Webhook Integration

What's webhook

A webhook is a way for one application to provide real-time information to other applications. It's like a phone number that you give to someone - when they call that number, your phone rings. In the digital world, when something happens in one system, it sends an HTTP request to a URL (the webhook) that you provided, triggering an action in your system.

For example, when your server's CPU usage goes too high, your monitoring system can call Echobell's webhook URL, which then triggers a notification to alert you. This happens automatically and in real-time, without you having to constantly check the CPU usage yourself.

Overview

Each Echobell channel can be configured with a unique webhook URL. When this URL is called, the channel sends notifications to all its subscribers based on the configured notification templates and provided variables.

Webhook URL Format

https://hook.echobell.one/t/{channel-token}

You can find your channel's webhook URL in the channel details view of the Echobell app.

Making Webhook Requests

Echobell webhooks support both GET and POST methods:

GET Request

You can pass variables through query parameters:

GET https://hook.echobell.one/t/xxx?server_name=Production&cpu_usage=95

POST Request

For POST requests, send variables in a JSON body:

POST https://hook.echobell.one/t/xxx
Content-Type: application/json
 
{
  "server_name": "Production",
  "cpu_usage": 95
}

Special Variables

Echobell supports a special variable that adds functionality to your notifications:

• externalLink: When included in the request, this creates a clickable link in the notification records view. Useful for linking to detailed information or related resources.

Example with external link:

POST https://hook.echobell.one/t/xxx
Content-Type: application/json
 
{
  "server_name": "Production",
  "cpu_usage": 95,
  "externalLink": "https://dashboard.example.com/alerts/123"
}

Template Variables

Variables passed through webhooks can be used in your notification templates using the {{variableName}} syntax:

Title: Server {{server_name}} Alert
Body: CPU usage has reached {{cpu_usage}}%

When triggered, these templates will be populated with the values provided in your webhook request.

Common Use Cases

Webhooks are particularly useful for:

• Server monitoring and alerts
• CI/CD pipeline notifications
• IoT device status updates
• Application error tracking
• E-commerce order notifications
• Automated system alerts

Best Practices

1. Error Handling: Always check the HTTP response status from webhook calls to ensure successful delivery
2. Rate Limiting: Implement reasonable delays between webhook calls to avoid overwhelming your notification system
3. Data Security: Only share webhook URLs with trusted systems and services
4. Testing: Test your webhook integration with minimal data before implementing in production

Privacy and Security

Remember that:

• Webhook URLs should be treated as secrets
• Only send necessary data in webhook requests
• All notification content is stored locally on subscribers' devices
• Our servers only process the webhook request and route notifications

Troubleshooting

If your webhooks aren't working as expected:

1. Verify the webhook URL is correct
2. Check if the channel is active
3. Ensure your JSON payload is properly formatted (for POST requests)
4. Confirm that all required variables in your templates are being provided
5. Check if the channel has active subscribers

Need help? Visit our Support Center or contact us at [email protected].