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FAQs

• What is a webhook?

  Webhooks are HTTP requests that have the capability to connect apps, processes, and a variety of modern web services. They are triggered by specific events in a source system and are sent to a destination system. The transfer of data through a webhook is automated, so they go out immediately and allow an app to retrieve data without user or administrator action when an event occurs in the source system.

  You can think of webhooks as the way one system speaks to another in order to request data. One system–known as the source–speaks, and it sends an HTTP request to another system, the destination. The data payload relays information about some event that occurred in the source system.

• What are webhooks used for?

  Webhooks are defined as HTTP callbacks that enable one app to send data and one app to receive data based on a specific event. With that being said, you may be wondering why they’re such an important consideration for anyone getting ready to create a website, manage their customer base, or run a multi-channel campaign. It's crucial to understand what a webhook is and how it can be used in order to use them effectively.

  Essentially, webhooks allow web apps to transfer requested data to one another, making them useful for syncing up cross-channel activities, coordinating campaigns, and automating repetitive tasks. Below are a few examples of how webhooks can be used:

  • You don’t always check your calendar, so you add a webhook to your email platform to remind you of the first meeting on your calendar at the beginning of every day.
  • You have facial recognition on your doorbell. You set a webhook for a different tone when your children are at the door. Or you set your doorbell to screen for people you do not want to see.
  • You have an account receivable that you are just about to put into collection. You set up a webhook to let you know when their payment has been processed.

  Webhooks are useful for customer service automation and marketing automation, too. If you have ever created a form in HTML, you know what a pain it is to figure out where to send data once you have collected it. With a webhook, you use your form’s activation trigger to send data to a specific webhook URL. Once the customer has filled out the form, for example, you receive a notice with the information you need.

  You can also connect a webhook to a marketing application for follow-up activities and upsells, which allow you to grow your business. Or you can use a webhook to activate the fulfillment process for an order, while updating inventory so you can better serve other customers.

  Webhooks are useful tools for synchronization and integration. You can use a webhook to synchronize data between different applications or between different systems. For example, you can use a webhook for synchronization by updating a CRM with new contact information for a lead.

• What's the difference between webhooks and APIs?

  A webhook sends real-time data notifications from one application to another. It automatically pushes data as soon as the event occurs.

  An API (application programming interface) accesses specific data or a specific functionality within an application. The client sends a request to the API endpoint to trigger the action or send the data.

• How do I create a webhook?

  There are two main things you need to do when creating any webhook. First, you will define the webhook. Then you will set up the receiving application.

  Below are the basic steps needed to set up a webhook:

  1. Choose the event: Determine which event in your application will trigger the webhook.
  2. Define the webhook: Create a webhook endpoint that will receive the HTTP POST requests from the sending application.
  3. Set up the receiving application: Configure the receiving application to handle incoming webhook requests.
  4. Test the webhook: Send a test request to the webhook endpoint to make sure that the webhook is set up correctly.
  5. Monitor and maintain the webhook: Ensure that you update and maintain webhooks if relevant URLs or processes are altered, and take care to encrypt data sent through webhooks and equip them with the latest security features.

  Visit our page on how to use webhooks to learn more about the applications of webhooks, software applications that support webhooks, and how to set up a new webhook in Mailchimp.