrations list” for popular tools, sometimes you need something specific. That’s where building a custom integration, particularly with a powerful platform like GitHub, becomes incredibly valuable. It fills those unique gaps that off-the-shelf solutions can’t quite touch.

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Understanding OAuth – The Secure Handshake

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of setting things up, let’s chat about OAuth. If you’re building any kind of modern integration, you’re going to bump into OAuth 2.0. Think of it like a secure handshake or a valet key for your digital accounts.

What is OAuth 2.0 Open Authorization?

OAuth isn’t about giving one app your password so it can log into another app on your behalf. That would be a huge security risk! Instead, it’s a protocol that allows an application like your custom integration to gain limited access to a user’s account on another service like HubSpot or GitHub without ever seeing their password. It does this by using authorization tokens instead.

The most common flow, and the one we’ll focus on for web applications, is the Authorization Code Grant type. It’s basically a four-step dance:

Your app asks the user for permission.
The user grants that permission on the service’s website e.g., GitHub or HubSpot.
The service sends your app a temporary “authorization code.”
Your app exchanges that code for an “access token” and sometimes a “refresh token.”

Why OAuth over API Keys?

You might be thinking, “Can’t I just use an API key?” Well, historically, API keys were common, and some services still support them. But HubSpot, for one, has moved away from traditional API keys for most public apps, pushing developers towards OAuth. And for good reason!

Here’s why OAuth is the way to go: Understanding the Core Concepts of OAuth 2.0

Enhanced Security: With API keys, if someone gets their hands on your key, they often have full access. OAuth tokens, however, are typically short-lived and have specific, limited permissions called scopes. Even if an access token is compromised, the damage is contained and temporary. You also never have to store user passwords.
Granular Permissions Scopes: OAuth lets you ask for just the permissions your app needs. For example, your app might only need to “read contacts” in HubSpot, not “delete deals.” This principle of “least privilege” is a cybersecurity best practice.
Refresh Tokens: Access tokens expire usually after a short period, like 30 minutes for HubSpot. Instead of making the user re-authenticate every time, OAuth provides a “refresh token.” Your app can use this refresh token to get a new access token quietly in the background, making for a much smoother user experience without compromising security.

Key Terms You’ll Hear

Client ID: A public identifier for your application. This tells GitHub or HubSpot who is asking for permission.
Client Secret: A secret key known only to your application and the service. This is like a password for your app, used to authenticate your application when exchanging the authorization code for tokens. Keep this super secure!
Authorization URL: The URL you send users to so they can grant your app permission.
Redirect URL or Callback URL: The URL on your application where GitHub or HubSpot sends the user back after they’ve granted or denied permissions. It’ll include the authorization code.
Scopes: Specific permissions your app is requesting e.g., read user email, write to a repository, read HubSpot contacts.
Access Token: The actual token your app uses to make API requests on behalf of the user. It has limited permissions and a short lifespan.
Refresh Token: A long-lived token used to obtain new access tokens when the current one expires.

Setting Up Your GitHub OAuth Application

Alright, let’s get our hands dirty and start with GitHub. You need to tell GitHub about your integration so it knows who’s trying to connect.

Step 1: Create a GitHub Developer Account if you don’t have one

If you’re already a GitHub user, great! You likely have everything you need. If not, head over to GitHub and sign up. It’s a pretty straightforward process.

Step 2: Register a New OAuth App on GitHub

This is where you formally introduce your integration to GitHub.

Navigate to Developer Settings: Once logged into GitHub, click on your profile picture in the upper-right corner, then select Settings. From there, in the left sidebar, click Developer settings.
Select OAuth Apps: In the Developer settings menu, click on OAuth Apps.
Register a New Application: Click the New OAuth App button.
Fill in the Details: You’ll see a form where you need to provide some important information:
- Application name: Give your app a descriptive name. This is what users will see when they’re asked to authorize your app.
- Homepage URL: The full URL to your application’s website.
- Application Description optional: A brief overview of what your app does.
- Authorization callback URL: This is super important! This is the URL on your server or application where GitHub will redirect the user after they’ve granted or denied access. It needs to be an HTTPS URL for security. If you’re developing locally, http://localhost:PORT can sometimes work for testing, but for production, it must be HTTPS.
Register Application: Click Register application.

