Webhooks for Beginners: A Complete Guide

What Are Webhooks?

Webhooks are automatic messages sent from apps when something happens. Think of them as app-to-app notifications.

How Webhooks Work

1. An event occurs (e.g., new customer signup)
2. The source app sends an HTTP request to a URL
3. Your workflow receives the data
4. Your workflow processes and takes action

Setting Up Your First Webhook

In n8n, webhooks are incredibly easy:

1. Add a Webhook Trigger node
2. Copy the webhook URL
3. Paste it into your source app
4. Test it!

Common Webhook Sources

• Stripe: Payment events
• GitHub: Code push notifications
• Shopify: Order updates
• Typeform: Form submissions
• Mailchimp: Email events

Webhook Best Practices

• Always validate webhook signatures
• Handle retries gracefully
• Return responses quickly (process async)
• Log all webhook payloads
• Set up monitoring and alerts

Troubleshooting

Common issues and how to fix them:

• Webhook not triggering: Check URL and source app config
• Invalid payload: Verify data structure
• Timeouts: Move processing to queue
• Duplicate events: Implement idempotency

Conclusion

Webhooks unlock real-time automation possibilities. Start simple and build complexity as you learn!