Article · Long read

What are webhooks?

Zapier Free Beginner

Webhooks are the primitive that makes ad hoc integrations possible: they are how one app pings another the instant something happens, without either side building a formal connector. This piece explains them in plain language with concrete examples (payments, orders, messages), which is exactly the mental model you need before wiring two tools together yourself. Grasp this and a lot of the no-code connection puzzle stops feeling like magic.

  • A webhook is an automatic message an app sends the moment an event happens, so you skip constant polling
  • It automates one specific handoff rather than exposing a whole API, which is often all an ad hoc integration needs
  • Testing tools like RequestBin let you inspect what a webhook actually sends before you build on it
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The question it answers

  1. How do I connect two tools that don't have a native integration without paying for expensive automation plans?

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  4. Video What is a Webhook? Webhooks for Beginners YouTube
  5. Video · ~5 min API Explained in 5 Minutes (for beginners) YouTube
  6. Course · ~2 hours APIs for Beginners: How to use an API (full course) Craig Dennis
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