How to build a public Hotjar integration: Building the Auth Flow

Hey there, fellow JavaScript enthusiasts! Ready to dive into the world of Hotjar integrations? Today, we're going to tackle one of the most crucial parts of building a public integration: the authorization flow. Buckle up, because we're about to make your Hotjar integration dreams come true!

Introduction

Hotjar is a powerful tool for understanding user behavior, and integrating it into your app can open up a world of possibilities. But before we can start pulling data and doing cool stuff, we need to set up a rock-solid authorization flow. It's like the bouncer at the club of your integration – making sure only the right people get in.

Prerequisites

Before we jump in, make sure you've got:

• A Hotjar account with API access (if you don't have this, go grab it!)
• A good grasp of OAuth 2.0 (don't worry, we'll refresh your memory)
• Node.js and Express.js ready to roll

Got all that? Great! Let's get this party started.

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project set up:

mkdir hotjar-integration
cd hotjar-integration
npm init -y
npm install express axios dotenv

Configuring Hotjar API credentials

Head over to your Hotjar account and grab your client ID and client secret. These are your VIP passes to the Hotjar API.

Create a .env file in your project root and add these:

HOTJAR_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id_here
HOTJAR_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret_here

Remember, keep these secret! Don't go sharing them on GitHub or shouting them from the rooftops.

Implementing the authorization flow

Now for the main event! Let's break down the auth flow:

1. Create an authorization URL
2. Redirect the user to Hotjar for permission
3. Handle the callback and exchange the code for tokens
4. Store and refresh those precious access tokens

Here's a quick implementation:

const express = require('express');
const axios = require('axios');
require('dotenv').config();

const app = express();

const authorizationUrl = `https://app.hotjar.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=${process.env.HOTJAR_CLIENT_ID}&scope=insights&response_type=code`;

app.get('/auth', (req, res) => {
  res.redirect(authorizationUrl);
});

app.get('/callback', async (req, res) => {
  const { code } = req.query;
  
  try {
    const response = await axios.post('https://app.hotjar.com/oauth2/token', {
      grant_type: 'authorization_code',
      client_id: process.env.HOTJAR_CLIENT_ID,
      client_secret: process.env.HOTJAR_CLIENT_SECRET,
      code,
    });

    const { access_token, refresh_token } = response.data;
    // Store these tokens securely!

    res.send('Authorization successful!');
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).send('Authorization failed');
  }
});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Server running on port 3000'));

Token management

Storing and refreshing tokens is crucial. You could use a database, but for now, let's keep it simple with in-memory storage:

let tokens = {};

function storeTokens(access_token, refresh_token) {
  tokens = { access_token, refresh_token };
}

async function refreshAccessToken() {
  try {
    const response = await axios.post('https://app.hotjar.com/oauth2/token', {
      grant_type: 'refresh_token',
      client_id: process.env.HOTJAR_CLIENT_ID,
      client_secret: process.env.HOTJAR_CLIENT_SECRET,
      refresh_token: tokens.refresh_token,
    });

    storeTokens(response.data.access_token, response.data.refresh_token);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to refresh token');
  }
}

Error handling and edge cases

Always be prepared for things to go wrong. Handle authorization failures gracefully and set up a system to refresh tokens before they expire. Your future self will thank you!

Testing the auth flow

Time to put on your testing hat! Here's a quick checklist:

1. Start your server
2. Navigate to http://localhost:3000/auth
3. Authorize the app on Hotjar
4. Check if you're redirected back with a success message

For the overachievers out there, consider setting up some automated tests with Jest or Mocha.

Security considerations

Security isn't just a fancy word – it's crucial. Always use HTTPS in production, implement PKCE if possible, and never, ever store tokens in local storage or expose them to the client-side.

Conclusion

And there you have it, folks! You've just built a solid authorization flow for your Hotjar integration. Pat yourself on the back – you've earned it!

Remember, this is just the beginning. With this auth flow in place, you're now ready to start pulling data, creating visualizations, and making your app even more awesome with Hotjar insights.

Keep coding, keep learning, and most importantly, keep having fun! Until next time, happy integrating!