All For Marketplace — Marketplace For All
It’s 2017. Cars are driving themselves, you can probably 3D print a printer, and creating an app marketplace is essential for establishing a secure and easy method for users to connect applications between platforms. So what have we done in Pipedrive you’re asking? We’ve created a Marketplace.
We’ve been working with several different integration partners throughout the years who made use of our public API to create manual integrations or work through Zapier - so why the change now? The most dominant reason for the switch would really be the extra security that the Marketplace provides. Previously it was necessary to use the API token for integration which would give access to every API endpoint and HTTP method — giving full access to write or even delete data in an account. Another obvious pitfall of this method is that the User would need to use the same API token for every integration they used, making it hard to know which integration is doing what and if you changed your token it would then break all existing connections you had at that point. Additionally, the process itself was a bit cumbersome by having to track down your API token and go through several out-of-app steps to get everything connected. At the end of the day, there’s no question that this process is a bit of a challenge and (more importantly) prevents us from being able to market it with a catchy tagline like “hassle-free”.
Out with the old and in with the new
With a Pipedrive Marketplace, we can provide more convenience, security, and transparency using the OAuth 2.0 protocol. No more sharing the same API token with every application and an end to allowing the same universal permission set for every app as well. With OAuth 2.0, the app builder will specify the details and permissions they need access to which the User will then be able to see as well to determine if they wish to grant this access.
Accessibility reigns supreme in the Marketplace, where the purpose of each application is clearly shown in its description and installing/uninstalling comes at just the press of a button. From the vendor’s perspective, you can also control the installation flow through a callback URL and provide an on-boarding experience where/when necessary.
Get in while it’s hot
Right now is the best time to join the Marketplace as we’re still in a beta phase, opening up the possibility to be in the forefront of apps available, increasing your viewership as well as our own ability to market you as first-comer application.
You can also help us dictate the process of approval, tools you would find useful, limitations you might encounter, or anything else as we focus on making the Marketplace applications the best they can be — not only for the user, but also for each and every vendor.
Ready to get started?
Head to our API Documentation to learn more and get access to start building your app today and make your way to the Developer Community to ask questions, learn from others’ mistakes, or just peruse what has already been discussed.
