Webhooks explained: what they are and how to test them

Webhooks are HTTP POST requests apps send when something happens. Here's how to receive and debug them.

6 min read intermediateUpdated Mar 27, 2025

Reviewed by the editorial team · Mar 27, 2025

Step by step

01
Get a webhook URL
Zapier 'Webhooks by Zapier' or Make 'Custom Webhook' gives you a URL.
02
Paste into the source app
Stripe, Shopify, GitHub all have Webhooks settings.
03
Trigger a test event
Most apps have a 'Send test webhook' button.
04
Inspect the payload
Use webhook.site to see exactly what arrived.
05
Verify signatures (production)
Always check the signature header before processing — see our skill on this.

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