A webhook is a method of communication between two applications or systems over the internet. It allows real-time data to be sent from one application to another as soon as a specific event or trigger occurs.
In a typical webhook scenario, one application acts as the sender or the source of events, while the other application acts as the receiver or the destination of those events. When an event of interest happens in the sender application, it generates a webhook request and sends it to a pre-configured URL or endpoint provided by the receiver application.
The receiver application, which has set up the webhook, listens for incoming requests at the specified endpoint. When it receives a webhook request, it can process the data included in the request payload and take appropriate actions based on the event that occurred. These actions include updating a database, sending notifications, triggering workflows, or executing custom logic.
Webhooks are typically implemented using HTTP or HTTPS protocols. The sender application sends an HTTP request, usually using the POST method, to the webhook endpoint of the receiver application. The request includes relevant data about the event, which is often structured in formats like JSON or XML.