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7 ways to use webhooks to automate anything

By Tyler Robertson · January 10, 2023
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While Zapier connects with thousands of apps, you might have a particular task you can't quite accomplish with a standard Zapier integration. There might be a power-user feature missing from an existing integration that you're eager to use. Or you might want to trigger your Zaps from an unexpected place. 

The reality is there's always going to be something else that you could automate, and that is what Zapier's built-in Webhooks tool is for.

Below are some of my favorite ways to automate more of the something else in our lives, pulled from our users, community, and some of my own experience sprinkled in. If you've got a unique case that you'd like to automate, I bet there'll be something in here for you.

Webhooks are available on paid Zapier plans and during a free Zapier trial.

Table of contents

To get started with a Zap template—what we call our pre-made workflows—just click on the button. It only takes a few minutes to set up. You can read more about setting up Zaps here.

Trigger Zaps with your browser

Sending data to a webhook URL doesn't have to be a complex process—opening a URL in your browser's address bar works just as well! Visiting the URL provided by the Webhooks' catch hook trigger sends a GET request to the Zap, along with any querystring parameters that may be included (i.e., adding ?text=Hello,+world! to the end of the URL). 

This lets you trigger a Zap with anything that causes a webpage to open, such as:

  • Clicking a bookmark

  • Scanning a QR code

  • Tapping an NFC tag

Using QR codes is one of my favorites. Back when I worked in an office, we had a shared kitchen that always seemed to be low on coffee beans. To get them refilled, someone had to physically find or email the office admin, who then had to manually order and expense new beans. 

With a Zap, we could have replaced that whole process with a QR code taped to the coffee machine. Scan it to send an email, add beans to a shopping cart, create the expense report, and more!

Here are a couple of Zaps to get you started:

Send emails with new caught webhooks

  • Webhooks by Zapier logo
  • Email by Zapier logo
Webhooks by Zapier + Email by Zapier
More details
    Let's be honest, writing

    Send an email in Gmail for new webhooks

    • Webhooks by Zapier logo
    • Gmail logo
    Webhooks by Zapier + Gmail
    More details
      This automation sends an email from Gmail whenever a new webhook is received. Zapier will automatically send an email as soon as it detects the webhook at a specified URL. Stay up to date, without any extra effort.

      Get information from your favorite apps that aren't on Zapier (yet)

      If an app isn't integrated with Zapier already, it's usually because it's maintained by a small team who has to spend their time keeping things running inside the app (be nice to them!). While we're always doing our best to make integrating with Zapier as easy as possible, webhooks are often a developer's first stop when thinking about automation with their app. 

      If you love an app and don't see it in our App Directory, check your account in that app for a "webhooks" page. Chances are good that they'll let you send webhook requests to one or more URLs, meaning you can still integrate the app with your Zaps. 

      Below are some of the most popular Zaps built using this method. (Keep in mind, though, once you've set up a Zap with a Catch Hook trigger, you can add as many actions as you need for the automation with a multi-step Zap.)

      Send emails with new caught webhooks

      • Webhooks by Zapier logo
      • Email by Zapier logo
      Webhooks by Zapier + Email by Zapier
      More details
        Let's be honest, writing

        Add info to a Google Sheet from new Webhook POST requests

        • Webhooks by Zapier logo
        • Google Sheets logo
        Webhooks by Zapier + Google Sheets
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          Keeping an updated record of key information means you never have to wonder if there are missing or forgotten items. Set up this integration, and Zapier can catch a webhook POST from any source you want, automatically adding the information to a new row on Google Sheets once you've chosen which items go into different columns during setup. From then on, you can be sure we'll catch everything while you're free to work on other tasks.

          Create ActiveCampaign contacts from new caught webhooks

          • Webhooks by Zapier logo
          • ActiveCampaign logo
          Webhooks by Zapier + ActiveCampaign
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            If you use webhooks that capture client contact information, Zapier can automatically add that information to ActiveCampaign for you. Once the webhook is activated, Zapier will automatically extract the necessary information from the webhook and add it to ActiveCampaign.

            Share data from custom website forms

            If you've ever made a form in HTML, you know the pain of figuring out where to actually send the information once you've got it. I've spent one too many nights blearily trying to remember how to write SQL queries in PHP, nearly crying with joy when my code finally manages to save one customer's name. I'm nearly crying now, if I'm being honest, thinking about how much time I could have saved if I'd known about Zapier earlier on in my career. 

