Glossary
Webhook
What a webhook is, and how one app tells another that something has happened.
Updated
Webhook: A webhook is a message one application sends to another the moment something happens, such as a payment clearing or a form being submitted. The sending app makes a web request to an address the receiving app has set up, with the details of the event attached, so the receiver can act at once instead of checking for changes every few minutes. Webhooks are how many tools connect: a payment service tells a store that an order is paid, or a booking tool tells a CRM about a new appointment.
Where it shows up
You meet webhooks in the settings of payment services, form builders and booking apps, usually as a field that asks for a URL. Automation platforms such as n8n provide those URLs, so an event in one tool can start a workflow in another.
Because a webhook can arrive twice or not at all, a careful build checks each one and records what it did, so an order is not charged or confirmed twice.
Related terms
- AutomationWhat automation means for a small business, and where a person still does better.
- CRMWhat a CRM is, and when a small business needs a custom one instead of an off-the-shelf product.
- Ordering systemWhat an online ordering system is, and how it differs from ordering through a delivery marketplace.
- Every term in the glossary
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