Webhooks vs Integration API¶

The WhiteLabelCRO platform supports two integration methods that share the same underlying event infrastructure. This document explains how each method works and helps you choose the right approach for your needs.

How Both Methods Work¶

The platform produces a single stream of canonical business events. These events can be delivered through:

Customer Webhooks (Push): HTTP POST to your registered endpoints
Integration API (Pull/REST Hooks): Polling or Zapier/n8n/Make managed subscriptions

Both mechanisms use the same event types, the same payloads, and the same delivery infrastructure. The difference lies in how subscriptions are managed and what additional capabilities are available.

Comparison¶

Feature	Webhooks	Integration API
Delivery Model	Push (real-time HTTP POST)	Pull (polling) or Push (REST Hooks)
Events	All 10 v1 event types	All 10 v1 event types
Actions	Not applicable	9 actions available
Searches	Not applicable	2 searches available
Technical Requirements	Endpoint hosting, signature verification	API key, HTTP client
Authentication	HMAC-SHA256 request signing	API key authentication
Subscription Management	Via API or Admin Portal	Manual or platform-managed
Best For	Custom systems, internal platforms	Zapier, n8n, Make, rapid setup

Customer Webhooks¶

How It Works¶

You register a webhook subscription specifying:
Target URL (your endpoint)
Event types to receive
When matching events occur, WhiteLabelCRO sends HTTP POST requests to your endpoint
Each request includes an HMAC-SHA256 signature for verification
Failed deliveries are retried with exponential backoff

Advantages¶

Full control over endpoint implementation
Near real-time delivery
Works with any system that can receive HTTP requests
No third-party dependency

Considerations¶

Requires endpoint hosting and availability
Must implement signature verification
Must handle retry/idempotency logic

Integration API¶

How It Works¶

The Integration API provides:

Event Polling: GET /api/v1/events with cursor-based pagination
REST Hooks: Zapier, n8n, and Make can subscribe/unsubscribe automatically
Actions: Create and update records via POST/PUT/PATCH endpoints
Searches: Find records via GET endpoints

Advantages¶

No endpoint hosting required for polling
Includes Actions to write data back to WhiteLabelCRO
Includes Searches for deduplication workflows
Works with Zapier, n8n, Make, and custom code

Considerations¶

Polling has inherent latency (1-15 minutes depending on configuration)
REST Hooks (Zapier/n8n/Make) provide near real-time delivery
Actions and searches have rate limits

Same Events, Same Data¶

Both delivery methods consume the same canonical events with identical payloads. You can use both simultaneously:

Webhooks for custom internal systems
Integration API for Zapier/n8n/Make automations

They share the same event stream without interference.

Diagram¶

flowchart TB
    subgraph WLCRO[WhiteLabelCRO Platform]
        Events[Canonical Event Stream]
    end

    subgraph Webhooks[Customer Webhooks - Push Model]
        WH1[Webhook Subscription]
        Events -->|HTTP POST| WH1
        WH1 -->|Delivers Events| Endpoint[Your Endpoint]
    end

    subgraph API[Integration API]
        Poll[Polling]
        Actions[Actions - Create/Update]
        Searches[Searches - Find Records]

        Events -->|Get Events| Poll
        Tools[Tools/Custom Code] -->|Write Actions| Actions
        Tools -->|Search Requests| Searches
        Actions --> WLCRO
        Searches --> WLCRO
    end

    Poll -->|Events| Tools

    style Events fill:#fff4e6
    style Webhooks fill:#e8f5e9
    style API fill:#e3f2fd

Choosing Your Approach¶

Choose Webhooks When¶

You have development resources to build and maintain endpoints
You need full control over event processing
You want to avoid third-party dependencies
You are building custom internal automation

Choose Integration API When¶

You want to integrate quickly without hosting endpoints
You need bidirectional sync (read events AND write data)
You want to connect WhiteLabelCRO to apps via Zapier, n8n, or Make
You prefer managed subscription lifecycle

Use Both When¶

Different teams have different needs
You want webhooks for mission-critical custom systems
You want Zapier/n8n for ad-hoc automations and non-technical users

Supported Platforms¶

The Integration API is compatible with:

Platform	Delivery	Actions	Searches
Webhooks	Push (real-time)	N/A	N/A
Zapier	REST Hooks (real-time)	Yes	Yes
n8n	REST Hooks or Polling	Yes	Yes
Make	REST Hooks or Polling	Yes	Yes
Custom Code	Polling	Yes	Yes