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Zoho CRM

Webhook (CRM)

A Webhook in Zoho CRM is a Workflow Action that sends an HTTP POST request to an external URL when a Workflow…

A Webhook in Zoho CRM is a Workflow Action that sends an HTTP POST request to an external URL when a Workflow Rule fires. It passes CRM record data as a JSON or XML payload, allowing Zoho CRM to push real-time data to external systems, third-party APIs, or middleware platforms without polling.

How Webhooks Work in Zoho CRM

When configuring a Webhook action, you provide: the target URL, the HTTP method (POST is most common), the authentication type if required, and the payload format – JSON, XML, or form-encoded. You can map CRM field values to payload keys, allowing the receiving system to process record-specific data.

Webhooks are useful for pushing data to ERP systems, triggering external workflows, updating inventory quantities, notifying warehouse systems, or logging events in custom reporting dashboards.

Webhook vs Custom Function vs Zoho Flow

A Webhook sends data out but does not process a response. A Custom Function can both send data out and act on the response using Deluge scripting. Zoho Flow is a no-code alternative that can handle multi-step integrations triggered by the same events, without writing code.

Industry Example

E-commerce: An e-commerce company connects Zoho CRM to their order management system via Webhooks. When a Deal moves to “Won”, a webhook fires and sends the deal details to their warehouse system, automatically creating a new order and initiating the fulfilment process without any manual data re-entry.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Webhook in Zoho CRM?

A Webhook is a workflow action that sends an HTTP POST request with CRM record data to an external URL when a workflow rule fires. It allows Zoho CRM to push real-time data to third-party systems, custom applications, or middleware tools.

What is the difference between a Webhook and the CRM REST API?

A Webhook is push-based – Zoho CRM sends data to the external system when an event occurs. The REST API is pull-based – the external system makes requests to Zoho CRM to read, create, or update data. Webhooks are better for real-time event notifications; the REST API is better for on-demand data retrieval.

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