What are webhooks?
Webhooks are user defined HTTP callbacks which gets triggered by specific events. When an event occurs in one application, it can be notified to another application in real time using webhooks. This is done by collecting the relevant event data and sending them as HTTP request to a specified URL where event request is accepted.
How Webhooks differ from APIs?
The main difference between an API call and a webhook is that the API works on a request based output mechanism, while webhook works on an event based notification mechanism. With APIs we need to poll to get information, while with webhooks, you can specify when you should be notified. It is like you are being able to command the system to let you know immediately when the state changes without polling the server and asking whether the state has changed, again and again.
Therefore, webhooks is very useful in transferring data instantly and seamlessly from one application to another. This advantage of webhooks can be extremely useful in instances where one system wants to be notified as soon as something happens in another system. In addition, webhooks comes with great flexibility which enables you to automatically trigger a wide range of tasks (provided that the ability of your external system supports webhooks) where you are looking for real–time notifications and data synchronizations. Further, with webhooks, you can even configure an event in one site to trigger an Action in another site.
Being a multifaceted tool with the above advantages in hand, many companies are already using it and it will be increasingly relied on by others in the near future.
Where can you use webhooks? What are the main benefits?
The potential uses of webhooks are seemingly endless and it is definitely something worth looking in to! Webhooks can be used to improve the performance of many web based functions we use in our daily and business lives.
Let’s go over a few of the main real time applications of webhooks to understand its advantages over the other alternatives you have.
Payment notifications
Webhooks can be used to instantly notify e-commerce retailers who use third party payment gateway systems when the payment is made by the customer., The payment gateway connects to the retailer’s customer data base and provides the payment data immediately through the use of webhooks even though the payment happens outside the retailer’s website. It can also provide information instantly on failed charges as well. This is an immense help to the retailer who needs to keep his data base up to date at any given time.
Send or receive notifications
If you want to be notified or send notifications on any specific events on real time, webhooks is the way to go. The notifications could be on information changes, offers, new products, new subscribers, any unsubscribers, product updates, product changes etc and this could be done instantly via a webhooks supported platform.
Synchronize files
Businesses often employ multiple systems. If your requirement is to synchronize files that you maintain on two different applications, webhooks can easily do the job for you as when an event happens in one application, webhooks instantly notifies the other application and allows data to synchronize.
Status updates
Webhooks are able to provide a definitive confirmation of a status update and are used as a reliable tool to convey massages of being offline, when levels are reached to a certain threshold or to let the system know that a particular site is down.
When you need to collect data from multiple users
Eg: Webhooks have proved to be an invaluable tool when you need to obtain the approval or signature of several parties for a particular document. Using webhooks, a person can download the document almost instantly once all parties have approved the document. You don’t need to waste time on requesting status updates time to time.
Handling of disputes
Webhooks is used by many companies in their dispute resolution process as it helps to keep track of each status change of a dispute instantly. With webhooks in place, you’ll be well equipped to handle any disputes that arise.
Event related repositories
Collaboration platforms (GitHub etc) can use webhooks to facilitate better communication among its users.
CRM platforms
CRM platforms can use a real time webhooks infrastructure, to notify its users about specific events, in real time. This way, all users can keep their systems synchronized with the main platform.
Marketing campaigns
Marketing campaigns can be created using webhooks or you can use webhooks in your existing multi-channel campaign (where a third party is already involved) to improve its performance.
To send messages to chat rooms
Webhooks can be programmed to send messages to chat rooms and there by notify the team of any new events or updates through the addition of links to the event details.
How can we help you?
Putting forward all these uses, webhooks has been proved to be an important resource if you want to get information from one application to another in real time. There are so many more great uses of webhooks and Rapidomize.com, who provides integration workflows for everyone, is ready to help you here as well.
Take Rapidopmize’s webhooks feature for instance. Just send your event data to us (through a URL) and you are free to Trigger any workflow you want with webhooks, with the apps we support. There is absolutely no coding required.
