What Are Webhooks?

In the realm of web development, a webhook is an HTTP callback – a mechanism that allows one system to notify another system of events, typically in a near-instantaneous manner.

In technical terms, it's like setting up an endpoint on your server to listen for incoming HTTP POST requests. When a predefined event occurs on a source system, a payload containing relevant data is sent to the configured endpoint. This mechanism ensures that crucial information is relayed promptly and efficiently.

Webhooks are the backbone of event-driven architectures, facilitating seamless communication between different applications and services. Rather than relying on manual checks or periodic polling, webhooks enable systems to react instantly to specific triggers. This is particularly valuable in scenarios where timely updates are paramount, such as responding to key events in the claim lifecycle.

Claims Manager offers several webhook events that you can subscribe to, from being notified when an Event is added to the Event Log, to seeing financial movements on a claim, there are lots of ways you can utilise this information to keep your customers up-to-date on the progress of their claim. Over the next few pages, we'll delve in to how to setup your webhook implementation, explore best practices, and provide insights into harnessing the full potential of this powerful tool in your technical arsenal.

For further technical information on the various webhook events available and the data they expose, to how to interact with the endpoints in the Claims Manager API to setup your webhooks, look at the Webhook Reference links on the left hand menu.