A Glossary of Webhook Specific Terms in an HR Context

In the rapidly evolving landscape of HR and recruiting, automation is no longer a luxury but a necessity for efficiency and strategic advantage. Understanding the underlying technologies that power these automations is crucial for HR professionals looking to optimize their workflows, from candidate sourcing to employee onboarding. Webhooks are a cornerstone of modern system integration, enabling real-time data exchange between disparate applications. This glossary provides essential definitions for key webhook-related terms, framed within the context of human resources and recruitment automation, helping you leverage these powerful tools to save time, reduce errors, and scale your operations.

Webhook

A webhook is an automated message sent from an application when a specific event occurs, delivering data to a predefined URL in real-time. Think of it as an instant notification system where one application “tells” another about an event, rather than the second application constantly checking for updates. In HR, a webhook might fire when a new applicant applies through a job board, immediately notifying your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or a custom automation platform like Make.com to kick off the next steps, such as sending an auto-response email or initiating a screening process. This real-time capability is vital for streamlining recruitment workflows and ensuring timely candidate engagement, drastically cutting down on manual data entry and delays.

Payload

The payload is the actual data sent within a webhook request. It’s the “message” part of the notification, containing all the relevant information about the event that triggered the webhook. For an HR application, a payload might include details like a candidate’s name, email, resume link, the job they applied for, submission timestamp, and answers to screening questions. Understanding the structure and content of a payload is crucial for configuring automation scenarios, as you’ll need to parse this data to extract the necessary information for subsequent actions, such as populating a CRM, updating an HRIS, or triggering an interview scheduling tool.

Endpoint

An endpoint is a specific URL where a webhook sends its payload. It’s the designated receiving address for the automated message. When setting up an HR automation, you’ll configure the originating application (e.g., your job board or survey tool) to send webhook data to an endpoint provided by your automation platform (like a custom webhook URL from Make.com). This endpoint acts as the listener, waiting for incoming data. Ensuring your endpoint is correctly configured and publicly accessible is critical for your webhook integrations to function, allowing seamless data flow from one system to another, such as pushing new hire data from an onboarding system to your payroll provider.

HTTP Request

An HTTP Request is the method by which webhooks transmit data over the internet. Webhooks typically use an HTTP POST request, which is designed to send data to a server for processing. Other common HTTP methods include GET (to retrieve data), PUT (to update data), and DELETE (to remove data). In HR automation, understanding that webhooks are fundamentally HTTP requests helps clarify how data travels between systems. For instance, when a candidate completes an assessment, the assessment platform sends an HTTP POST request containing the results as a payload to your configured endpoint, enabling your automation to process these results immediately without manual intervention.

API (Application Programming Interface)

An API is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. While webhooks are a mechanism for real-time communication, APIs encompass a broader framework for interaction, often involving requests and responses. Webhooks can be considered a specific type of API interaction, where one system proactively “pushes” data to another. Many HR systems provide APIs that allow developers and automation specialists to build custom integrations, retrieve candidate data, manage employee records, or trigger specific actions programmatically, offering more control and flexibility than simple webhook triggers alone.

Integration

In the context of webhooks and HR, integration refers to the process of connecting two or more software applications so they can exchange data and function together seamlessly. Webhooks are a powerful tool for achieving real-time integrations, allowing systems like an ATS, HRIS, payroll system, or learning management system to communicate efficiently. For HR teams, effective integrations mean less manual data entry, fewer errors, and a more cohesive overview of the employee lifecycle. For example, integrating a candidate screening tool with an ATS via webhooks ensures that screening results are instantly available for recruiters, accelerating the hiring process.

Trigger

A trigger is the specific event that initiates a webhook request or an automation workflow. It’s the “when this happens” part of an automated process. Examples of triggers in an HR context include a new candidate application, a change in an employee’s status, a new hire completing their onboarding paperwork, or a survey being submitted. Identifying the correct triggers is the first step in designing an effective webhook-driven automation. For instance, configuring a webhook to trigger when an applicant reaches a “qualified” stage in your ATS can automatically send a personalized email to schedule an interview, automating a critical step in the recruitment funnel.

