# Webhooks

Connect Flow Forms to your other systems with webhooks. Send form data to any URL in real-time when submissions are received or updated.

## What are Webhooks?

Webhooks are automated messages sent from Flow Forms to your application when specific events occur. They enable:
- Real-time data synchronization
- Custom workflows
- Integration with any system
- Automated processing

## Setting Up Webhooks

### Basic Configuration
1. Edit your form
2. Navigate to "Integrations" or "Webhooks" section
3. Enter your webhook URL
4. Select trigger events
5. Save and test

### Webhook Events
Trigger webhooks on:
- New form submission
- Submission status change
- Form updates
- User actions

## Webhook Payload

### Standard Payload Format
```json
{
  "event": "form.submitted",
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "form": {
    "id": "123",
    "name": "Contact Form"
  },
  "submission": {
    "id": "456",
    "status": "pending",
    "data": {
      "name": "John Doe",
      "email": "john@example.com",
      "message": "Form field values here"
    },
    "metadata": {
      "ip_address": "192.168.1.1",
      "user_agent": "Mozilla/5.0...",
      "submitted_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
    }
  }
}
```

### Custom Headers
Include authentication headers:
- API keys
- Bearer tokens
- Custom headers for your system

## Testing Webhooks

### Using Webhook Testing Tools
1. Use services like webhook.site or RequestBin
2. Set the test URL in your form
3. Submit a test entry
4. Verify payload structure

### Debugging Common Issues
- Check URL accessibility
- Verify SSL certificates
- Confirm payload format
- Monitor timeout issues

## Security Best Practices

### Webhook Verification
Verify webhooks are from Flow Forms:
- Check signature headers
- Validate payload structure
- Use HTTPS endpoints only
- Implement IP allowlisting

### Handling Failures
Flow Forms will retry failed webhooks:
- 3 retry attempts
- Exponential backoff
- Failure notifications

## Common Use Cases

### CRM Integration
Send form data directly to your CRM:
- Create new contacts
- Update existing records
- Trigger follow-up workflows

### Notification Systems
Trigger custom notifications:
- Slack messages
- Microsoft Teams alerts
- Custom email systems

### Data Processing
Process submissions automatically:
- Generate PDFs
- Create reports
- Update databases

## Best Practices

- Always use HTTPS endpoints
- Implement proper error handling
- Log webhook receipts
- Process webhooks asynchronously
- Set reasonable timeouts
- Monitor webhook health