A Glossary of Essential Webhook and Automation Terms for HR & Recruiting Professionals

In today’s fast-paced HR and recruiting landscape, leveraging automation and AI is no longer a luxury but a necessity for efficiency and competitive advantage. Understanding the underlying technologies, such as webhooks, is crucial for HR leaders and talent acquisition teams looking to streamline operations, enhance data flow, and make informed decisions. This glossary defines key terms, offering clarity and practical context for how these concepts apply directly to your daily work in human resources and recruitment.

Webhook

A webhook is an automated message sent from an application when a specific event occurs. It’s essentially a “user-defined HTTP callback” that allows applications to communicate with each other in real-time. Instead of constantly polling an API for updates, webhooks push data to a specified URL as soon as an event happens. For HR, this could mean automatically triggering a workflow when a new candidate applies in an ATS, updating a CRM when an employee status changes, or sending a notification when a contract is signed. Webhooks are fundamental for creating responsive, event-driven automation workflows, saving countless hours by eliminating the need for manual checks or scheduled data pulls.

API (Application Programming Interface)

An API is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and interact with each other. It defines the methods and data formats that applications can use to request and exchange information. Think of it as a waiter in a restaurant: you (your application) tell the waiter (the API) what you want from the kitchen (another application’s data or functionality), and the waiter brings it back to you. In HR, APIs enable seamless integration between systems like your ATS, HRIS, payroll software, and learning management systems. This connectivity is vital for a unified data view, automating data synchronization, and avoiding manual data entry across disparate platforms.

Payload

In the context of webhooks and APIs, a payload refers to the actual data being transmitted in the body of an HTTP request. It’s the “cargo” of the data transfer, containing all the relevant information about the event that triggered the webhook or the response to an API call. For example, when a new candidate applies via your ATS, the webhook’s payload might include the candidate’s name, contact information, resume URL, application date, and the specific job they applied for. Understanding how to interpret and parse these payloads is essential for configuring automation tools like Make.com to correctly extract and utilize the data within your workflows, ensuring the right information goes to the right place.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

JSON is a lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. It is based on a subset of the JavaScript Programming Language Standard ECMA-262 3rd Edition – December 1999. JSON is commonly used for transmitting data between a server and web application, serving as the primary format for API requests and webhook payloads. For HR professionals utilizing automation, understanding JSON helps in visualizing and manipulating the data received from various systems. It structures information into key-value pairs, making it straightforward for automation platforms to identify and map specific pieces of data—like a candidate’s email or an employee’s department—to corresponding fields in other applications.

Automation Workflow

An automation workflow is a sequence of automated steps designed to complete a specific task or process without human intervention. These workflows are triggered by defined events and execute a series of actions across multiple applications. For instance, an HR automation workflow might be triggered by a new hire’s onboarding form submission, leading to automated actions such as creating an employee profile in the HRIS, sending welcome emails, setting up IT access, and assigning initial training modules. Implementing automation workflows significantly reduces manual errors, frees up HR staff from repetitive tasks, and ensures consistent, timely execution of critical processes, ultimately enhancing the employee experience and operational efficiency.

Integration

Integration refers to the process of connecting different software applications or systems to enable them to share data and functionalities seamlessly. Rather than operating in silos, integrated systems work together as a cohesive unit, improving data accuracy and reducing duplicate efforts. For an HR department, integration means linking your ATS with your HRIS, payroll, CRM, and communication tools. This allows a candidate’s data to flow effortlessly from application to offer letter, to onboarding, and eventually into the employee management system. Effective integration prevents data discrepancies, provides a holistic view of talent and employees, and forms the bedrock for robust automation strategies.

Low-Code/No-Code (LCNC)

Low-code/no-code platforms are development environments that allow users to create applications and automate workflows with minimal or no traditional programming. Low-code platforms use visual interfaces with pre-built modules and some code, while no-code platforms rely entirely on drag-and-drop interfaces. These platforms democratize automation, enabling HR professionals, operations managers, and other business users to build sophisticated solutions without deep technical expertise. For recruiting, this means faster development of custom candidate portals, automated screening processes, or tailored onboarding sequences, significantly reducing reliance on IT departments and accelerating time-to-value for new digital initiatives.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

While traditionally focused on managing customer interactions, CRM systems are increasingly adapted for talent relationship management (TRM) in recruiting. A CRM helps manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle, with the goal of improving business relationships. In an HR context, a CRM can be used to manage candidate pipelines, nurture relationships with passive candidates, track recruiting communications, and centralize all talent-related data. Integrating a CRM with your ATS or other recruiting tools allows for a more personalized candidate experience, better long-term talent pooling, and a more strategic approach to talent acquisition, extending beyond immediate hiring needs.

