Terms

Webhooks

Webhooks are automated messages sent from one application to another via HTTP when a specific event is triggered. Rather than an application repeatedly asking for new information, a webhook automatically pushes the data to a designated URL as soon as the event happens. This makes them a highly efficient way for different web services to communicate in real-time.

Common Use Cases

Because they facilitate real-time communication, webhooks are incredibly versatile and used across many industries. They act as the digital glue connecting different systems, automating workflows that would otherwise require manual effort. This event-driven approach powers a wide range of automated tasks.

  • E-commerce: A new order triggers inventory updates and shipping notifications.
  • DevOps: A code push initiates an automated build and deployment pipeline.
  • Marketing: A form submission adds a new lead to a CRM system.
  • Notifications: A new support ticket sends an alert to a team's chat application.
  • Payments: A successful transaction automatically grants a user access to a service.

Implementation Best Practices

To ensure your webhooks are reliable and secure, it's crucial to follow established best practices. Proper implementation prevents data loss, protects against malicious attacks, and ensures your automated workflows run smoothly.

  • Security: Validate incoming requests using secrets or signatures to prevent unauthorized access.
  • Errors: Design your endpoint to gracefully handle failures and unexpected payloads.
  • Payloads: Keep data packets lightweight and focused on the specific event.
  • Response: Acknowledge receipt of the webhook immediately before processing the data to avoid timeouts.

Webhooks vs. API callbacks

While both facilitate communication between applications, webhooks and API callbacks operate on fundamentally different principles.

  • Webhooks: These are automated, event-driven "push" notifications sent from a server. They excel at real-time data transfer, making them ideal for instant updates and simple automations like payment notifications or CI/CD triggers. Enterprises prefer them for efficiency and connecting disparate SaaS tools, though they offer less control to the receiver.
  • API Callbacks: Often involving a "pull" mechanism like polling, these require the client to request data from the server. This provides more control over the timing and scope of data retrieval, suiting complex, multi-step processes or batch updates where real-time speed is not critical.

Security Considerations

Securing webhooks is critical to protect the data they transmit and prevent malicious actors from exploiting your automated workflows. Without proper safeguards, you risk data breaches, spoofing, and other attacks. Implementing a few key security measures can significantly harden your endpoints.

  • Authentication: Verify incoming requests using shared secrets or HMAC signatures to confirm the sender's identity.
  • Encryption: Use SSL/TLS to encrypt data in transit, ensuring that payloads remain private and secure.
  • Verification: Check timestamps on incoming requests to protect against replay attacks where old data is maliciously resent.

Troubleshooting Tips

When a webhook fails, first verify the endpoint URL is correct and accessible. Inspect the payload data for formatting errors and ensure your server is sending a successful (2xx) HTTP status code in response. Using tools to log and review incoming requests can help quickly diagnose the root cause of the issue.

Frequently Asked Questions about Webhooks

How are webhooks different from API polling?

Webhooks use a "push" model, sending data instantly when an event occurs. Polling uses a "pull" model, where an application must repeatedly request updates. Webhooks are far more efficient for real-time communication, reducing unnecessary server load and delays.

What happens if my endpoint is down when a webhook is sent?

Data loss is a risk if your endpoint is unavailable. Many services implement a retry mechanism with exponential backoff to resend the webhook multiple times, but it's crucial to design your system for high availability to mitigate this risk.

Are webhooks secure enough for sensitive data?

Yes, when implemented correctly. Always use HTTPS (SSL/TLS) to encrypt data in transit and verify webhook signatures using a shared secret. This ensures the data is from a trusted source and hasn't been tampered with, making them secure for sensitive information.

Other terms

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Request for Information

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Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)

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Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)

Simple Object Access Protocol Application Programming Interface

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Simple Object Access Protocol Application Programming Interface

Use Case

A use case is a detailed description of how a user interacts with a system to achieve a specific goal, outlining the steps from start to finish.

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Account-Based Marketing Software

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Account-Based Marketing Software

CRM Enrichment

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CRM Enrichment

Progressive Web Apps

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Progressive Web Apps

Triggers

Triggers are predefined conditions that, when met, automatically launch a workflow or action, ensuring timely and relevant outreach.

Triggers

Account

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Lead Generation Funnel

A lead generation funnel is a systematic process that guides potential customers from initial awareness of your brand to becoming qualified leads.

