Webhooks

Webhooks are automated, real-time data pushes (HTTP POSTs) from a source application to a designated URL when a specific event occurs.

Webhooks flip the API communication model: instead of constantly polling an endpoint for updates, a service pushes data to your server immediately upon an event trigger. This is an efficient, event-driven pattern. For example, when a customer pays an invoice, Stripe sends a JSON payload via an HTTP POST request to your pre-configured `https://yourdomain.com/payment-handler` URL. The payload contains all relevant transaction data, allowing your system to instantly log the payment, update the user’s account status, and trigger a confirmation email, all without wasting resources on unnecessary API calls. It’s a crucial component for building responsive, integrated systems (CI/CD, payment processing, chat notifications) that demand low-latency data exchange.

https://docs.github.com/en/developers/webhooks/about-webhooks