What This Update Actually Is
HubSpot shipped two concrete changes to the Marketplace submission experience on August 19, 2026.
First, the eligibility gate for listing and certification submissions now checks active installs instead of total installs. Second, developers can now see their active install count inside their Developer Account dashboard, updated once per day.
The thresholds themselves haven't changed. What changed is which number HubSpot actually checks at submission time.
Here's how HubSpot defines each metric:
- Total installs: every distinct HubSpot account where the app is installed, regardless of account type or recent activity.
- Active installs: unique, unaffiliated HubSpot production accounts that have shown successful app activity in the past 30 days. Activity means OAuth-authenticated API requests or signed requests from HubSpot webhook subscriptions and extensions.
Test accounts, sandbox portals, and dormant installs no longer pad your count.
Why HubSpot Shipped This
The eligibility requirements for Marketplace listing and certification have always been based on active installs. But the submission flow was checking total installs instead.
That gap created a frustrating loop. Developers would submit, get rejected for not meeting active install requirements, and have no clear way to see exactly where they stood before trying again.
This update closes that loop. The gate now matches the rule, and the dashboard now shows you the number that actually matters. It's the kind of transparency fix that saves hours of guesswork for the humans building on HubSpot's platform.
How to Use It Step by Step
- Log in to your HubSpot Developer Account and navigate to your app's dashboard.
- Find the Active Installs count now visible in your app metrics. This is the number HubSpot will check at submission.
- Compare your count to the thresholds: 3 active installs minimum to submit a Marketplace listing, 60 active installs plus 6 months listed to submit for Certification or Recertification.
- If you're close but not there yet, focus on ensuring your installed accounts are making OAuth-authenticated API calls or triggering webhook activity within a 30-day window.
- Check back the next day after reaching your target. Active install counts refresh once per 24 hours, so a same-day check won't reflect new activity.
- Submit only when your dashboard confirms eligibility. The submission form will now reflect your actual status before you click send.
What It Touches in Your HubSpot Strategy
This update lives squarely in the developer and partner ecosystem, not inside marketing, sales, or service portals directly. But the downstream effects are real for teams that depend on Marketplace apps to power their workflows.
If your RevOps or operations stack includes a third-party Marketplace app, this change affects how fast that app's developer can achieve certification. Certified apps carry more trust signals in the Marketplace listing. That matters when you're evaluating tools to add to your HubSpot ecosystem.
For humans building proprietary integrations on HubSpot's platform, the active install definition also shines a light on something worth auditing: are your installed accounts actually using the connection? A dormant install means a stale integration, and stale integrations create data quality problems that ripple into your CRM and reporting.
Key Takeaway
Active installs only count if those accounts have made OAuth-authenticated API requests or triggered webhook activity in the past 30 days. A portal that installed your app and never used it doesn't count. Audit your installs the same way HubSpot now does.
This update also pairs well with the broader trend of HubSpot tightening API-level governance. If you're tracking API deprecation cycles, you'll want to read about the Pipelines API V1 deprecation deadline coming December 4, 2026, which follows the same pattern of bringing the submission experience in line with already-existing technical requirements.
On the data side, the new Active Installs visibility in the Developer Account is a small but meaningful reporting win. Developers now have a single number to track, refreshed daily, without needing to manually reconcile total installs against activity logs.
Key Takeaway
The 24-hour refresh cycle on active install counts is the only operational catch here. Don't submit the same day you hit your threshold. Set a calendar reminder and check the following morning.
If your team manages a complex HubSpot portal that relies on multiple integrated apps, understanding what counts as "active" at the API level is also a good prompt to review your integration health overall. Poor data hygiene in connected apps leads to the same reporting headaches we see across portals every week. If you want the strategic framing on why clean data fuels better decisions, the Data Sources File Ingestion API update for HubSpot Data Studio covers how HubSpot is expanding data connectivity at the platform level.
Who Should Care Most
This update is most relevant to a specific group. If you're not in this group, you can file it as good-to-know context.
- HubSpot app developers who are working toward a Marketplace listing or pursuing HubSpot App Certification. This change directly affects your submission timeline and what you need to prove before you submit.
- HubSpot Solutions Partners and ISVs building proprietary apps for their clients or for the broader HubSpot ecosystem. The certification badge affects how your app is perceived during the sales process.
- RevOps and Operations leaders evaluating Marketplace apps for their stack. Knowing that certification now requires genuinely active installs means the badge carries more signal than it did before this update.
- Technical founders at SaaS companies who built a HubSpot integration and have been eyeing a Marketplace listing as a growth channel. The active install requirement means your go-to-market strategy needs real adoption before you submit.
George's Take
I've seen a lot of portals where humans installed an app, forgot about it, and that dormant connection quietly caused data noise for months. This update is HubSpot doing what good platform governance looks like: aligning the measurement to the intent. Active installs mean real adoption. Real adoption means the integration is actually doing something valuable in production. If you're a developer, don't treat the 30-day activity window as a hurdle; treat it as a forcing function to build an integration that earns its keep from day one. That's good product discipline, and HubSpot is right to reward it.
“Active installs mean real adoption. If your app isn't earning its place in production within 30 days, that's the product feedback, not the eligibility requirement, that deserves your attention.”
If you're building on HubSpot's platform and want to map out a submission strategy, or if you're evaluating Marketplace apps for your portal and want a second set of eyes on what your integration health actually looks like, let's talk. Book a strategy call with the Sidekick team and we'll help you build a HubSpot ecosystem where every connection is earning its place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between total installs and active installs in HubSpot Marketplace?
Total installs counts every HubSpot account where your app is installed, regardless of whether it's been used recently. Active installs counts only unique, unaffiliated production accounts that made OAuth-authenticated API requests or triggered webhook activity in the past 30 days. HubSpot now uses active installs to determine submission eligibility.
How many active installs do I need to submit a HubSpot Marketplace listing?
You need at least 3 active installs to submit a new Marketplace listing. For Certification or Recertification, the requirement is 60 active installs plus a minimum of 6 months already listed on the Marketplace. These thresholds haven't changed; only the metric HubSpot checks at submission has been updated.
Where can I see my app's active install count in HubSpot?
Your active install count is now visible inside your HubSpot Developer Account on your app's dashboard. The count refreshes once every 24 hours, so if you recently reached the required threshold, check back the following day before attempting to submit.
Why did HubSpot change from total installs to active installs for submission eligibility?
The eligibility requirements have always been based on active installs, but the submission gate was checking total installs. That mismatch allowed some apps to submit even though they didn't meet the real requirements, resulting in rejected submissions. This update aligns the gate with the actual rule and gives developers visibility before they submit.
What counts as app activity for HubSpot active install tracking?
HubSpot counts two types of activity: OAuth-authenticated requests made to HubSpot APIs, and signed requests from HubSpot webhook subscriptions and extensions. Both must occur within the past 30 days from a unique, unaffiliated HubSpot production account for that install to count as active.
Does this HubSpot Marketplace update affect existing certified apps?
Existing Marketplace listings and certified apps aren't immediately affected. The change applies to new listing submissions and Certification or Recertification submissions going forward. However, developers pursuing recertification will now need to confirm they meet the 60 active install threshold before submitting, as the gate now enforces that requirement at submission time.
