Now we understand what a webhook is and how it typically works, why should you use it? Why use webhooks Here’s an example of what a webhook URL looks like with the payload it’s carrying: Only it’s more complicated than a phone number, because data about the event is sent to the webhook URL in either JSON or XML format.

This exchange of data happens over the web through a “webhook URL.”Ī webhook URL is provided by the receiving application, and acts as a phone number that the other application can call when an event happens. Here’s a visual representation of what that looks like: The data is then sent over the web from the application where the event originally occurred, to the receiving application that handles the data.

What a webhook does is notify you any time someone checks in, so you’d be able to run any processes that you had in your application once this event is triggered. You ideally want to be able to greet customers by name and offer a complimentary drink when they check in. It allows you to send real-time data from one application to another whenever a given event occurs.įor example, let’s say you’ve created an application using the Foursquare API that tracks when people check into your restaurant. Webhooks are one of a few ways web applications can communicate with each other. While it’s clear webhooks are in demand, what exactly are they? What is a webhook? Data from Google trends shows how interest for webhooks has increased over the past five years. You’ve probably seen webhooks integrations in a few of your applications, and you’re wondering what they are and if you should be using them.Īnd it’s something to consider, as webhooks are growing in popularity.

Webook tutorial