What are Webhooks?
A webhook is a way for one app to automatically send real-time data to another app when something happens — instead of the receiving app having to constantly check for updates.
Polling vs webhooks
The old way: App B asks App A 'anything new?' every few minutes. Inefficient — most checks find nothing. Webhooks: App A calls App B immediately when something happens. No polling, no delays, no wasted requests. Webhooks are event-driven — they push data when the event fires.
How webhooks work
1. You give App A a URL (the webhook endpoint) to call when an event occurs. 2. When the event happens (new order, payment received, form submitted), App A sends an HTTP POST request to that URL with the event data. 3. The receiving endpoint (your automation, Make scenario, or custom code) processes that data immediately.
Webhooks in automation
Most modern SaaS tools support webhooks: Shopify fires a webhook when an order is placed, Stripe fires one when a payment fails, Typeform fires one when a form is submitted. Make and n8n can receive webhooks and trigger workflows from them — making real-time automation possible.
Why webhooks matter for your stack
If the tools you use support webhooks, your automations can respond in seconds to real events — not minutes. For time-sensitive workflows (order processing, lead routing, alert systems), webhooks are the difference between a fast, reactive system and a slow, polling-based one.
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