How does a webhook work?
A webhook works through a unique web address. You give the receiving app's address to the sending app and choose the event that should trigger it, such as a form being submitted or a call ending. When that event happens, the sending app posts the details there straight away, and the receiving app starts its workflow.
The alternative is polling: one app asks the other every few minutes whether anything has changed. Polling is slower and wastes requests. A webhook reacts as soon as the event happens.
Why do webhooks matter for a small business?
Webhooks matter for a small business because speed often decides who wins the lead. A webhook lets a new enquiry start your follow-up within seconds, instead of waiting for someone to check an inbox. Many automations start with one: a form submission, a payment, a finished call or a new CRM record.
What does a webhook look like in practice?
When one of our AI voice agents finishes a call, it fires a post-call webhook. That triggers an automation in Make.com or n8n, which formats the call data, writes the summary, lead score and transcript to the CRM, and notifies the team. The same pattern lets a web form trigger an outbound call within 2 minutes.