Once registered, GitHub will give you a Client ID and a Client Secret. These are your app’s unique identifiers. The Client Secret is like a password for your application – keep it safe and never expose it in client-side code or public repositories! It’s best practice to store these as environment variables or in a secure secret manager. Odoo vs Zoho vs HubSpot: Picking the Best Business Platform for You

Step 3: Define GitHub Scopes

Scopes are the permissions your app is asking for. They define what kind of data your integration can access and what actions it can perform on a user’s GitHub account. When a user authorizes your app, they’ll see a list of these requested permissions.

GitHub offers a variety of scopes. For a HubSpot integration, you’ll need to think about what data and actions your app actually needs.

Here are some common and relevant GitHub scopes, along with what they do:

repo: Grants full access to public and private repositories. This is a very broad permission and includes read/write access to code, commit statuses, deployments, and webhooks. If your integration needs to create repos, update files, or manage issues across both public and private repositories, you’ll likely need this.
public_repo: Similar to repo but limited to public repositories. If your integration only deals with public project data, this is a more secure choice than repo.
user:email: Grants read access to a user’s email addresses. Useful if your integration needs to identify users by their GitHub email in HubSpot.
admin:org: Fully manage the organization and its teams, projects, and memberships. If your integration needs to manage organizational settings or access team-specific data, you might need this.
read:org: Read-only access to organization membership, projects, and team membership.
workflow: Grants the ability to add and update GitHub Actions workflow files.

Important Tip: Always request the least amount of access necessary for your integration to function. This minimizes security risks and builds trust with your users. If you only need to read pull requests from private repos, repo is often the most granular scope available for OAuth apps, though GitHub Apps a different type of integration offer more fine-grained control.

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Setting Up Your HubSpot Custom Integration OAuth App

Now that GitHub knows about your app, let’s get HubSpot on board. We’ll set up a custom app within HubSpot’s developer platform. HubSpot strongly encourages and often requires for multi-account applications the use of OAuth 2.0.

Step 1: Create a HubSpot Developer Account

If you haven’t already, you’ll need a HubSpot developer account. You can create one for free through the HubSpot Developers portal. This account is separate from a standard HubSpot portal and gives you the tools to build and manage integrations.

Step 2: Create a New Custom App in HubSpot

This is where your integration lives within the HubSpot ecosystem.

Access Your Developer Dashboard: Log into your HubSpot developer account.
Create an App: From the dashboard, you’ll typically find a Create an app button or navigate to the Apps section and click Create app.
Provide Basic Info: Give your app a name and a description. This is visible to users when they install your integration.
Configure Auth Settings Client ID, Secret, Redirect URLs, Scopes: This is the most crucial part for OAuth.
- Client ID and Client Secret: Once your app is created, go to the Auth tab in your app settings. You’ll find your unique Client ID and Client Secret here. Copy these down securely, just like you did for GitHub. Do not share your Client Secret!
- Set Redirect URLs: This is just like with GitHub. You need to tell HubSpot where to send the user after they’ve granted your app access to their HubSpot account. This needs to be an HTTPS URL. If your integration handles both GitHub and HubSpot authentication, this redirect URL will typically point back to your application’s endpoint that processes the OAuth callback. Mastering HubSpot Forms with NPM: Your Ultimate Guide to Seamless Integration
- Configure Scopes: Still in the Auth tab, you’ll see a section for scopes. These define what specific data and functionalities your app can access within HubSpot. You’ll click “Add new scopes” and select the necessary permissions.
  Here are some examples of HubSpot scopes often relevant for GitHub integration:
  - oauth: This is a fundamental scope for any OAuth integration in HubSpot, often included by default in newer apps, but ensure it’s there.
  - crm.objects.contacts.read / crm.objects.contacts.write: If you need to read or create/update contact information in HubSpot.
  - crm.objects.companies.read / crm.objects.companies.write: For accessing or modifying company records.
  - crm.objects.deals.read / crm.objects.deals.write: If your integration needs to interact with deals e.g., update deal stages based on project progress.
  - crm.schemas.custom_objects.read / crm.schemas.custom_objects.write: If you’re using custom objects to track development projects or feature requests.
  - files: To access file storage operations within HubSpot.
  Again, follow the principle of least privilege: only select the scopes your integration absolutely needs to function. If your app will work with different HubSpot account tiers, you can use optional_scope parameters to include tiered scopes, allowing customers with free accounts to still authorize your app even if they can’t access all scopes.

