Category
APIs and Webhooks
APIs and webhooks are how services exchange requests and event notifications over HTTP, including status codes, payloads, signatures, and retries.
Why this category matters
Most modern products expose or consume HTTP interfaces. Understanding endpoints, signatures, and idempotency keeps monitoring and alerting reliable.
Recommended learning order
- APIAPI is an interface that lets software request work from other software over a defined contract.
- API endpointAPI endpoint is a specific URL and method that performs one API operation.
- HTTP status codeHTTP status code is a three-digit code describing the result of an HTTP request.
- WebhookWebhook is an HTTP callback that delivers an event to a URL you provide.
- Webhook signatureWebhook signature is a cryptographic proof that a webhook came from the expected sender.
Foundational terms
- APIAPI is an interface that lets software request work from other software over a defined contract.
- API endpointAPI endpoint is a specific URL and method that performs one API operation.
- HTTP status codeHTTP status code is a three-digit code describing the result of an HTTP request.
- WebhookWebhook is an HTTP callback that delivers an event to a URL you provide.
- JSON responseJSON response is an HTTP response body encoded as JSON.
Advanced terms
- Webhook signatureWebhook signature is a cryptographic proof that a webhook came from the expected sender.
- HMACHMAC is a keyed hash used to authenticate a message such as a webhook body.
- Webhook idempotencyWebhook idempotency is designing receivers so duplicate webhook deliveries do not cause duplicate effects.
- Idempotency keyIdempotency key is a unique key that lets a system recognize and ignore duplicate requests.