What is Webhook?
A webhook is an HTTP callback: when something happens in one system, it sends the event data as a POST request to a URL you provide, so you receive updates instead of repeatedly polling for them.
How It Works
Instead of asking a system every few minutes whether anything changed, you give it a URL and it calls you when an event occurs. The sender POSTs the event data, usually as JSON, and your endpoint answers with a success status. Because anyone could hit that URL, you verify each request with a signature or secret header. Senders retry failed deliveries, so your handler should be idempotent, meaning a repeated event does not create a duplicate result. For example, a payment provider POSTs a payment event to your endpoint, and a workflow marks the invoice as paid and emails a receipt.
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Key Benefits
- Real-time triggers without polling
- Fewer wasted API calls
- Simple to receive with plain HTTP
- Supported by most SaaS tools and automation platforms
- Verifiable with a signature or secret header
Common Use Cases
- A form submission starting a workflow
- A payment event marking an invoice as paid
- A new CRM lead routed to the right person
- Support ticket updates posted to a team channel
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Related Terms
Workflow Automation
The use of technology to automate repeatable business processes, reducing manual intervention and ensuring tasks are completed consistently and efficiently.
AI Agents
Autonomous software programs powered by artificial intelligence that can perceive their environment, make decisions, and take actions to accomplish specific goals.
n8n
n8n is a node-based workflow automation platform, source-available under a fair-code license, that connects apps and services through visual workflows and includes an AI Agent node for building LLM-driven automations.