Lead Generation Funnel

Generic Keywords

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Warm Outreach

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Accounts Payable

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Chatbots

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Marketing Qualified Account

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Account-Based Sales

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Email Personalization

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Event Marketing

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Product-Led Growth

Product-Led Growth (PLG) is a business strategy where the product itself drives user acquisition, conversion, and expansion.

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Mid-Market

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Dark Funnel

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Sales Workflows

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Data Enrichment

Data enrichment is the process of enhancing raw data by adding missing information from other sources, making it more complete and actionable.

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End of Day

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Value Statement

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Process Builder

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Programmatic Display Campaign

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Customer Centricity

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Enrichment

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Enrichment

Sales Methodology

A sales methodology is the framework that guides how your sales team approaches the entire sales process, from prospecting to closing deals.

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Application Performance Management

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Application Performance Management

Account Mapping

Account mapping is comparing your customer list with a partner's to find common prospects and unlock new sales opportunities.

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Cold Email

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Custom API integration

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Custom API integration

Landing Pages

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Voice Broadcasting

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Account-Based Everything

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Load Testing

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Load Testing

Email Marketing

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Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface

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Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface

Net Revenue Retention (NRR)

Net Revenue Retention (NRR) is the percentage of recurring revenue kept from existing customers, including upsells, downgrades, and churn.

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Cohort Analysis

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Cohort Analysis

Contact Discovery

Contact discovery is the process of finding accurate contact details for potential leads, including names, emails, phone numbers, and job titles.

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Demand Generation Framework

A demand generation framework is a strategic process for creating awareness and interest in your product, ultimately driving new business.

Demand Generation Framework

Closed Lost

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Intent leads

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Bounce Rate

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Bounce Rate

Product Recommendations

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Product Recommendations

Sales Development Representative (SDR)

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Consumer

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Consumer

Operational CRM

An Operational CRM is a system that automates and improves customer-facing business processes like sales, marketing, and customer service.

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Sales Metrics

Sales metrics are quantifiable data points that track and measure a sales team's performance against specific goals and objectives.

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Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is the predictable, recurring income a business expects to receive each month from all active subscriptions.

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

Firmographics

Firmographics are descriptive attributes of organizations, used to segment companies by characteristics like industry, size, and location.

Firmographics

User-generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) refers to any form of content, like images, videos, or text, created and shared by users on online platforms.

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Smile and Dial

"Smile and dial" is a high-volume sales tactic where reps make numerous cold calls from a list, often with little to no prior research.

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Marketing Mix

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B2B Marketing Attribution

Learn about B2B marketing attribution, including challenges in B2B marketing attribution, & key metrics for effective attribution.

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Business Continuity

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GDPR Compliance

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Sales Kickoff

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Gamification

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Headless CMS

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Workflow Automation

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Key Accounts

Key accounts are a company's most valuable customers, vital due to their significant revenue contribution and strategic importance for growth.

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Buyer

Learn about buyer, including identifying your ideal buyer, understanding buyer's journey, & evaluating buyer decision processes.

Buyer

B2B Data Platform

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B2B Data Platform

Sales Funnel

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CRM Integration

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Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)

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Account-Based Marketing

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Shipping Solutions

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Content Management System

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Lead List

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Lead Enrichment

Lead enrichment adds third-party data to your raw lead lists, creating fuller prospect profiles for more effective and personalized outreach.

Lead Enrichment

Copyright Compliance

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Copyright Compliance

Objection Handling in Sales

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Knowledge Base

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Cross-Site Scripting

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Cross-Site Scripting

Performance Plan

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Lead Qualification

Lead qualification is the process of determining which prospects are most likely to become paying customers based on predefined criteria.

Lead Qualification

Product Champion

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Consumer Relationship Management

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Demand Generation

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Demand Generation

Sandboxes

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SFDC

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Marketing Play

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Responsive Design

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Website Visitor Tracking

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Sales and Marketing Analytics

Sales and marketing analytics involves measuring and analyzing performance data to maximize effectiveness and optimize return on investment (ROI).

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Sales Lead

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Ramp Up Time

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Ramp Up Time

System of Record

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Personalization in Sales

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Lead Scoring Models

Lead scoring models rank prospects by assigning points for their behaviors and demographics, helping sales teams prioritize their outreach.

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Predictive Lead Generation

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Predictive Lead Generation

Sales Partnerships

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User Interaction

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Email Cadence

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Email Cadence

Sales Prospecting Software

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Sales Prospecting Software