Webhook

A webhook is a mechanism for one system to notify another that something happened, in real time. Instead of constantly polling an API to check for changes (like refreshing a page repeatedly), the source system sends an HTTP POST request to your URL the moment an event occurs — a payment succeeds, a form is submitted, a code push triggers a build.

Webhooks are the connective tissue of modern software. Stripe sends a webhook when a payment completes. GitHub sends one when a pull request is merged. Slack sends one when a message is posted. Each webhook carries a payload describing the event, and the receiving system processes it — updating a database, triggering a workflow, sending a notification. The pattern is simple but incredibly powerful for building reactive, event-driven applications.

For AI agent systems, webhooks are how external events trigger agent work. A customer support ticket creates a webhook that activates a support agent. A code push triggers a webhook that activates a review agent. A Stripe payment webhook activates an onboarding agent. At Agentik {OS}, webhooks are a primary trigger mechanism for our agents. Rather than running agents continuously (expensive and wasteful), we activate them on demand when events occur that require their attention — making the system both responsive and cost-efficient.