Most apps don’t just sit quietly waiting for users. They react to events. A payment succeeds. A form is submitted. An order is placed. A subscription renews.
Webhooks are what make this real-time communication possible.
If APIs are about asking for data, webhooks are about being notified when something happens.
Listen to the podcast explaining the webhook
What Are Webhooks?
A webhook is a way for one system to automatically send data to another system when a specific event occurs.
Instead of constantly checking for updates, the system gets notified instantly.
In simple words:
A webhook is an automatic message sent when something happens.
Why Webhooks Exist
Before webhooks, apps had to repeatedly ask:
“Has anything changed?”
“Has the payment gone through?”
“Is the order completed?”
This constant checking wastes time and resources.
Webhooks solve this by sending information only when an event actually happens.
A Simple Analogy
Think of ordering food online.
Without webhooks:
You keep opening the app to check if your food is ready.
With webhooks:
The app sends you a notification the moment the food is prepared.
No checking. No waiting. Just instant updates.
How Webhooks Work (Simple Flow)
Here’s what happens behind the scenes:
- You register a webhook URL with a service
- An event happens (payment, signup, update)
- The service sends data to your webhook URL
- Your system receives and processes that data
That’s it. No repeated requests.
A Real Example You’ve Already Seen
When a payment is successful:
• The payment gateway processes the payment
• It sends a webhook to your server
• Your server updates the order status
• The user sees “Payment Successful”
Your system didn’t ask for the update.
It was notified automatically.
Webhooks vs APIs (Common Confusion)
This is important:
• API: You ask for data
• Webhook: You receive data automatically
APIs are pull-based.
Webhooks are push-based.
Most modern systems use both together.
Where Webhooks Are Commonly Used
You’ll see webhooks everywhere:
• Payment confirmations
• Order status updates
• Form submissions
• Subscription renewals
• App notifications
• CI/CD pipelines
Any time something needs to react instantly, webhooks are involved.
Common Misunderstanding to Avoid
A webhook is not a background job or a cron task.
It only triggers when an event occurs.
If nothing happens, the webhook does nothing.
Key Takeaway
If you remember one thing:
Webhooks automatically notify your system when something happens, without you having to ask.
Mini Cheat Sheet
• Webhook: Event-based notification
• Event: Something that triggers the webhook
• Endpoint: URL that receives webhook data
• Payload: Data sent with the webhook
