Webhook vs API Integration: What's the Difference?

A webhook is a push-based notification: the source system automatically sends data to a predefined URL the instant a specific event happens, without anything on the receiving end having to ask for it.

An API integration is request-based: one system actively sends a request to another, which responds with data or performs an action, and checking for new information this way typically means sending repeated requests over time rather than being notified automatically.

The difference is who initiates the exchange and when. A webhook only fires when something actually changes, which makes it efficient for anything that needs to respond to an event the moment it happens - a new form submission, a completed purchase, a status change - and in workflow automation, a webhook is commonly the trigger that kicks off an entire automated sequence. An API call, by contrast, requires something to actively ask for information, and if that information needs to stay current without a webhook available, the only option is polling - repeatedly checking via API at set intervals - which adds delay compared to an instant push notification and consumes more resources the more frequently it runs. In practice, most real automation setups use both together rather than picking one exclusively: a webhook notifies the workflow that something happened, and the workflow then uses API calls to pull additional details or write updates to other connected systems. Understanding which one is actually triggering a given automation matters when something breaks - a webhook failure usually means the automation never started at all, while an API failure partway through a workflow means it started but couldn't complete a specific step.