Webhook
A real-time HTTP callback that sends data from one system to another automatically when a specific event occurs, without requiring the receiving system to poll for updates.
A webhook is an event-driven HTTP notification. When a defined event occurs in a source system (a new order in Shopify, a deal closed in Zoho CRM, a payment received in Razorpay), the system makes an HTTP POST request to a URL specified by the receiving system, sending the event data as a JSON payload. The receiver processes the data in real time.
The key distinction from a polling API integration is timing and efficiency. A polling integration asks 'has anything changed?' on a schedule, wasting API calls when nothing has changed and introducing latency when something has. A webhook pushes data the moment the event occurs, with no polling overhead.
Webhook reliability requires a receiving endpoint that is always available, responds within a timeout window, and implements idempotency (handling the same event delivered twice without creating duplicate records). Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and NetSuite all support outbound webhooks. Zoho Catalyst and custom middleware are used to receive and process inbound webhooks from external systems.
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