Step 3: Understanding HubSpot’s OAuth Flow

HubSpot’s OAuth 2.0 flow follows the standard Authorization Code grant type. Here’s a quick rundown of what happens:

Create the Authorization URL: Your application constructs a special URL that includes your HubSpot Client ID, your Redirect URI, and the scopes your app is requesting. This URL points to HubSpot’s OAuth 2.0 server.
User Consent: Your app directs the user’s browser to this Authorization URL. HubSpot then prompts the user to log in if they aren’t already and presents them with a screen showing the permissions your app is requesting. The user reviews these and grants or denies access.
Handle the OAuth Server Response: If the user grants access, HubSpot redirects their browser back to your specified Redirect URL. Appended to this URL will be an authorization_code in the query string.
Exchange Authorization Code for Tokens: Your application, on its backend securely!, takes this authorization_code and sends a POST request to HubSpot’s token endpoint https://api.hubapi.com/oauth/v1/token. This request also includes your Client ID and Client Secret.
Receive Tokens: If successful, HubSpot responds with an access_token and a refresh_token. The access_token is what you’ll use to make authenticated API calls to HubSpot on behalf of that user. Remember, these expire, so store the refresh_token to get new access tokens when needed.

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Building the Connection: The OAuth Flow in Action Conceptual

Now, let’s imagine how these two OAuth processes come together for a custom integration between HubSpot and GitHub. Your goal is for your backend application to hold secure tokens for both platforms, allowing it to perform actions in either system on behalf of the user who authorized them.

The User Experience

This is what your end-users would typically see:

Initiate Connection: On your application’s settings page the one integrating HubSpot and GitHub, the user clicks a “Connect with GitHub” button.
GitHub Authorization: Your application redirects the user to GitHub.com. Here, they might log in to GitHub and then see a screen asking them to authorize your app with the specific GitHub scopes you defined.
Return from GitHub: After the user approves, GitHub redirects them back to your application’s GitHub callback URL, including an authorization code. Your backend captures this.
Exchange GitHub Code: Your server-side code immediately exchanges that GitHub authorization code for a GitHub access_token and refresh_token with GitHub’s token endpoint. These tokens are then securely stored.
Initiate HubSpot Connection: Back on your app’s settings, the user then clicks a “Connect with HubSpot” button.
HubSpot Authorization: Your application redirects the user to HubSpot.com. They might log in to HubSpot and then see a screen asking them to authorize your app with the HubSpot scopes you defined. They’ll also choose which HubSpot account they want to connect.
Return from HubSpot: After approval, HubSpot redirects them back to your application’s HubSpot callback URL, with a HubSpot authorization code. Your backend captures this.
Exchange HubSpot Code: Your server-side code immediately exchanges that HubSpot authorization code for a HubSpot access_token and refresh_token with HubSpot’s token endpoint. These tokens are also securely stored.

Now, your application has the necessary credentials to interact with both the GitHub and HubSpot APIs on behalf of that user!

