What is Webhook?

Converge Converge Team
•

Automated messages sent from one system to another when events occur

What is Webhook?

A webhook is an automated notification sent from one system to another when a specific event occurs. Unlike APIs where you poll for data ("check every 5 minutes for new orders"), webhooks push data to you instantly when something happens ("here's a new order the moment it's placed"). In customer support, webhooks power real-time integrations—when a customer sends a WhatsApp message, a webhook delivers it to your inbox instantly.

Webhooks work by registering a URL endpoint on your system. When the triggering event occurs on the source system, it sends an HTTP POST request to your URL with the event data as JSON. Your system processes the payload and takes action—creating a ticket, updating a record, or sending a notification.

Why Webhook Matters

Webhooks enable real-time responsiveness. Without them, you'd need to constantly poll external systems for changes—inefficient and slow. With webhooks, new messages, payment events, and system alerts arrive the moment they happen. This is how messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram deliver messages to your support inbox in real-time.

Webhooks also enable event-driven automation. When a customer completes a purchase (webhook from your payment system), you can automatically create a welcome message. When a support ticket is resolved (webhook from your support tool), you can trigger a CSAT survey. These automations happen instantly without manual intervention.

Webhook in Practice

A support team configured webhooks between their payment system and unified inbox. When a payment fails, a webhook triggers an automatic conversation with the customer on their preferred channel: "Hi {{name}}, we noticed a payment issue with your subscription. Can we help resolve this?" This proactive outreach resolved 60% of payment issues before the customer even noticed, reducing involuntary churn by 25%.

Related Terms

APIcallbacknotification

Related Reading

→ Zapier Webhooks → n8n Automation → Telegram Webhooks

Frequently Asked Questions

Webhooks depend on both systems being available. If your endpoint is down, you miss the notification. Most webhook providers implement retry logic—they'll attempt delivery 3-5 times over several hours. Your system should also log received webhooks and handle duplicates gracefully.
Most providers retry failed deliveries with exponential backoff (retry after 1 minute, then 5, then 30, etc.). Some providers offer webhook logs where you can manually replay failed deliveries. Always implement idempotency—handling the same webhook twice should produce the same result.
Verify webhook signatures—most providers include a cryptographic signature in the request header. Your endpoint validates this signature using a shared secret to confirm the webhook came from the legitimate source, not a malicious actor. Also use HTTPS exclusively.

More Technical Terms

API →Integration →SSO →RBAC →Uptime →