A Glossary of Key Terms in Webhooks for HR & Recruiting Automation

In today’s fast-paced HR and recruiting landscape, leveraging technology to streamline operations is no longer optional—it’s essential for competitive advantage. Webhooks, as a fundamental component of modern integration and automation, empower HR professionals to connect disparate systems, automate routine tasks, and improve candidate and employee experiences. This glossary demystifies key terms related to webhooks, APIs, and automation, providing HR and recruiting leaders with the foundational knowledge to harness these powerful tools for greater efficiency and strategic impact. Understanding these concepts is the first step toward building a more agile, data-driven, and automated talent acquisition and management strategy.

Webhook

A webhook is an automated message sent from an app when a specific event occurs. It’s essentially a “user-defined HTTP callback” that allows real-time data flow between systems. Instead of constantly polling (requesting updates from) a server, which can be inefficient, a webhook waits for an event and then “pushes” information to a specified URL. In HR and recruiting, webhooks are invaluable for real-time updates. For example, when a candidate applies via an external job board, a webhook can instantly notify your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or trigger an automated email sequence to the candidate. This eliminates delays and manual data entry, ensuring immediate responses and a smoother candidate journey, which is crucial for high-volume hiring or specialized recruitment where speed matters.

API (Application Programming Interface)

An API, or Application Programming Interface, is a set of definitions and protocols for building and integrating application software. In simpler terms, it’s a messenger that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. APIs define the methods and data formats that applications can use to request and exchange information. For HR and recruiting, APIs are the backbone of integrated tech stacks. They enable your ATS to talk to your HRIS, your assessment platform to communicate with your CRM, or a background check service to feed data directly into a candidate’s profile. Understanding APIs is key to leveraging a “single source of truth” for candidate data, ensuring consistency and reducing errors across all your HR systems.

Payload

In the context of webhooks and APIs, a payload refers to the actual data that is being sent from one system to another. When a webhook is triggered, it typically sends an HTTP POST request to a configured endpoint, and the payload is the body of that request. This body contains all the relevant information about the event that just occurred. For instance, if a candidate updates their profile on your career site, the webhook’s payload might include the candidate’s name, email, updated resume link, and the specific fields they changed. HR and recruiting professionals need to understand payloads to ensure their automation workflows correctly interpret and utilize the incoming data, enabling systems like CRMs or HRIS to accurately parse and store critical information for talent management.

Endpoint

An endpoint is a specific URL where an API or webhook sends or receives requests. It’s the destination for the data transfer. When you configure a webhook, you specify an endpoint URL where the event data should be sent. Similarly, when your application makes an API call, it sends the request to a particular endpoint provided by the API provider. For HR and recruiting automation, an endpoint could be the URL of your Make.com scenario waiting to receive candidate data, the URL for a specific function within your ATS, or the address for a new hire onboarding system. Correctly configuring endpoints is crucial for ensuring that data flows to the right place and triggers the appropriate automation sequence.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

JSON, or JavaScript Object Notation, is a lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate. It’s the most common format for sending data via webhooks and APIs, largely because it’s language-independent and highly flexible. Data is structured as key-value pairs, similar to a dictionary or map. For example, a JSON payload for a candidate might look like: `{“name”: “Jane Doe”, “email”: “jane@example.com”, “status”: “Applied”}`. In HR and recruiting automation, recognizing and understanding JSON structures is fundamental for configuring automation platforms to correctly extract, map, and transform incoming data, ensuring it integrates seamlessly into different HR systems, from applicant tracking to payroll.

REST API

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for designing networked applications. A REST API (often called a RESTful API) adheres to the principles of REST, using standard HTTP methods (like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to perform operations on resources identified by URLs. Most modern web services use REST APIs because they are simple, stateless, and scalable. For HR and recruiting, this means interacting with various platforms—like pulling candidate data from LinkedIn Recruiter, pushing new employee records to an HRIS, or updating interview schedules in a calendar system. Understanding REST principles allows HR tech teams to efficiently integrate services and automate complex workflows, building a robust and interconnected ecosystem for talent management.

Authentication (API Key, OAuth)

Authentication is the process of verifying a user’s or application’s identity to ensure secure access to an API or webhook. Two common methods include API Keys and OAuth. An API Key is a unique string of characters provided by a service that acts as a secret password, often included in the request header or URL. OAuth (Open Authorization) is a more secure, token-based standard that allows an application to access user data on another service without the user having to share their credentials. For HR and recruiting, secure authentication is paramount when integrating sensitive data like candidate profiles, salary information, or employee records. Properly managing API keys and understanding OAuth workflows ensures data privacy, compliance, and protection against unauthorized access to critical HR systems.

