FAQ - Webhooks

What are the most frequently asked questions about webhooks?

Table Of Contents

FAQs

What is a webhook?

A webhook is a tool that "listens" for specific events and sends information when those events occur. In BambooHR, you can select from a set list of fields for the webook to monitor for changes. You can also determine what information should be sent out of BambooHR when an event happens. 

Webhooks are event-based and send data in real-time when an event occurs, meaning there is not a need to schedule the webhook to send at certain times.

Our Webhooks help guide has more details on this configuration process.

Example: You use a third-party identity management tool like Okta, OneLogin, etc. If an employee's work email address changes, you will want to know to update their email address in the third-party system so they do not lose access. 

This is where you can set up a webhook that monitors changes to fields of Last Name, First Name (employee name) and Work Email. Other job information fields can be included (Job Title, Department, etc.) if relevant. Then, you select where you want the information to be sent and in which format.

Why can't custom fields be included in webhooks?

Custom fields require specific custom development on our end for each customer who wants to incorporate custom fields into webhooks, which is not an option at the moment.

Will webhooks pull future-dated information?

Webhooks will trigger when a future-dated row (line) in a historical table becomes active. This means that a webhook will not fire when a future-dated row is initially created, but it will trigger when the future-dated row becomes the active row of information (current).

Example: Today is 8/3, and I added a job information line to an employee's profile with an effective date of 8/15, the webhook will trigger on 8/15 for the change.

How can I tell that a webhook is working?

A webhook shows as firing if it successfully posts data. If it fails, it will not show as firing. You can download a 14-day activity log in .csv format for detailed information.

Why am I unable to edit a webhook as a Full Admin user?

Webhooks created through the webhook API are considered user-permissioned and only be edited through the API. The permissions of a webhook is limited to the API key of the user who created it. Administrators still have the option to delete a webhook in Settings > Webhooks, if necessary. 

How long does the system keep trying to post a webhook if it's failing?

The system retries indefinitely, starting at one minute and increasing to a 25-minute interval until successful.

If there are multiple failed requests, will the system group those together when it tries again?

Yes, the system will group multiple failed requests.

Troubleshooting tips

  • Webhook not working: If "Last Sent" is empty, check the webhook URL for errors.
  • Webhook sending multiple times for the same employee: This is expected behavior when an employee is created. The webhook fires twice: once for "Created" and once for "Updated" events.
  • Webhook did not trigger for an employee: Check if the field change is in an historical table and if the change is future-dated.

For more detailed information, refer to BambooHR Webhooks Documentation.