What are Webhooks?

Webhooks are user-defined HTTP callbacks that are triggered by specific events in a web application.

Think of webhooks as a way for applications to communicate with each other in real-time. Instead of constantly polling an API to check if something has changed, webhooks allow a server to push data to another application as soon as an event occurs.

For example, when a new payment is processed in a payment gateway, a webhook can be triggered to notify your application about the successful transaction, allowing you to update your records, send confirmation emails, or trigger other processes automatically.

How Webhooks Work

1. An event happens in a source system (e.g., new order, payment, comment)
2. The source system sends an HTTP request (usually POST) to the webhook URL you provided
3. Your application receives this request with event data and processes it accordingly
4. Your application returns an HTTP response (typically 200 OK) to acknowledge receipt