What Is a CMS Webhook?
BeginnerQuick Answer
TL;DR
A CMS webhook is an automated HTTP notification sent by your content management system (CMS) to an external URL whenever a specific event occurs — like content being published, updated, or deleted. Webhooks enable real-time integrations: when an editor publishes an article, the CMS instantly notifies your search index to re-index, your CDN to purge its cache, or your frontend to regenerate the page. They are the backbone of modern CMS integration architecture.
Key Takeaways
- Webhooks are HTTP POST requests triggered automatically by CMS events
- Common triggers include publish, update, delete, and workflow state changes
- They enable real-time sync between your CMS and external services like search engines, CDNs, and build systems
- Webhooks replace polling, which wastes resources checking for changes that may not exist
- Secure webhooks with signature verification to prevent unauthorized requests