Webhook

A webhook is an HTTP callback that automatically sends data from one application to another when a specific event occurs. Unlike [APIs](/glossary/api) where you poll for updates, webhooks push data in real time as events happen. The receiving application listens at a specified URL endpoint and processes the incoming data immediately upon arrival. Webhooks follow a publisher-subscriber model — the source application (publisher) fires an HTTP POST request to a pre-registered URL whenever a triggering event takes place, and the subscriber processes the payload without ever needing to ask for it.

Webhooks eliminate the need for manual data transfers or constant polling between systems. For digital publishers, this means captured leads, sales transactions, and viewer activity can flow automatically into CRMs, email platforms, or internal databases the moment they happen. This reduces delays from minutes or hours to milliseconds, eliminates manual export-import work, and ensures your business systems always have current data. Without webhooks, teams either check dashboards manually or build scheduled batch processes that run behind real-time events.

FlipLink's [automation and integrations](/features/automation-and-integrations) feature supports webhooks that fire when key events occur. You can configure webhook endpoints to receive data when a new lead is captured, a document is viewed, or a sale is completed through Stripe. Each webhook sends a structured JSON payload containing the event details to your specified URL. This lets you connect FlipLink to virtually any system, including tools like Zapier, Make, or custom backends. Combined with the [Google Sheets integration](/features/automation-and-integrations), webhooks give publishers a flexible way to automate their entire publication workflow without writing code.

When a triggering event occurs, FlipLink sends an HTTP POST request to your registered endpoint URL. The request body contains a JSON payload structured like this: - **Event type** — a string identifying the event (e.g., `lead.captured`, `document.viewed`, `sale.completed`) - **Timestamp** — ISO 8601 formatted date and time of the event - **Payload data** — the event-specific fields such as contact name, email, document title, or transaction amount Your endpoint should return an HTTP 200 status code to confirm receipt. If the endpoint returns an error or times out, FlipLink retries the delivery to ensure no events are lost. All webhook payloads are sent over HTTPS, so data is encrypted in transit. For developers building custom integrations, the consistent JSON structure makes it straightforward to parse and route events to the right handler in your application.

1. **Prepare your endpoint.** Set up an HTTPS URL on your server, Zapier, Make, or any service that can receive POST requests. The endpoint must be publicly accessible and return a 200 response. 2. **Navigate to integrations.** In your FlipLink dashboard, go to the [automation and integrations](/features/automation-and-integrations) settings for your publication. 3. **Add the webhook URL.** Paste your endpoint URL into the webhook configuration field. 4. **Select trigger events.** Choose which events should fire the webhook — lead capture, document view, sale completion, or others depending on your workflow needs. 5. **Send a test event.** Use the test function to send a sample payload to your endpoint. Verify that your system receives and processes the data correctly. 6. **Go live.** Save your configuration. From this point, every matching event in your flipbook will trigger a real-time POST to your endpoint. 7. **Monitor delivery.** Check your endpoint logs periodically to confirm webhooks are arriving. If you notice gaps, verify your endpoint is returning 200 responses and that your server has no firewall rules blocking FlipLink's requests.

| Aspect | Webhook | API Polling | |--------|---------|-------------| | **Data delivery** | Pushed automatically when events occur | Pulled on a schedule you define | | **Latency** | Near-instant (milliseconds) | Depends on polling interval (seconds to minutes) | | **Server load** | Minimal — requests happen only when events fire | Higher — requests happen on every interval even when nothing changed | | **Implementation** | Register a URL, handle incoming POST requests | Build a scheduled job that calls the API endpoint repeatedly | | **Best for** | Real-time notifications, CRM syncing, instant alerts | Batch processing, periodic reports, data snapshots | | **Risk** | Endpoint downtime can miss events without retry logic | No missed events if polling catches up, but delayed awareness | For most FlipLink publishers, webhooks are the better choice for lead capture and sales events where speed matters. API polling works better for periodic analytics exports or dashboards that refresh at set intervals. Many teams use both: webhooks for real-time lead routing and the [REST API](/glossary/rest-api) for nightly analytics pulls.