Backend Logic Simplified

Behind the scenes, your application needs to handle a few things:

Secure Storage of Client IDs and Secrets: As mentioned, never hardcode these. Use environment variables or a robust secret manager.
Redirect Handling: Your application needs dedicated endpoints URLs to catch the redirects from GitHub and HubSpot after authorization. These endpoints will extract the authorization codes from the URL query parameters.
Token Exchange: You’ll make HTTP POST requests from your server to both GitHub’s and HubSpot’s token endpoints, providing the authorization code, your Client ID, and Client Secret to receive the access and refresh tokens.
Secure Token Storage: Encrypt and store the received access_token and refresh_token in your application’s database, linked to the user who authorized them.
API Calls: When your application needs to perform an action e.g., create a HubSpot contact or check a GitHub repository, it includes the relevant access_token in the HTTP request headers.
Refresh Token Logic: Implement a mechanism to automatically use the refresh_token to get a new access_token when the current one expires, without requiring user intervention. This keeps your integration running smoothly.

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Practical Use Cases & Benefits in Action

With your secure OAuth integration between HubSpot and GitHub, the possibilities for automation and improved workflows are pretty exciting. Here are some ideas:

Marketing & Sales Automation

Lead Generation from GitHub Activity: Imagine your sales team identifying potential leads by tracking stars on your open-source projects or contributions to specific repositories. A new star on a key GitHub repo could automatically create a new contact or company record in HubSpot. You could even use “hubspot email templates” to send a personalized welcome email to these new contacts.
Project-Based Client Onboarding: When a deal moves to “Closed-Won” in HubSpot, trigger an action in GitHub to:
- Automatically create a new private repository for the client.
- Initialize the repo with project templates and documentation.
- Invite relevant team members identified from HubSpot contact roles to the repo.
Automated Status Updates for Sales: When a developer pushes code to a “staging” branch in GitHub, update a custom property on the associated HubSpot deal to “Development – Staging Complete.” Sales can see this without needing to ask.
Tailored Marketing Communications: Use GitHub activity data to personalize marketing. For instance, if a user has contributed to a specific open-source project, send them “hubspot email examples” highlighting new features or events related to that technology.

Customer Service & Support

Streamlined Issue Reporting: A new issue created in a specific GitHub repository maybe your “bugs” repo could automatically create a new ticket in HubSpot’s Service Hub, allowing your support team to track it alongside other customer inquiries.
Feedback Loop for Developers: When a customer support agent updates a HubSpot ticket with new information or a resolution, it could automatically add a comment to the linked GitHub issue, keeping developers in the loop without constant context switching.
Tracking Customer-Specific Development: Link HubSpot customer records to specific GitHub repositories or projects. This allows support agents to quickly see ongoing development efforts or past issues related to a particular client.

Product & Development

Feature Request Tracking: Convert feature requests from HubSpot support tickets or deal notes into GitHub issues, ensuring development teams have a centralized backlog.
Development Progress in CRM: Update HubSpot deal stages or custom object properties based on GitHub pull request PR status e.g., “PR opened,” “PR reviewed,” “Merged to Main”. This gives product managers and sales clear visibility into feature delivery.
Internal Communication on Releases: A new software release tag in GitHub could trigger internal notifications or updates in HubSpot, perhaps even kicking off a marketing campaign to announce the new version.

