One mantra I’ve always followed is “meet developers where they are.” Developers have established workflows and favorite tools – whether it’s their code editor, version control, CI/CD pipeline, cloud platform, or communication channels like Slack. If you can integrate your devtool seamlessly into those existing workflows, you lower the barrier to adoption tremendously. The easier it is for a dev to plug your tool into what they’re already doing, the more likely they’ll actually use it (and keep using it). Moreover, integrations can make your tool feel bigger than it is by riding along with the adoption of larger platforms.
For crowd.dev, this meant building integrations with GitHub, Discord, Slack, etc., because those are where community data resides. For your tool, consider the following tactics:
VS Code and IDE Extensions: In 2025, VS Code is still the dominant code editor for many developers, with others using PyCharm, IntelliJ, Vim, etc. If your tool involves coding, debugging, or anything a developer might do while writing code, a VS Code extension can be a game-changer. For example, if you have an API tool, an extension could allow devs to make API calls from within VS Code. Or if it’s a testing tool, an extension to run tests and see results inside the editor. By publishing an extension, you also get listed in the VS Code Marketplace, where devs searching for solutions might find you. It effectively puts your tool one click away in the environment devs spend most of their day in.
GitHub Integration: Depending on your product, integrate with GitHub (or GitLab/Bitbucket). This could be:
- A GitHub App or Action. For instance, if your tool does code analysis, provide a GitHub Action so users can easily add it to their CI pipeline by dropping in a few lines of YAML. Many devs discover tools by browsing the GitHub Actions marketplace for a need (“code coverage”, “linter”, etc.).
- Status Checks or PR Comments. Similar to the Snyk example earlier, your tool can post results as GitHub commit statuses or PR comments. That visibility not only provides value to the user (they see immediate feedback in their PR) but is also visible to every collaborator on the repo (free awareness).
- Badges in README. As discussed, if your tool can output a badge (e.g., “Monitored by X” or some metric), provide a snippet for users to put in their README. This is both integration and marketing.
CI/CD and DevOps Tools: Figure out how to integrate with popular CI servers (Jenkins, CircleCI), container platforms (Docker, Kubernetes), etc. Offer a Docker image of your service for easy deployment, or a Helm chart if relevant. If your tool is something that could be used in a build/test pipeline, provide plugins or clear docs for Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, etc. Many companies have gotten traction by publishing an Orb (CircleCI Orb) or similar integration that appears in those ecosystems’ catalogs.
Slack/Discord Bots or Hooks: Developers often get alerts and do some ops tasks via chat (ChatOps). If your tool involves monitoring, issue tracking, or anything where notifications are useful, integrate with Slack and/or Discord. For example, your tool can send an alert to a Slack channel when something happens (with a link for devs to take action). Or allow devs to query your tool via a Slack command. Being present in Slack means your tool becomes part of the daily conversation. We integrated crowd.dev with Slack so that community managers could get notified of important community posts right in their Slack – this made our tool sticky because users didn’t have to leave their primary workspace to see value.
APIs and SDKs: This one’s obvious for dev tools but worth stating: provide robust APIs or SDKs for popular languages. If developers can programmatically access your tool, they will integrate it into their own workflows and products. Treat your API as a first-class product. Even better, open source your SDKs or have them available on package managers (npm, pip, Maven, etc.). Developers trust tools that fit nicely into their stack – e.g., a Python developer will be happier if there’s a pip-installable client library for your service. Deep integration means they can script with your tool, automate it, and include it in their applications.
An insightful note: building out APIs and integrations can lead to a self-sustaining growth model. As more partners and users integrate your API, it indirectly leads to further adoption, creating a virtuous cycle. Essentially, every integration point becomes a funnel for new users. Think of how many tools integrate with Stripe’s API – each integration makes Stripe more entrenched and visible.
Plugins: If there are popular platforms or open-source projects in your domain, create plugins. For example, if you have a testing tool, maybe a plugin for JIRA to show test results, or a Chrome DevTools extension if it’s front-end related, or an add-on for Visual Studio if enterprise devs use it. Being part of an existing marketplace (like the Atlassian Marketplace or Chrome Web Store) exposes you to that user base.
Cloud Marketplaces: Consider listing your product (especially if it’s a service or SaaS) on the major cloud marketplaces (AWS, Azure, GCP). Many companies browse those for pre-vetted solutions. It also simplifies procurement for companies (they can use committed cloud spend to purchase your tool). Even though the process can be a bit of work (and these platforms take a cut), the credibility and visibility can help, especially for enterprise adoption.
Data and Workflow Integrations: Think about where your product’s output or input can connect with others. For example, if your tool produces logs or analytics, integrate with data viz tools like Grafana or with databases so users can export their data. If it’s a security tool, integrate with ticketing systems (auto-create a JIRA ticket for a vulnerability). These deep integrations make your tool more indispensable because it fits into multiple parts of a dev’s workflow. A dev once told me, “I love Tool X, but if it didn’t integrate with our CI and bug tracker, we couldn’t use it – we can’t afford another information silo.” Integration often is the deciding factor in real-world team adoption.
Partnerships with Other Dev Products: Sometimes, teaming up with another complementary dev tool for an integration can boost both of you. For instance, a monitoring tool partnering with a dashboard tool to produce a unified solution. Joint press releases or case studies can amplify the effect. Additionally, contributing integrations to others’ open-source projects (with their blessing) is a great strategy – e.g., writing a plugin for a popular open source build tool that adds support for your service.
Now, aside from making the tool more useful, deep integrations also signal credibility. If your tool is listed on the GitHub marketplace or has an official Slack app, devs subconsciously see it as more “real” and trusted. It shows you’re willing to play nice with the ecosystem rather than forcing a walled garden.
One caution: prioritize which integrations really matter to your audience. Don’t stretch yourself thin building every possible plugin if there are no users there yet. Focus on the top 1-3 places your potential users live. It might be VS Code, GitHub, and Slack, for example. Nail those, then expand.
Action plan
- Talk to your early users or target customers and ask: “What other tools do you use day to day? Where would you want to use/see [YourProduct] without leaving that environment?” Their answers will guide you.
- Plan to build at least one integration each quarter. Start with something like a GitHub Action or VS Code extension – these have high impact.
- Allocate engineering time for this, and treat the integration with the same quality as your core product (nothing is worse than a buggy plugin that hurts your reputation).
- Once built, promote the integration: e.g., announce your VS Code extension on its marketplace, write a blog “Using [YourTool] in VS Code”, and get users to review it.
Remember to also maintain these integrations – keep them updated as your core product changes. If done right, integrated usage will soar. Users will comment how your tool “just fits” into their workflow. And you’ll notice more signups coming via these channels (e.g., someone finds you in the Slack app directory or via the GitHub Action). Deep integrations make your tool sticky – once it’s wired into a dev team’s setup, it’s hard to rip out (because it’s everywhere they need it). That is exactly where you want to be.
Learn more about integrations
- Integration as a Growth Lever – How integrations fit into a business strategy.
My tool recommendations
- Nango: For building product integrations. We have tried a dozen different tools at crowd.dev, and Nango is the only one that lasted. It’s also open source.