What is Webhook? — UK Software Development Guide
Direct Answer
A webhook is a way for one application to automatically notify another application when something happens. Rather than polling an API repeatedly to check for changes, webhooks "push" data to a specified URL (webhook endpoint) whenever a specific event occurs. Stripe uses webhooks to notify your application when a payment succeeds; GitHub uses webhooks to trigger CI/CD pipelines when code is pushed.
Webhook in the UK
Webhooks are used extensively in UK software integrations: Stripe webhooks for payment events (PCI-DSS consideration: webhook endpoints must be secured via signature verification), HMRC MTD webhooks for tax obligation notifications, and Open Banking webhooks for account data change notifications. UK GDPR consideration: webhook payloads may contain personal data — ensure TLS in transit, validate signatures to prevent injection attacks, and log receipt for audit trail purposes.
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