Incoming Webhook Triggers

Use incoming webhooks to trigger automations

Incoming Webhook Triggers

Incoming webhooks allow external systems to trigger Mailnaptic automations by sending an HTTP request to a Mailnaptic-generated URL. This is useful when you want events from your own application, payment processor, or any third-party service to start an automated workflow.

How incoming webhooks work

When you create an incoming webhook trigger for an automation, Mailnaptic generates a unique URL. Any system that sends an HTTP POST to that URL with a valid JSON payload can trigger the automation for a specific contact.

Creating an automation with a webhook trigger

1. Go to Automations and create a new automation.
2. For the trigger type, select Incoming Webhook.
3. Mailnaptic generates a unique webhook URL. Copy this URL — you will configure it in the external system that will trigger the automation.
4. Build your automation flow (delays, emails, conditions, etc.).
5. Activate the automation.

Payload requirements

The incoming webhook expects a JSON POST body. At minimum, you must include a way to identify the contact:

{
  "email": "jane@example.com",
  "data": {
    "plan": "pro",
    "amount": 49.99
  }
}

The email field is required and must match an existing contact in your Mailnaptic account. The data object is optional and can contain any key-value pairs you want to make available to the automation flow.

Using payload data in emails

Any properties sent in the data object are available as merge tags within the automation's email steps. For example, if your payload includes "plan": "pro", you can reference it in your email template:

Thanks for upgrading to the {{trigger.plan}} plan!

Authentication

Each incoming webhook URL contains a unique, cryptographically random token that acts as authentication. Anyone with the URL can trigger the automation, so treat it like a secret:

• Do not expose the URL in client-side code or public repositories.
• Store it in environment variables or a secrets manager on your server.
• If compromised, delete the automation trigger and create a new one to generate a fresh URL.

Rate limits

Incoming webhooks are rate-limited to 60 requests per minute per automation. Requests exceeding this limit receive a 429 Too Many Requests response. If you need to enroll contacts in bulk, use the API's batch endpoints instead.

Common use cases

• Payment received: Your payment processor (Stripe, PayPal) sends a webhook to Mailnaptic when a payment succeeds, triggering a thank-you email sequence.
• Form submission: A form tool (Typeform, JotForm) posts data to Mailnaptic, starting an onboarding automation.
• CRM stage change: When a deal moves to "Closed Won" in your CRM, trigger a welcome sequence.
• App events: Your own application fires a webhook when a user completes setup, triggering an adoption email series.

Error handling

Tip: Combine incoming webhooks with conditional steps in your automation to branch based on the payload data — for example, send different emails based on the plan value.