What is a webhook?

A webhook is an automated message one system sends to another the moment an event happens, as an HTTP request to a URL you provide. Instead of repeatedly asking "anything new yet?", your app is notified the instant something changes, such as a payment, a new signup, or a status update.

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Why it matters

Webhooks are how modern tools talk to each other in real time. A payment provider tells your app the moment a charge succeeds; your CRM updates the instant a deal closes. Done right, they let you automate work that would otherwise need someone refreshing a dashboard.

Webhook vs polling

Polling means your app keeps asking "anything new?" on a timer, wasteful and always a little behind. A webhook flips it: the other system calls you only when there's something to report. Less load, near-instant updates.

Where teams get it wrong

Webhooks fail quietly. The classic mistakes are not verifying the request is genuine, not handling duplicate deliveries (most providers send "at least once"), and doing slow work inside the handler instead of acknowledging fast and processing in the background. Each one causes bugs that only show up under real traffic.

Related terms

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