This blog post provides perspective on the term webhook as it is used in content management systems, specifically the Contentstack SaaS headless CMS.
This post is a member of the following glossary:
A webhook is an outbound HTTPS request from one system to another, typically signaling the occurrence of and passing data about an event in the system. Webhooks support integration between systems. For example, when the CMS publishes an entry, it invokes any webhooks configured for that event, passing data about the entry published, which may trigger the external system to update a search index and evict cache entries.
Webhooks are technically APIs and use the same technologies.
In the context of CMS, the difference between a webhook and an API is largely the direction of the call. APIs process inbound HTTPS requests to URLs controlled by the CMS; event-driven webhooks place outbound HTTPS requests to URLs controlled by external applications.
In Contentstack, you can configure the CMS to call webhooks on creation, update, deletion, publication, and other actions on entries, assets, content types, and otherwise.
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