# What is a plugin?

Plugins are a tool that allows users to develop and extend the platform's features and functionalities in order to meet particular needs not addressed natively by Ubidots.

## Context

Ubidots is not an open source platform, so users can't modify it to meet their particular requirements. Even if it were, users would have to have a vast knowledge of the several technologies that conform the platform in order to modify it.

## Motivation

We wanted to empower our users with a tool that allows them to develop features according to their needs and integrate them into their accounts.

## When to use plugins?

When a certain need or requirement is not offered natively by Ubidots.

## Plugin types

Plugins are categorized into t*ypes,* according to their purpose, thus allowing different platform customization levels. 

In general terms, they embed specific logic according to their type: 

<table data-full-width="true"><thead><tr><th width="201.2" align="center">Type</th><th align="center">Purpose</th><th align="center">Example</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="center">Cron</td><td align="center">Periodically executes some logic.</td><td align="center">Retrieve data every 20 minutes from an external weather API and bring it into Ubidots.</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Webhook</td><td align="center">Executes some logic triggered by an HTTP request.</td><td align="center">Decode a LoRaWAN payload every time an uplink is received on Ubidots from an LNS.</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Widget</td><td align="center">Allows developing custom widgets that are made available as if they were native to Ubidots.</td><td align="center">Create a line chart using HighchartsJS that meet specific visualization requirements beyond the customization options offered by Ubidots' Line Chart widget.</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Device</td><td align="center">Allows creating custom Ubidots devices with embedded logic, and user-defined filters and categories for visualization purposes.</td><td align="center">Create a device with custom thumbnail and properties.</td></tr></tbody></table>


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