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Webhooks

Automate workflows by triggering HTTP requests when content changes in Cockpit.

Overview

The Webhooks addon enables real-time communication between Cockpit and external services by automatically sending HTTP requests when specific events occur. This is essential for automating workflows, triggering deployments, syncing data, and integrating with third-party services.

Features

  • Event-driven triggers - Fire webhooks when content is created, updated, or deleted
  • Custom payloads - Send the event data or define your own payload structure
  • Custom headers - Add authentication tokens and custom headers
  • Multiple HTTP methods - Support for GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE
  • Environment variables - Use .env variables in URLs and headers
  • Async execution - Webhooks run after the request completes (non-blocking)
  • Worker queue support - Offload webhook execution to background workers
  • Logging - Failed webhooks are logged for debugging

Use Cases

Static Site Deployment

Trigger Netlify, Vercel, or other static site rebuilds when content changes.

Notifications

Send Slack or Discord notifications when content is published.

Search Index Updates

Keep Algolia, Elasticsearch, or other search indices synchronized.

Data Synchronization

Push content changes to external systems, databases, or CDNs.

Audit Logging

Track content changes in external audit systems.

Configuration

Basic Setup

Navigate to Settings > Webhooks to create and manage webhooks.

Screenshot of creating a webhook

Webhook Settings

Field Description
Name Descriptive name for the webhook
URL The endpoint to call (supports env variables)
Method HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE)
Events Which events trigger this webhook
Headers Custom HTTP headers
Payload Send event data or custom payload
Enabled Toggle webhook on/off

Using Environment Variables

Use environment variables in URLs and headers for security:

// .env file
DEPLOY_WEBHOOK_URL=https://api.netlify.com/build_hooks/abc123
SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL=https://hooks.slack.com/services/xxx/yyy/zzz
API_TOKEN=your-secret-token

In the webhook URL field:

${DEPLOY_WEBHOOK_URL}

In headers:

Authorization: Bearer ${API_TOKEN}

Best Practices

Security

  • Store sensitive URLs and tokens in .env files
  • Use HTTPS endpoints only
  • Implement webhook signature verification on receiving end
  • Limit webhook events to what's needed

Performance

  • Enable worker mode for high-traffic sites
  • Use specific events (e.g., content.item.save.posts) instead of broad ones
  • Keep custom payloads minimal

Reliability

  • Implement retry logic on the receiving end
  • Monitor webhook logs regularly
  • Test webhooks with tools like webhook.site before production use

Testing

Use services like webhook.site to inspect payloads:

  1. Get a temporary URL from webhook.site
  2. Set it as your webhook URL
  3. Trigger the event in Cockpit
  4. Inspect the received payload