Webhook

Webhook is a real-time notification from one system to another over HTTP: when an event fires (new order, form submit, payment succeeded), the source app POSTs data to a URL you control. The receiver reacts immediately.

It is the opposite of polling — constantly asking “anything new?” A webhook is the doorbell. It builds on the same idea as an API (systems talking), but the sender pushes when ready. Common in e-commerce, billing, and CRM automations; often wired into no-code tools or a CI/CD pipeline.

A real-life example of a webhook

A sale hits your online store. Without webhooks, someone re-checks the admin panel or a spreadsheet. With a webhook, the store pings your billing tool the moment the order lands: invoice drafts, inventory updates, Slack gets a ping. Same idea as a shop bell that rings when a customer walks in.

If your business always feels like it’s catching up, you may be missing webhooks. See What Is a Webhook? and how APIs fit in What Is an API?.