When someone says “we’ll connect it via the API” or “set up a webhook”, they’re describing two different ways for software to exchange information. You don’t need to code to understand them, and understanding them helps you ask better questions about any integration.
The short version
| API | Webhook | Polling | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who starts it | Your system asks another system | The other system tells your system | Your system asks, on a schedule |
| Analogy | Calling a shop to ask if your order is ready | The shop texts you when it’s ready | Calling the shop every 15 minutes |
| Speed | When you ask | Near-instant | As often as you check |
| Typical use | Create a contact, look up an order, update a deal | “New order placed”, “payment succeeded”, “form submitted” | Tools without webhooks |
APIs: asking and telling
An API (application programming interface) is a set of addresses and rules a system publishes so other software can read or change its data. Your CRM’s API might let an automation:
- search for a contact by email,
- create a deal,
- update a stage.
Automation platforms wrap popular APIs in ready-made steps (a “HubSpot: create contact” action). For anything without a ready-made step, a generic HTTP request step can call the API directly, as n8n’s HTTP Request node does.
APIs usually need authentication (an API key or a sign-in connection) and have rate limits on how many requests you can make. See API rate limits and pagination.
Webhooks: being told when something happens
A webhook is a notification. You give a system a URL, and it sends a message (usually JSON data) to that URL whenever a chosen event happens: an order is placed, a payment succeeds, a form is submitted.
In n8n, the Webhook node creates such a URL. Stripe, Shopify, form tools and many CRMs can send webhooks.
Good: instant, and no wasted checks.
Watch out for:
- The receiver must be online. If your automation platform is down, events can be missed. Many senders retry for a while, but not forever. Stripe, for example, documents automatic retries for failed webhook deliveries.
- Duplicates. Retries mean the same event can arrive twice. Your workflow should check before creating (“search, then create”) or use the event ID.
- Security. Anyone who knows the URL can send data to it. Use the sender’s signature verification or a secret where offered.
- Test vs production URLs. Tools like n8n have separate test and production webhook URLs. Make sure the live system points to production.
Polling: checking on a schedule
When a tool doesn’t offer webhooks, the automation asks its API every few minutes: “anything new since last time?”. Zapier, for example, describes polling triggers that check on an interval depending on plan, alongside instant (webhook) triggers.
Polling is simpler to set up but slower, and frequent checks can count against plan limits on some platforms.
How they work together
A typical lead workflow uses all three ideas:
- Webhook: the website form sends the submission to the automation instantly.
- API: the automation searches the CRM for the contact, then creates or updates it.
- API: it sends a WhatsApp or email alert through another API.
See the tested form-to-CRM workflow.
Questions to ask about any integration
- Is the trigger a webhook (instant) or polling (every X minutes)?
- What happens if the receiver is down? Does the sender retry?
- How are duplicates prevented?
- Is the webhook verified (signature or secret)?
- Which API limits apply, and what happens when they’re hit?
- Who owns the API keys, and where are they stored?
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a developer to use webhooks?
Not usually. Automation platforms create webhook URLs for you, and many tools let you paste a URL into a settings page. A developer helps with custom APIs, signature verification and complex data.
Is a webhook more reliable than polling?
It’s faster. Reliability depends on retries, duplicate handling and monitoring, whichever you use. See error handling in n8n.
What’s a “REST API”?
The most common style of API on the web: you send requests to URLs with methods like GET (read) and POST (create). Most business tools offer one.
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