Best Practices for a Robust Integration

Building an integration is one thing. making it reliable, secure, and easy to maintain is another. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Security First: I can’t stress this enough. Never hardcode or expose your Client Secrets in public code or client-side applications. Always use secure environment variables, a secret management service, or server-side configuration files. Ensure all communication between your application and HubSpot/GitHub uses HTTPS. Regularly audit your security practices.
Least Privilege: When defining your GitHub and HubSpot scopes, always request the minimum necessary permissions. This reduces your attack surface and builds user trust. If your app only needs to read contact data, don’t ask for permission to delete deals.
Robust Error Handling & Logging: Things will go wrong. Network issues, API rate limits, invalid data – plan for these scenarios. Implement comprehensive error handling and logging in your integration. When an API call fails, log the error details timestamp, error message, relevant IDs and consider an alert mechanism so you can address it quickly.
Respect Rate Limits: Both HubSpot and GitHub have API rate limits to prevent abuse and ensure stability. Be aware of these limits and implement retry mechanisms with exponential backoff if you hit them. Don’t hammer the APIs. design your integration to be efficient and queue requests if necessary.
Clear Data Mapping & Consistency: Before you start coding, meticulously plan how data will flow between HubSpot and GitHub. Which fields in HubSpot correspond to which data points in GitHub? How will IDs be linked? What happens if data conflicts? Consistent data formats are key.
Thorough Testing: Test every aspect of your integration, from initial OAuth authorization to every data sync and triggered action. Test edge cases, error scenarios, and large data volumes. Unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests are all your friends here.
Documentation is Your Friend: Document everything: your setup steps, the chosen scopes, the data mapping, error codes, and how to troubleshoot common issues. This will be a lifesaver for you and anyone else working on the integration later.
Consider User Experience UX: Make the authorization process clear and transparent for your users. Explain what permissions your app is requesting and why. A confusing or clunky authorization flow can lead to abandoned connections.
Plan for Maintenance and Updates: APIs evolve. Stay informed about changes to HubSpot’s and GitHub’s APIs. Plan for regular maintenance, security updates, and potential refactoring of your integration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is OAuth and why is it better than API keys for HubSpot and GitHub integrations?

OAuth Open Authorization is a secure protocol that lets an application access a user’s data on another service without needing their password. Think of it as a delegated authorization system. It’s better than API keys because it uses temporary, scoped tokens instead of a single, long-lived key that grants broad access. If an OAuth token is compromised, its limited permissions and short lifespan minimize the risk, and refresh tokens ensure a seamless user experience without constant re-authentication.

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Do I need a HubSpot developer account and a GitHub account to build this integration?

Yes, you’ll need both. A HubSpot developer account allows you to create and manage HubSpot custom applications, obtain your Client ID and Secret, and define scopes for accessing HubSpot data. Similarly, a GitHub account is necessary to register an OAuth application on GitHub, which provides you with its Client ID and Secret, and lets you define permissions for GitHub access.

What are ‘scopes’ in OAuth, and how do I choose the right ones for my integration?

Scopes are specific permissions your application requests to access a user’s data or perform actions on their behalf within a service. For example, a “read contacts” scope in HubSpot means your app can only read contact information, not create or delete it. You choose the right scopes by identifying the absolute minimum access your integration needs to function correctly. Always adhere to the principle of “least privilege” to enhance security and user trust.

My HubSpot access token expired. What do I do?

HubSpot access tokens are short-lived, typically expiring after 30 minutes. When you initially complete the OAuth flow, HubSpot also provides a refresh_token. Your application should store this refresh token securely. When your access token expires, use the refresh_token to make a server-side request to HubSpot’s token endpoint https://api.hubapi.com/oauth/v1/token to get a new access_token and often a new refresh_token as well. This process should be automated in your integration, so the user doesn’t even notice.

Can I use Postman to test my HubSpot or GitHub OAuth setup?

Absolutely! Postman is a fantastic tool for testing APIs, including OAuth flows. For HubSpot, you can set up a request in Postman to initiate the OAuth 2.0 authorization code flow, providing your Client ID, Redirect URL, and scopes. Postman can guide you through getting the authorization code and then exchanging it for access and refresh tokens. Similarly, Postman can be used to test your GitHub OAuth application by simulating the user authorization and token exchange process. Many API providers, including HubSpot, offer Postman collections to make this even easier. What Exactly Are Non-Marketing Contacts in HubSpot?

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