Webhook
A webhook is an HTTP callback sent out when an event happens. It tells another system to react.
Another example
A payment service sends a signed payment.succeeded event to the order service.
Main parts
- 01Originating request
- 02Resolution or processing hop
- 03Response, timing, and failure
Use it when
Sign each payload. Make handling idempotent, retry failed sends, and keep durable event records.
Do not use it when
Never assume events arrive in order or only once. Never trust a sender you have not verified.
Name used in code
POST callback + signature Before you ship
Check contracts and invariants, authorization, and input limits. Test retries, one-time effects, timeouts, and partial failures. Verify data integrity, compatibility, monitoring, recovery, and rollback.
Outcome: Design or review Webhook for this system while keeping data correct, secure, and easy to operate. User context: A payment service sends a signed payment.succeeded event to the order service. Technical concept or control: Webhook. Why it fits: Sign each payload. Make handling idempotent, retry failed sends, and keep durable event records. Do not use it when: Never assume events arrive in order or only once. Never trust a sender you have not verified. Engineering requirements: Define inputs, outputs, contracts, and rules that must always hold. Set authorization and input checks. Define failures, timeouts, retries, one-time effects, data moves, and compatibility limits. Operations: Add useful signals and logs that hide sensitive data. Set capacity limits and write an operator guide. Test recovery and rollback. Acceptance criteria: Contract and failure-path tests pass. Data and authorization rules still hold during retries and partial failures. Check performance limits, monitoring, recovery, and rollback. Evidence and limits (evidence boundary): No single official standard controls the whole term. Its meaning may change across teams, platforms, or frameworks. Unknowns to confirm: Where the code runs, data stores, traffic shape, consistency needs, and the security boundary. Also confirm the compatibility period, service goals, and rollback limits.
Check this request
Review the current use of Webhook. Definition: A webhook is an HTTP callback sent out when an event happens. It tells another system to react. Release checks: Check contracts and invariants, authorization, and input limits. Test retries, one-time effects, timeouts, and partial failures. Verify data integrity, compatibility, monitoring, recovery, and rollback. Before changing code, report the evidence you found, gaps, severity, and the smallest safe fix.