What is a webhook and how does it work: how call results reach your system by themselves
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
A webhook is an automatic message that one program sends by itself to a set address (URL) of another program the moment an event happens. For example, a call ends and the system sends at once: “Bekzod, Saturday 10:00, diagnostics.” Your program doesn’t have to ask “anything new?” every minute; the message just arrives. With an AI voice operator, a webhook delivers the call outcome — the caller’s answers, a summary and the next step — to your CRM, order system or sheet with no copying by hand.
A webhook in plain words
Instead of checking your mailbox every hour, the postman rings the bell when a letter arrives. A webhook is that bell. It has four parts:
- event: when the message goes out, such as a call ended or a new lead arrived;
- address: where it goes, a URL in your system;
- body: usually JSON with a name, phone and answers;
- reply: your system says “got it”; with no reply, many systems send it again.
Webhook vs API
| API | Webhook | |
|---|---|---|
| Who starts | Your program asks | The system sends by itself |
| When | When you ask | Right after the event |
| Example | “Give me today’s calls” | “A call ended, here’s the result” |
| Good for | Sending lists, fetching data | Knowing about each event at once |
They usually work together: you send a call list through the API and get each call’s result through a webhook. More: what is an API.
Example: a car service in Tashkent
“Motor Servis” (name invented) takes cars by appointment and keeps bookings in its own small program:
- A customer calls at ten at night wanting a diagnostics slot on Saturday.
- The AI operator offers Saturday 10:00 from the service’s hours and asks for the name, car model and problem.
- As soon as the call ends, Sado sends a webhook to the service program’s address: name, phone, car, day, time and a short summary (“engine knocks when cold”).
- The program adds the booking to the schedule. In the morning the mechanic sees a ready list.
Nobody listened to the recording or copied data by hand, and the night caller wasn’t lost.
Why an AI voice operator needs webhooks
In Sado every call lands in the portal: recording, transcript, answers, summary and next step. Bitrix24 has a ready connection; our team connects amoCRM, Google Sheets and 1C (calls in your CRM). For any other system there are webhooks and a REST API (for developers). Common uses:
- create a request in your own CRM or order system;
- send an SMS or a payment link from your system after the call;
- add a row to a report sheet;
- open a task for the right staff member.
The call card in your Telegram group comes without a webhook: Sado does that itself. Webhooks work the same for incoming calls and outgoing calls.
Checklist before you connect a webhook
- The receiving URL is reachable from the internet and uses https.
- Your system replies “got it” (200) at once and does heavy work later.
- A message that arrives twice isn’t saved twice: check the event ID.
- Check the signature: Sado signs every webhook request, so fakes are easy to reject.
- If your server isn’t reachable from outside (an office 1C, say), poll the event feed instead; details on /developers.
Your developer sets up the webhook; Sado’s team sets up the operator. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23. More answers: questions about Sado.
Questions
Do I need a developer to connect a webhook?
Yes, someone has to set up the receiving side. With Bitrix24 you don’t need one: Sado has a ready connection. Our team connects amoCRM, Google Sheets and 1C.
Are webhooks safe?
Yes, if the URL uses https and the receiving side checks the signature. Sado signs every webhook request.
Are a webhook and an API the same?
No. With an API your program sends a request and gets a reply. A webhook is sent by the system itself when an event happens. They’re usually used together.