Introduction to Webhooks

An introduction to Simply CRM Webhooks

Webhooks in Simply CRM let you send or receive information automatically when things happen—like a little messenger running between Simply CRM and your favorite apps. Whether it’s sending information out (outgoing) or receiving it (incoming), webhooks make your life easier by automating things you’d normally have to do manually.

If you're already familiar with how webhooks work, feel free to jump straight to how to set up incoming webhooks or outgoing webhooks.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What webhooks are (in a way that makes sense).

• Where to find webhook settings in Simply CRM.

• How to test your webhooks without the frustration.

• Security and authentication.

• Understanding the data format (JSON).

What Are Webhooks?

Webhooks are like smart notifications that automatically send or receive information when something important happens. It’s like getting an automatic email whenever something changes—but instead of a person sending it, it’s Simply CRM telling another system, or receiving a message from another system.

Examples:

• Outgoing Webhook: When a deal in Simply CRM is updated, an outgoing webhook can instantly send that information to your accounting software. You don’t need to lift a finger.

• Incoming Webhook: When someone signs up on your website, their information can be sent straight to Simply CRM, creating a new contact automatically.

Where to Find Webhooks in Simply CRM

You can set up webhooks in two places:

1. Incoming Webhooks: These receive data from external systems. Head over to Settings > Webhooks > Incoming to set them up. This is great when you want Simply CRM to take in new data from other services (like new signups from your website).

2. Outgoing Webhooks: These are part of workflows, so you can trigger them when something happens inside Simply CRM (like when a deal is updated). Go to Settings > Automation > Workflows and choose the action "Send Webhook."

Testing Your Webhooks

Testing is a smart move to make sure your webhooks are doing what they’re supposed to do. Here’s how you can test both incoming and outgoing webhooks without too much hassle:

Using Postman

Postman lets you simulate how your webhook will send or receive data. It’s great for testing outgoing webhooks from Simply CRM, but you can also use it to simulate incoming webhooks.

1. Download Postman (Yay! It's free!).

2. Create a new request in Postman.

3. Set the request method to POST.

4. For outgoing webhooks, enter the external service’s URL that will receive the data.

   • Add your test data (like a sample deal update or contact creation).

   • Click send and check the external service to see if it got the data.

5. For incoming webhooks, you’ll do the reverse—enter Simply CRM’s webhook URL in Postman.

   • Add some sample data (like a new signup), and check if it creates a new contact in Simply CRM.

6. You can learn more about using Postman here.

Using webhook.site

Webhook.site is another super handy tool that makes it easy to receive and inspect webhook data. This is especially helpful for testing outgoing webhooks to see exactly what Simply CRM is sending.

1. Go to webhook.site and grab your unique URL.

2. For outgoing webhooks, paste this URL into your Simply CRM webhook settings as the destination.

   • When the webhook triggers, you’ll see the data appear instantly on webhook.site’s dashboard.

3. For incoming webhooks, you can use webhook.site to simulate the service that sends data to Simply CRM.

   • Grab your incoming webhook URL from Simply CRM and trigger the event on webhook.site to see what your system receives.

4. You can explore more about webhook.site here.

Security (Authentication)

Let’s talk security—because you don’t want just anyone messing with your webhooks. Simply CRM offers a couple of simple ways to keep things secure:

• Basic Auth: Think of it like logging into a website with a username and password. You’ll provide these, and Simply CRM will send them with the webhook to prove it’s coming from you.

• API Tokens: This works like a secret password hidden in the URL. Add the token to your webhook URL, and it verifies that the request is legit.

Understanding the Data Format (JSON)

Webhooks in Simply CRM use JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) to send or receive information. Don’t worry—it’s not as scary as it sounds. JSON is just a way to organize the data so that it’s clear and readable by both systems.

Here’s an example of the type of data Simply CRM might receive when someone signs up on your website:

jsonKopier kode{
    "event": "new.signup",
    "data": {
        "email": "newuser@example.com",
        "name": "New User",
        "signup_date": "2024-10-23"
    }
}

In this case, Simply CRM would receive details about a new signup: their email, name, and the date they signed up.

Conclusion

Webhooks are a simple yet powerful way to automate tasks and make your systems work together. Whether you’re sending or receiving data, webhooks make things easier by doing it automatically—so you don’t have to. Make sure to test them using tools like Postman or webhook.site, and set up proper security to keep things running smoothly.

For more specific guides on setting up webhooks, check out these articles:

• Incoming Webhooks

• Outgoing Webhooks