Action

An action is the task or operation performed in response to a trigger. It’s the “then do this” part of an automation workflow, executed after a webhook delivers its payload. Common actions in HR automation might include adding a new candidate to a spreadsheet, updating an employee’s record in an HRIS, sending an email notification, creating a task in a project management tool, or initiating a background check. Each action utilizes the data received in the webhook’s payload to perform its function, enabling a chain of automated tasks that can significantly reduce manual effort and improve consistency across HR processes.

Event

An event is a significant occurrence within a software system that can be monitored and, if configured, trigger a webhook. Events are the fundamental happenings that drive automated processes. In HR, events can range from a new job posting going live, a candidate accepting an offer, an employee submitting a leave request, or a performance review being completed. Webhooks are typically configured to “listen” for specific events within an application and then send a notification along with relevant data when that event takes place, enabling immediate follow-up actions without human intervention.

Polling

Polling is an alternative method to webhooks for checking for updates between applications. Instead of waiting for a real-time notification (webhook), polling involves one application repeatedly sending requests to another application at regular intervals (e.g., every 5 minutes) to see if new data is available. While polling can work, it’s less efficient and can introduce latency compared to webhooks. For HR automation, webhooks are generally preferred for time-sensitive tasks like new candidate applications, as they provide instant updates, whereas polling might be acceptable for less critical, periodic data synchronization, such as syncing employee attendance records at the end of each day.

Authentication

Authentication refers to the process of verifying the identity of the sender or receiver in a webhook communication to ensure data security. Because webhooks transmit sensitive information, especially in HR (e.g., PII, salary data), secure authentication is paramount. This can involve API keys, tokens, OAuth, or digital signatures to verify that the webhook request is coming from a trusted source and is not tampered with. Proper authentication safeguards against unauthorized access and ensures the integrity of the data being exchanged between HR systems, protecting both the organization and candidate/employee privacy.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

JSON is a lightweight, text-based data interchange format that is widely used for sending data between web applications, including within webhook payloads. It’s human-readable and easy for machines to parse, making it a popular choice for structured data. In HR automation, webhook payloads containing candidate profiles, job descriptions, or employee records are frequently formatted as JSON objects. Understanding JSON structure is essential for anyone configuring automation workflows, as you’ll need to know how to extract specific data fields (e.g., candidate’s email address or desired salary) from the JSON payload to use in subsequent actions.

REST API

REST (Representational State Transfer) API is a set of architectural principles for designing networked applications. Most modern web APIs, including those used by HR software, are built according to REST principles. While webhooks push data from one system to another, a REST API allows an application to make requests to another system (e.g., to retrieve, create, update, or delete data) and receive a structured response. Webhooks often complement REST APIs; a webhook might notify an HR system of a new event, and then that HR system might use a REST API call to fetch more detailed information related to that event from the originating system.

Status Code

An HTTP status code is a three-digit number returned by a server in response to an HTTP request, indicating whether a particular HTTP request has been successfully completed. Common status codes include 200 OK (success), 400 Bad Request (client error), 404 Not Found (resource not found), and 500 Internal Server Error (server error). When an HR application sends a webhook, the receiving endpoint will send back a status code. Monitoring these codes is vital for troubleshooting webhook integrations. A 200 OK confirms that the payload was received successfully, while other codes can alert you to problems, such as incorrect data formatting or server issues.

Header

HTTP headers are key-value pairs that are sent along with an HTTP request (and response) and contain metadata about the request itself. While the payload carries the actual data, headers provide additional information such as the content type of the payload (e.g., `Content-Type: application/json`), authentication credentials (`Authorization` header), or the user agent. In webhook configurations for HR, headers are often used for security, carrying API keys or tokens to authenticate the request, or to specify how the receiving application should interpret the payload, ensuring secure and correct data processing.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Mastering HR Automation in Make.com: Your Guide to Webhooks vs. Mailhooks