            With the Catch Hook trigger, you can set your form's action parameter to the trigger's unique webhook URL, and let the Zap take care of the rest. From there, you can quickly take the form input and save it to a database or spreadsheet, send it to yourself via email, or even share it with your team over apps like Slack or Microsoft Teams—all without having to write a single line of code.

            The Zap templates below are some of the most popular ways to get started.

            Send an email in Gmail for new webhooks

            • Webhooks by Zapier logo
            • Gmail logo
            Webhooks by Zapier + Gmail
            More details
              This automation sends an email from Gmail whenever a new webhook is received. Zapier will automatically send an email as soon as it detects the webhook at a specified URL. Stay up to date, without any extra effort.

              Send Slack channel messages from a Webhook

              • Webhooks by Zapier logo
              • Slack logo
              Webhooks by Zapier + Slack
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                When you want to send information to Slack from a tool you're using that isn't integrated with Zapier, webhooks are a great solution. Just copy the webhook URL we give you into your app, and then Zapier can receive new information from the app and send it to your team in a Slack message.

                Add Mailchimp list subscribers from newly-caught webhooks

                • Webhooks by Zapier logo
                • Mailchimp logo
                Webhooks by Zapier + Mailchimp
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                  Use a webhook to create a powerful bridge between your favorite app and Mailchimp. If the app you're working with supports webhooks, set up this Zap to easily add a webhook URL that will send data automatically to a Mailchimp list.

                  Trigger Zaps from anywhere

                  Photographer Chase Jarvis is credited with saying, "the best camera is the one that's with you," and I'd argue the same holds true for automation. Since a Catch Hook trigger can be run simply by visiting the URL it provides, that means we can do exactly that with Shortcuts on iOS or Google Assistant on Android

                  By having your shortcut or digital assistant open the trigger's unique URL, you can prompt a Zap to run with a single button press or even your voice.

                  Send emails with new caught webhooks

                  • Webhooks by Zapier logo
                  • Email by Zapier logo
                  Webhooks by Zapier + Email by Zapier
                  More details
                    Let's be honest, writing

                    Generate Google Calendar events from newly-caught webhooks

                    • Webhooks by Zapier logo
                    • Google Calendar logo
                    Webhooks by Zapier + Google Calendar
                    More details
                      This integration creates a new Google Calendar event whenever a new webhook is received to a specified URL. This Zap will then grab the webhook data to add a new event to your Google Calendar!

                      Create Google Sheets rows and send emails in Gmail with new caught webhooks

                      • Google Sheets logo
                      • Gmail logo
                      Google Sheets + Gmail
                      More details
                        Need to get your leads processed fast? Use this Zapier integration! Set it up to capture a lead via a webhook, then automatically add the lead information to a new row in a Google Sheets spreadsheet and send an update email via Gmail.

                        Trigger Zaps at home

                        Similar to triggering Zaps from your mobile device, webhooks can also be used to trigger Zaps around the house. Apple recently made Shortcuts available on MacOS. You can trigger Shortcuts via Siri on a HomePod or HomePod Mini, so you can run Zaps from any of your stationary Apple devices just like you would with your iPhone

                        With Shortcuts and any of the Zaps below, you can automate important tasks all with your voice, like you've got a Smart House of your very own (minus the part where Katey Sagal tries to take over your life).

                        Generate Google Calendar events from newly-caught webhooks

                        • Webhooks by Zapier logo
                        • Google Calendar logo
                        Webhooks by Zapier + Google Calendar
                        More details
                          This integration creates a new Google Calendar event whenever a new webhook is received to a specified URL. This Zap will then grab the webhook data to add a new event to your Google Calendar!

                          Create a Trello card when a webhook is received

                          • Webhooks by Zapier logo
                          • Trello logo
                          Webhooks by Zapier + Trello
                          More details
                            This automation creates new Trello cards whenever a webhook is received. Zapier automatically uses your webhook data to create a new card which can easily be seen by you and your team.

                            Send notifications in Pushover with new caught webhooks

                            • Webhooks by Zapier logo
                            • Pushover logo
                            Webhooks by Zapier + Pushover
                            More details
                              Effortlessly trigger custom messages in Pushover with this integration. Once it's activated, this Zap automatically sends a custom notification as soon as a webhook request is caught.

