Echobell Direct: Personal Webhook Alerts Without Channel Setup

Echobell Direct gives you a personal webhook URL for instant notifications from scripts, CI jobs, and automation tools — no channel or template setup required. Here's how to use it.

Echobell Direct is a personal alerting mode that skips channel setup entirely. You create a Direct key, get a webhook URL, and POST a title + body to receive an instant notification on your device. No subscribers, no templates, no routing configuration.

This guide covers what Direct is, how to set it up, and when to use it instead of Channels.

What is Echobell Direct?

Each Direct key generates a unique webhook URL (/d/{token}). Send a request to that URL and the notification arrives on your device immediately.

Use Direct when you need:

  • Personal notifications from scripts, cron jobs, or CI pipelines
  • Custom title and body per request rather than fixed templates
  • Fast setup without configuring a full channel

If you need shared notifications, reusable templates, or conditional delivery, use Channels via Webhooks instead.

Setup in 3 steps

Step 1: Create a Direct key

Open Echobell, tap Direct in your channel list, and create a key. Name it after the service it belongs to (e.g. CI Server, Cron, AI Tasks).

Step 2: Copy your webhook URL

Each key has a URL in the format:

https://hook.echobell.one/d/YOUR_KEY_TOKEN

Treat this URL as a secret — anyone with it can send you notifications.

Step 3: Send your first notification

curl -X POST https://hook.echobell.one/d/YOUR_KEY_TOKEN \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "title": "Deploy failed",
    "body": "api-service failed health check",
    "notificationType": "time-sensitive",
    "externalLink": "https://dashboard.example.com/deploys/123"
  }'

Full field reference: Direct API

Urgency levels

Direct supports notificationType so you can match urgency to the event:

  • active — regular updates
  • time-sensitive — important alerts that break through Focus mode
  • calling — critical incidents (requires active premium subscription; falls back to time-sensitive otherwise)

See Notification Types for full behavior details.

Adding context to alerts

Include externalLink in the request body to attach a URL to the notification — useful for linking directly to a deploy log, dashboard, or pull request.

For AI agents and long-running async tasks, Direct is a straightforward way to get notified when the job completes rather than polling manually. See also: WebhookMCP + Echobell.

Direct vs Channels

DirectChannels
AudiencePersonal onlyShared with teammates
TemplatesPer-request contentReusable, fixed templates
Setup timeUnder a minuteRequires channel configuration
ConditionsNot supportedSupported

Use Channels when alerts need to reach multiple people or when you want consistent formatting across a service. Template docs · What is Echobell

Security practices

  • Store Direct tokens in environment variables or a secrets manager, not in code
  • Create one key per service so you can revoke individually
  • Rotate tokens immediately if a URL may have leaked
  • Reserve calling for true incidents — overuse causes alert fatigue

FAQ

Is Direct only for developers? No. Anyone with a tool that can send HTTP requests can use it.

Does Direct support GET requests? Yes, but POST with JSON is recommended.

What happens if my subscription lapses and I use calling? It falls back to time-sensitive automatically.

Start with the Direct guide. When your workflow grows to need collaboration or templating, Channels are a straightforward next step.