Direct answer
What is Webhooks?
- Short definition
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Webhooks are automated messages sent from one application to another when specific events occur, enabling real-time integrations and event-driven architectures.
- Why it matters
- Webhooks enable applications to communicate instantly without constant polling—essential for real-time features, automation, and third-party integrations.
How teams use Webhooks
Use this term when you need to describe the practical role it plays in a software project.
Common use cases
- Notifying your app when a Stripe payment succeeds
- Triggering actions when a GitHub commit is pushed
- Updating inventory when orders are placed on Shopify
- Sending Slack messages when bugs are reported
Examples of Webhooks
These examples show the term in everyday product, platform, or operations work.
Real-world examples
- Stripe webhook notifying your server when subscription payment fails
- GitHub webhook triggering deployment when code is pushed to main
- Shopify webhook updating your inventory when products sell