Webhooks
What are webhooks?
Webhooks are an HTTP callback (essentially a call/request) used to relay data from one application to another. Data can be relayed between applications in two ways—polling and webhooks. In the case of webhooks, this is an event-driven information transfer. It uses a trigger system where an action or event in one application triggers a data push to another application.
Webhooks vs. API: How are they different?
Both webhooks and Application Programmable Interface (API) are methods to transfer data between applications. As previously mentioned, there are two ways to transfer data between apps—polling and webhooks. With API, the recipient app has to keep polling the source app to see if there is new information to pull. In webhooks, the need for constant polling is eliminated because the data is pushed when new information is available in the source application. In simple terms, with API, application 2 pulls data from application 1. Whereas in the case of webhooks, application 1 pushed the data to application 2.
Functionally, APIs enable deep, robust integration between two applications, while webhooks are more suited for simple data sharing. APIs offer two-way communication and can handle CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) between the two applications. On the other hand, webhooks are easy and quick to set up for seamless event-driven data transfer between applications without all of the bells and whistles.
The benefits of webhooks
Seamless data flow
Webhooks allow you to automate workflows between applications. You can simply set a trigger event to push data to the application of your choice.
Real-time data transfer
Because webhooks are a trigger-based system, the relevant information is transferred to the receiver application as soon as an event occurs. This means that there’s no latency and the data is transferred instantly in real time.
Increased efficiency
Webhooks eliminate the constant need for requests. The data is transferred when an event happens. This makes it more efficient by avoiding the need to check for new information constantly and any delay in information transfer.
Easy setup
Webhooks are extremely easy to set up. Users simply have to choose which events to use as triggers and where the information needs to be sent. Even after set up, webhooks are easier to manage than APIs.
The limitations of webhooks
No deep integration
Functionally, webhooks are a one-way communication system to transfer simple payloads between applications. They cannot be used for complex and deep integrations that require two-way communication.
Limited support
While webhooks are universally efficient, not all applications support webhooks. This can be a challenge for the execution of data transfer using webhooks.
Failure information
With webhooks, users aren’t informed of any failure in data transfer by default. Because this is a one-way communication, even if the receiver is down, the source application will not be informed. This means that without retry workflow or backup systems in place, there’s a chance of data loss.
Security risks
When configuring a webhook, users have to provide an endpoint URL where the data should be sent. This URL has to be a public URL. Exposing a public endpoint could, in some cases, pose a security threat. To overcome this, you can use secret tokens or HMAC signatures and also use HTTPS to encrypt traffic.