Send Webhook – Automation Step

Overview #

The Send Webhook step calls an external HTTP endpoint from your automation. You can choose the HTTP method, set headers, build a JSON payload (with variables), and optionally save parts of the response back into contact/custom fields.

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When to Use #

✅ Integrate with external CRMs/ERPs/payment systems
✅ Trigger downstream workflows (Zapier/Make/custom APIs)
✅ Enrich contact data from third‑party sources
✅ Log events or analytics in your data platform

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How to Add the Step #

1. In the automation builder, click "Add Action" or the "+" button
2. Choose "Send Webhook"

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Configure the Step #

The configuration has four parts: URL & method, headers, payload, and response mapping.

1) URL & Method (Required) #

• Method: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE
• URL must be present and must not contain spaces
• You can inject dynamic values using custom fields into the URL with %%FIELD_CODE%%

Examples:

• https://api.example.com/contacts?email=%%EMAIL%%
• https://api.example.com/orders/%%ORDER_ID%%

Validation messages will appear if the URL is empty or contains spaces.

2) Headers #

• A default header Content-Type: application/json is pre‑filled
• Add/edit headers in the Edit tab; empty headers are auto‑removed in Preview
• You can insert dynamic values with %%FIELD_CODE%% (e.g., Authorization: Bearer %%API_TOKEN%%)

3) JSON Payload (for POST/PUT/PATCH) #

• For POST, PUT, and PATCH you can edit a JSON payload with autocomplete/validation
• Two tabs: Edit (monaco JSON editor with schema hints) and Preview (computed view)
• Use the "Add entities" helper to insert common properties quickly

Property helper inserts canonical keys:

• Contact object: "contact": "{{ contact }}"
• Contact fields: "contact__email": "{{ contact.email }}"
• Custom fields: "custom_field__CUSTOM_CODE": "{{ %%CUSTOM_CODE%% }}"
• Other entities: "automation" | "context" | "metadata"

You can also hand‑craft JSON and mix variables, e.g.:

{
  "email": "{{ contact.email }}",
  "order_id": "{{ %%ORDER_ID%% }}",
  "campaign": "{{ context.campaign }}",
  "note": "Lead {{ %%FIRST_NAME%% }} from {{ %%CITY%% }}"
}

For GET and DELETE, the payload section is hidden; use query parameters instead.

4) Save Response to Fields (Optional) #

• Add rows specifying what part of the JSON response to save and where
• Response paths must start with data (e.g., data.id, data.user.email)
• Map each path to a destination field: a contact field (FIRST_NAME/LAST_NAME/EMAIL) or a custom field code
• Only rows with both a valid data path and a destination are saved

Preview shows a compact summary of the mappings you configured.

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Validation Rules #

• URL: required, no spaces
• JSON: must be valid (editor shows errors)
• Headers: each row needs both key and value
• Response mapping: responseField must start with data and have a destination

Submit button activates only when the step is valid.

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Practical Examples #

1) Create/Update Contact in CRM #

Method: POST
URL: https://crm.example.com/api/contacts
Headers: Authorization: Bearer %%CRM_TOKEN%%
Payload:
{
  "email": "{{ contact.email }}",
  "first_name": "{{ contact.firstname }}",
  "last_name": "{{ contact.surname }}",
  "phone": "{{ contact.telephone }}",
  "ltv": "{{ %%LTV%% }}"
}
Save response:
- data.id → CUSTOM FIELD: CRM_CONTACT_ID

2) Check Payment Status #

Method: GET
URL: https://payments.example.com/api/orders/%%ORDER_ID%%
Headers: Authorization: Bearer %%PAYMENT_TOKEN%%
Save response:
- data.status → CUSTOM FIELD: PAYMENT_STATUS
- data.amount → CUSTOM FIELD: LAST_PAYMENT_AMOUNT

3) Log Event #

Method: POST
URL: https://logs.example.com/events
Payload:
{
  "type": "automation_step",
  "automation": "{{ automation }}",
  "contact": "{{ contact }}",
  "metadata": "{{ metadata }}"
}

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Best Practices #

• Security: Put secrets in headers or protected fields, not in URLs
• PII: Avoid sending unnecessary personal data; follow your privacy policy
• Idempotency: Include idempotency keys for POST requests if your API supports them
• Resilience: Save important response IDs (e.g., data.id) to custom fields for later steps
• Observability: Add tags/notes after webhook for easier tracing

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Troubleshooting #

JSON invalid / button disabled #

• Fix JSON errors in the Edit tab; Preview must show a valid result

Mapping not saved #

• Ensure each row has a data... response path and a destination field

URL validation error #

• Remove spaces and ensure the URL is not empty; use %%FIELD_CODE%% variables instead of string concatenation

Headers ignored #

• Empty header rows are removed in Preview; ensure both key and value are set

Payload not shown #

• Payload is available only for POST/PUT/PATCH; for GET/DELETE use query params

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