--- title: Webhooks canonical: https://webhook-box.com/documentation/webhooks last-modified: 2026-08-23 source: Web Hook Box documentation --- # Understanding Webhooks ## 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 ![Webhook Flow Diagram](/images/docs/webhook-flow.png) ##### Web Hook Box Your comprehensive webhook testing platform. ##### Links - [Features](/features) - [Documentation](/documentation) ##### Contact - --- [ Buy me a coffee ](https://buymeacoffee.com/mouhammeddn) © 2026 Web Hook Box. All rights reserved.