Trigger (Automation)

In the context of automation platforms, a trigger is an event that initiates a workflow or a sequence of actions. It’s the “if this happens” part of an “if this, then that” statement. Triggers can be diverse: a new email arriving in an inbox, a form submission, a new row added to a spreadsheet, a scheduled time, or most relevantly, a webhook receiving data. For HR and recruiting, common triggers might include a new candidate application in the ATS, a resume being uploaded to a career portal, an interview scheduled, or an offer letter being sent. Identifying and configuring the right triggers is the first critical step in designing effective automation scenarios that respond instantly to business events, saving significant manual effort.

Action (Automation)

An action is a specific task performed by an automation platform in response to a trigger. It’s the “then do that” part of an “if this, then that” workflow. Once a trigger event occurs, the automation platform executes one or more predefined actions. These actions can vary widely, such as sending an email, creating a new record in a CRM, updating a status in an ATS, adding an event to a calendar, generating a document, or initiating another webhook. For HR and recruiting, actions might include sending an automated candidate rejection email, populating a new hire’s details into an HRIS, scheduling an automated interview, or notifying a hiring manager. Carefully planned actions ensure that critical processes are completed accurately and without delay.

Integration

Integration refers to the process of connecting different software applications or systems to enable them to communicate and share data seamlessly. Rather than using siloed tools that require manual data transfer, integration creates a unified ecosystem where information flows freely. For HR and recruiting, effective integration can link an ATS with an HRIS, a CRM, assessment platforms, background check services, and onboarding tools. This eliminates redundant data entry, reduces human error, provides a holistic view of candidate and employee data, and significantly enhances operational efficiency. Strategic integration, often powered by APIs and webhooks, is key to building a robust and scalable HR tech stack that supports end-to-end talent management processes.

Low-Code/No-Code

Low-code and no-code platforms are development environments that allow users to create applications and automate workflows with minimal or no traditional programming knowledge. No-code platforms use visual drag-and-drop interfaces for non-technical users, while low-code platforms offer similar visual tools but also allow developers to add custom code for more complex functionalities. In HR and recruiting, these platforms are game-changers, empowering HR teams to build their own automation solutions—like custom candidate workflows, automated onboarding sequences, or data synchronization between systems—without relying heavily on IT departments. This democratizes automation, enabling faster innovation and adaptation to evolving business needs, improving efficiency and reducing reliance on external developers.

Automation Platform (e.g., Make.com)

An automation platform is a software solution designed to connect various applications and automate workflows between them. Tools like Make.com (formerly Integromat) provide a visual interface to build complex “scenarios” that define triggers and actions across different services. These platforms abstract away the complexities of API calls and webhooks, allowing users to visually map out data flows and logic. For HR and recruiting, an automation platform can orchestrate entire talent acquisition processes: from automatically parsing resumes and creating candidate profiles in an ATS, to sending personalized communication, scheduling interviews, and initiating onboarding tasks across multiple systems. They act as the central nervous system for an integrated HR tech stack, significantly boosting productivity and reducing manual overhead.

CRM Integration

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) integration, in the HR context, refers to connecting a CRM system with other HR and recruiting tools. While CRMs are traditionally for sales, modern talent CRMs or recruitment marketing platforms are crucial for managing candidate relationships, nurturing talent pipelines, and engaging with potential hires. Integrating your CRM with your ATS, email marketing tools, or social media platforms allows for a unified view of candidate interactions. For HR and recruiting, this means automating lead generation for passive candidates, tracking communication history, personalizing outreach, and ensuring no promising candidate falls through the cracks. CRM integration drives a more proactive and strategic approach to talent acquisition, crucial for building a strong employer brand.

Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software application designed to handle the recruitment process electronically. It helps recruiters and hiring managers manage job postings, collect and sort resumes, track candidate progress, and communicate with applicants throughout the hiring lifecycle. Modern ATS platforms often include features for parsing resumes, scheduling interviews, and compliance reporting. In the context of automation, an ATS frequently serves as a central hub. Webhooks and APIs allow other systems to feed candidate data into the ATS or pull information from it, enabling a seamless flow of data. This integration reduces manual data entry, speeds up the hiring process, and ensures a consistent and compliant candidate experience across all stages.

Data Parsing

Data parsing is the process of extracting specific pieces of information from a larger block of text or data and converting it into a structured, usable format. When webhooks deliver payloads, or APIs return responses, the data often comes in a raw format (like JSON or XML) that needs to be broken down to identify and isolate relevant fields. For HR and recruiting, parsing is critical for tasks such as extracting candidate names, contact details, skills, and work history from resumes, emails, or form submissions. Automation platforms use parsing functions to interpret incoming data, allowing them to map specific pieces of information to the correct fields in an ATS, HRIS, or CRM, ensuring accuracy and enabling efficient data-driven decision-making.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Strategic Automation for HR & Recruiting Success