Webhooks enable real-time, push-based communication between systems. Instead of polling for changes, your systems receive instant notifications when events occur.
How Webhooks Deliver Value
Traditional API integration relies on polling—asking repeatedly for changes. Webhooks reverse this model. When an event happens in the source system, it immediately sends an HTTP POST to your endpoint. This push-based approach is efficient and provides near-instant updates.
Securing Your Webhook Endpoint
Always verify webhook signatures before processing. Most webhook providers sign payloads using HMAC-SHA256 with a secret key. Your endpoint should compute the expected signature and compare it against the received one. This single step prevents spoofed requests.
Designing for Failure
Network issues happen. Webhook deliveries fail. Implement retry logic with exponential backoff—wait 1 second, then 2, then 4, doubling each time up to a maximum. Most providers retry for 24-72 hours. Design your handlers to process the same webhook multiple times safely.
Idempotency Protects Your Data
Your webhook handlers must be idempotent. The same webhook might be delivered 3-5 times due to retries. Store processed webhook IDs and skip duplicates. This prevents accidental double-processing that could corrupt your data.
Return Responses Quickly
Webhook providers timeout if your endpoint takes too long. Return 200 immediately, then process asynchronously. Push the payload to a queue and process in the background. Your endpoint stays responsive and retries remain clean.
Monitor and Log Everything
Track webhook delivery success rates, latencies, and failure patterns. Set up alerts for delivery failures. Good monitoring helps you catch problems before they become user-facing issues.