Creating webhooks in Admin Center

Fastpath: Admin Center > Apps and integrations > Webhooks > Webhooks

A webhook sends an HTTP request to a specified URL in response to an event, such as a trigger or automation firing in Zendesk Support. Web developers typically use webhooks to invoke behavior in another system.

Note: Trial accounts are limited to a maximum of 10 webhooks.

This article covers the following topics:

• About webhooks
• Creating a webhook
• Testing a webhook

About webhooks

Webhooks are used to integrate with third-party services or your back-end system. For example, you can use webhooks to:

• Alert your team in Slack when an urgent ticket is created
• Pass ticket details to your docs team in Asana after a ticket is resolved
• Notify your own back-end service about an important ticket event

You can use webhooks to pass information to third-party services and REST APIs that accept JSON, XML, or form-encoded content in HTTP requests. You can also use webhooks to pass URL parameters to any URL.

Webhooks are used by automations and triggers in Zendesk Support when a ticket meets specified conditions. Webhooks are important because they are the means by which triggers and automations can result in actions based on the HTTP responses from third-party services.

You can use any of the available content placeholders to insert ticket data in the HTTP requests.

When a business rule fires a webhook, it queues the job to be run but doesn't actually run the job immediately. Because webhook jobs are run independently, there is no guarantee that webhooks are executed in a particular order.

Webhook requests are automatically retried up to three times if the endpoint returns certain HTTP response codes. Unlike targets, consecutive failed requests won't deactivate webhooks. For more information and examples of retry scenarios, see Monitoring webhooks in our developer documentation.

Creating a webhook

There are two parts to creating a webhook. First, you define the details of the webhook itself. Then, you attach it to a trigger or automation so that it can be used.

Note: When setting up a webhook to integrate with a third party, you may need to consult their documentation.

To create a webhook

1. In Admin Center, click Apps and integrations in the sidebar, then select Webhooks > Webhooks.
2. Click Actions and select Create webhook.
3. Configure the webhook to integrate with the third-party service or system.

   For more information, see Webhook endpoints and Authenticating your webhook.

4. (Optional) Click Test webhook to ensure it's working as expected.
5. Click Next to connect the webhook to a Support trigger or automation. This is done in the Zendesk Support admin interface.
6. Return to the Create webhook page in Admin Center and click Finish setup.

After you've created a webhook and connected it to a trigger or automation, you can view the webhook's details, event subscriptions, and activity all from the Webhooks page in Admin Center. For more information, see Managing webhooks in Admin Center.

Webhook endpoints

Webhooks send requests and receive responses from the endpoint URL that you specify when creating them. This is how they integrate with third party services, APIs, and systems.

The endpoint URL uses the following format: https://www.yourdomain.com/path.

Although it isn't required, the use of secure HTTP (HTTPS) is recommended. By providing a secure endpoint URL, you enable authentication and can pass data safely.

Authenticating your webhook

If your webhook is integrating with a secure endpoint, you have three options for authenticating the webhook and the data it sends. You may want to reference third party documentation about your endpoint's authentication requirements or work with a developer on your team to determine the correct authentication method for your webhook.

• None required - No authentication is configured or required.
• Basic authentication - Use a username and password to authenticate the webook.
• Bearer token - Use an OAuth access token to authenticate the webhook.

If your developers want more information about webhook authentication, see Webhook security and authentication.

Connect a webhook to a trigger or automation

Before a webhook can do anything, it needs to be connected to a trigger or automation. The triggers and automations specify the circumstances under which the webhook should be invoked.

To connect a webhook to a Support trigger

1. In Admin Center, click Objects and rules in the sidebar, then select Business rules > Triggers.
   Note: If you're creating or editing a webhook, click Manage business rules.
2. Create a new trigger or edit an existing one by hovering your mouse pointer over the options icon () and clicking Edit.
3. For triggers, under Actions, click Add action. Select Notify webhook and then select your webhook. Click Save.

To connect a webhook to a Support automation

1. In Admin Center, click Objects and rules in the sidebar, then select Business rules > Automations.
   Note: If you're creating or editing a webhook, click Manage business rules.
2. Create a new automation or edit an existing one by hovering your mouse pointer over the options icon () and clicking Edit.
3. For automations, under Perform these actions, click the add action icon (). Select Notifications: Notify webhook and then select your webhook. Click Submit.

Testing a webhook

In Admin Center, you have the option to test the webhook with different event sources as well as requests. In addition to accessing existing webhooks specifically for testing, you can also test the webhook during creation or editing.

To test a webhook

1. In Admin Center, click Apps and integrations in the sidebar, then select Webhooks > Webhooks.
2. Find the webhook in the list, click the options menu icon () on the webhook's row, and then click Test webhook.
3. In the Test webhook panel, select a Test event source. This is an attached trigger or a sample ticket you can use to test your endpoint URL.
4. Enter the details of your test request—request body, parameters, or headers.
5. Click Send test. The response is visible in the panel below your test request.