                              Fill in missing actions or fields

                              There are a lot of apps whose Zapier integrations seem to have triggers and actions for everything. (An aside: I made the mistake of calling these "thicc apps" in conversation with a coworker recently, and now you too must bear the weight of that description.) But there are many others that opt to stick to just the most popular use cases. There's a case to be made for each option, but it comes down to the developers knowing their audience. If an action is only going to be used by 0.01% of users, it might not make sense to dedicate resources to creating and maintaining it.

                              If an app you use has a feature that seems to only appeal to you (a power user), you can use a webhooks step to custom-build an action for yourself. 

                              For example, let's say I want to use Google Sheets' API to make super specific changes to a spreadsheet before creating a copy of it, beyond what our existing integration can do. By locating the relevant API docs and using a webhooks POST action to send the request, I can build that hyper-specific action just for me.

                              POST new Facebook Lead Ads to a webhook

                              • Facebook Lead Ads logo
                              • Webhooks by Zapier logo
                              Facebook Lead Ads + Webhooks by Zapier
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                                Your new leads can be sent anywhere you need them; all it takes is a webhook and this Facebook Lead Ads-Webhook integration. Once you set it up, any new submission you receive on your Facebook Lead Ads will automatically be sent to the webhook URL you define, letting you connect your form to the rest of your pipeline seamlessly.

                                Send a webhook when you have a new PayPal sale

                                • PayPal logo
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                                PayPal + Webhooks by Zapier
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                                  If you'd like to set up a webhook to automatically send when you have a new PayPal sale, Zapier can do that for you. Provide Zapier with your PayPal credentials, and you can configure a webhook to send when you have a new sale.

                                  Post webhooks with new videos on a YouTube channel

                                  • YouTube logo
                                  • Webhooks by Zapier logo
                                  YouTube + Webhooks by Zapier
                                  More details
                                    Posting a new video gives you a great opportunity to attract more business, but it takes time and effort to capture those leads. Keep your workflows moving with this integration, which automatically posts a webhook when a new video is published to a specified YouTube channel. Set your customized tasks in motion without a singled added click!

                                    Send webhooks with new items in RSS feeds

                                    • RSS by Zapier logo
                                    • Webhooks by Zapier logo
                                    RSS by Zapier + Webhooks by Zapier
                                    More details
                                      If you'd like a webhook to be sent when an RSS feed posts a new item, then this Zap can do that for you. Specify which RSS feed to monitor, then whenever it's updated, this integration will automatically send a webhook to a specified URL.

                                      Create Zapier inside Zapier

                                      There's this trend in video games, especially those with crafting or level-building systems, where people build computers that run inside the game. That could look like this adding machine running in DOOM or, my personal favorite, Minecraft running inside Minecraft

                                      Our built-in Webhooks tool lets you do something similar with Zapier. By linking a Catch Hook trigger to a Custom Request action, you can use Zapier to make your own Zapier.

                                      To do that, use the Zap template below to build a new Zap with the trigger and action already added. When you send a request to the URL provided by the Catch Hook trigger, you can provide URL, Method, and Data values in either the request body or as querystring parameters. 

                                      Those values can then be mapped to the Custom Request action to send a request to the specified URL with the selected Method and including your custom Data, all based on what's received in the trigger. Now you've got a workflow that's fully customizable, just by changing the data sent to the trigger!

                                      Send custom webhook requests with new recieved webhooks

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                                      • Webhooks by Zapier logo
                                      Webhooks by Zapier
                                      More details
                                        You know best how to link your workflows, but you also know that the linking takes a lot of manual, time-consuming set up. Get that time back with this integration, which automatically sends a custom webhook request whenever a new webhook is received at a specified URL. Seamlessly automate your workflows, without a click.

                                        Automate everything else

                                        And there we have it—seven examples of the everything else you can automate with Webhooks by Zapier. It's almost impossible to cover the full breadth of what can be done with such a diverse tool, but I hope you're feeling inspired to start automating a little of everything in your life. For more of everything else, there are even more posts on our blog.

                                        Zapier is the leader in workflow automation—integrating with thousands of apps from partners like Google, Salesforce, and Microsoft. Use interfaces, data tables, and logic to build secure, automated systems for your business-critical workflows across your organization's technology stack. Learn more.

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                                        A Zap with the trigger 'When I get a new lead from Facebook,' and the action 'Notify my team in Slack'