ATS (Applicant Tracking System)

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software application designed to manage the recruitment and hiring process. It typically handles job postings, candidate applications, resume parsing, candidate screening, interview scheduling, and offer management. The ATS serves as the central hub for all recruitment activities, helping organizations efficiently process large volumes of applications and manage candidate pipelines. Integrating your ATS with other systems via APIs and webhooks can significantly enhance its power, allowing for automated data transfer to HRIS, background check platforms, or communication tools, thereby streamlining the entire hiring lifecycle and ensuring compliance.

Data Parsing

Data parsing is the process of extracting specific pieces of information from a larger block of data, often from a structured format like JSON or XML, or even unstructured text. When a webhook sends a payload, or an API returns a response, that data often contains much more information than is immediately needed. Parsing allows you to pinpoint and isolate only the relevant data points—like a candidate’s email address, a job title, or a specific date—so they can be used in subsequent steps of an automation workflow. Efficient data parsing is critical for ensuring that automation tools correctly interpret and utilize the incoming data, preventing errors and ensuring data integrity across integrated systems.

Event-Driven Architecture

Event-driven architecture (EDA) is a software design pattern where decoupled applications communicate by emitting and reacting to events. Instead of a linear, step-by-step process, systems operate by responding to occurrences (events) that happen asynchronously. Webhooks are a prime example of an event-driven mechanism. In HR, an EDA approach means that actions like a candidate’s application, a new employee hire, or a performance review submission can trigger immediate, targeted responses across various systems without rigid, pre-programmed dependencies. This creates highly flexible, scalable, and responsive HR systems that can adapt quickly to changing needs and automatically handle complex, interconnected processes.

HTTP Request

An HTTP request is the fundamental way that browsers and applications communicate with servers on the web. When your browser loads a webpage, it sends an HTTP request to the web server, which then responds with the page content. In the context of APIs and webhooks, an HTTP request is the message sent from one application to another to initiate an action or retrieve data. This includes various “methods” like GET (to retrieve data), POST (to send data), PUT (to update data), and DELETE (to remove data). Understanding the different types of HTTP requests is crucial when configuring integrations and automation, as it dictates how your systems interact to exchange information effectively and securely.

Endpoint

An endpoint, in the context of APIs, is a specific URL or URI that represents a distinct resource or function that an application can interact with. It’s the precise location where an API can access the resources needed to perform an operation. For example, an HRIS API might have an endpoint like `/api/v1/employees` to access employee data, or `/api/v1/applications` to manage job applications. Each endpoint specifies what actions can be performed (e.g., retrieve, create, update) and what data format is expected. When configuring webhooks or API integrations, you’ll specify an endpoint to tell the sending application where to deliver its data or where to send its requests, ensuring accurate data routing.

Authentication (API Key, OAuth)

Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or an application attempting to access a system or resource. It ensures that only authorized entities can interact with your APIs and webhooks, protecting sensitive data. Common methods include:

• API Keys: A unique code or string provided by an API provider that acts like a password, granting access to its services. It’s typically included in the HTTP request headers or URL parameters.
• OAuth: An open standard for access delegation, commonly used by users to grant websites or applications access to their information on other websites without giving them their passwords. It involves a secure handshake process to issue access tokens.

For HR and recruiting, robust authentication is paramount for data security and compliance. Properly configuring API keys or OAuth for your integrations prevents unauthorized access to sensitive employee and candidate data, safeguarding privacy and maintaining trust.

Real-Time Data

Real-time data refers to information that is available and updated instantly as events occur, without any significant delay. In contrast to batch processing, where data is collected and processed periodically, real-time data provides immediate insights and allows for instantaneous responses. For HR, real-time data is invaluable for dynamic decision-making and responsive operations. For example, knowing the exact moment a candidate accepts an offer, an employee completes a critical training module, or a new role is approved allows for immediate follow-up actions, automated onboarding triggers, or instant adjustments to hiring strategies. Webhooks are a key enabler of real-time data flows, pushing updates as they happen and powering highly agile HR processes.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Catch Webhook body satellite_blog_post_title