What is a REST API and how does it work in integrations?
A REST API is a way for programs to talk to each other over the internet, using addresses and standard operations: get, add, change, delete. A store, Allegro or a payment provider exposes an API, and another system can use it to fetch a list of orders or change a product’s stock, for example. The data usually travels in JSON format.
What is a webhook and how is it used in integrations?
A webhook is a notification that a system sends to a given address the moment an event happens, such as an order being placed or a payment being booked. The integration does not have to keep asking whether anything is new. It finds out straight away.
API or webhook: when to use which?
Webhooks suit cases where a quick reaction to an event matters. Polling the API on a schedule is simpler and safer when the system does not send notifications, or when you need to reconcile a whole data set regularly, such as stock levels. In practice the two are combined. A webhook triggers the action, and a periodic API check catches whatever did not arrive.
Webhooks do not trigger automation: what should you check?
- whether the receiving address is reachable from the internet and works over HTTPS
- whether it responds with a success code within the required time
- whether the secret or signature the sender uses to protect notifications matches
- whether the sender disabled the webhook after a series of failed attempts
- whether the webhook is set for the right type of event
- what the delivery history on the sender’s side shows
Frequently asked questions
How does the Allegro REST API work?
Allegro (Poland’s largest marketplace) provides a REST API. Once the account is authorized, you can use it to fetch orders, change stock levels and offer prices, and add tracking numbers and invoices to orders, among other things. See details
Does KCD Studio build custom APIs for companies?
Yes. We design and build APIs to REST and GraphQL standards, along with the webhooks through which a company’s systems exchange data.