Liftoff has many great features that support interconnectivity with other systems and platforms. Liftoff can transmit XML, work with EDI, and even has a headless API that allows you to control practically every function and feature it has. What if you’re looking to exchange specific event-driven information to another platform? That’s where Liftoff’s webhooks feature comes in!
What are webhooks?
A webhook is a one-way data transmission that is triggered by the execution of a specific event (or set of events) where data about the event is pushed to an endpoint outside of the platform. The information transmitted from a webhook may vary, depending on your event trigger; however, in all cases, webhook data is transmitted through a JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) message.
Webhooks are useful when you need to inform another system or process that something has happened within the Liftoff platform. JSON, being a very lightweight and human readable format, is accepted by most modern platforms and has full support from integration platforms such as Zapier or IFTTT.
Are webhooks the same as no-code solutions?
Webhooks alone aren’t considered a no-code solution; however, they are typically one of the first and most critical components of a no-code project. As mentioned above, Liftoff works with various no-code integration solutions like Zapier. Webhooks work to inform these solutions that an event has occurred, passing data that will kick off a no-code execution.
What can you do with webhooks?
There are many wonderful uses for webhooks, and the end result is ultimately up to you and your needs. While typically used to handle quick, one-off integration signals, some of our subscribers have orchestrated expansive integrations with multiple platforms, even using our OData API to augment and drive additional functionality. Below are a just few examples worth exploring as you navigate the possibilities of webhooks:
Create an integration with your CRM that allows you to push new customers, changes, and deletions from Liftoff into your CRM platform.
Establish a workflow that is triggered any time an order is placed that forwards order data to another location or platform.
Design a process that monitors payment activity, including refunds.
Establish a trigger that will alert you via Slack any time an order is canceled or deleted.
Create an integration around employee discounts and budgets that is informed by external platforms. Eric Granata talks more about this in our pilot episode of Conversations in Commerce.
Develop a mechanism that will alert another system any time a shipment has been updated or processed.
Our Subscriber Services Manager and Liftoff Expert, Kris Howard, lists many different scenarios in which webhooks might come in handy! She says,
“Want to send a custom welcome email when someone registers on your website that includes how-to videos, FAQs, contact information, and maybe a welcome discount code? Start with the "Customer created" webhook!
Want to post a Slack or Teams message to your accounting department if you issued a refund automatically? Use the "Payment refunded" webhook!
Need to inform your ERP system that you added a new product to Liftoff? Start with the "Product created" or "Product variant created" webhooks!
Have a customer who wants to be copied on every outbound shipment from the store? Start with the "Shipment updated" webhook!”
At the end of the day, what you do with our Webhooks feature is up to your imagination and your goals! With the right amount of engineering, coupled with our OData API, webhooks provide many outside-the-box solutions that can further extend Liftoff’s capabilities.
How to use webhooks
If you’re interested in using Webhooks for the first time, you’re in luck! We’ve prepared a guide for you that can help you step through your first integration with Zapier. If you get stuck, there’s no need to worry. Your Subscriber Services team is trained to connect Liftoff to platforms like Zapier and may have many excellent ideas for helping you achieve no-code greatness.
Happy no-coding!