The Power of Webhooks

Learn how webhooks can transform your domain monitoring workflow

What Are Webhooks?

Webhooks are automated messages sent from Domain Lab to your applications when domain events occur. They allow you to integrate domain monitoring into your existing workflows and systems.

Think of webhooks as: A messenger that instantly delivers domain alerts to your systems

Why Use Webhooks?

Key Benefits

Real-time Integration

Instant notifications to your systems without polling

Custom Workflows

Trigger actions in your existing tools and systems

Automation

Automatically respond to domain events

Team Collaboration

Send alerts to Slack, Discord, or other team tools

Data Processing

Log events to databases or analytics platforms

Flexibility

Integrate with any system that accepts HTTP requests

1

Setting Up Webhooks

Basic Configuration

  1. Navigate to Preferences
  2. Scroll to the "Notification Providers" section
  3. Toggle the "Webhook" switch to enable
  4. Enter your webhook URL (e.g., https://your-endpoint.com/webhook)
  5. Click "Save Webhook" to test the connection

Important: Your webhook endpoint must be publicly accessible and return a 200 status code to confirm receipt

2

Understanding Webhook Payloads

What You'll Receive

Domain Lab sends POST requests with JSON payloads containing event information:

{
  "event_type": "ssl_cert_expiring",
  "domain": "example.com",
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "severity": "warning",
  "message": "SSL certificate expires in 7 days",
  "details": {
    "expiry_date": "2024-01-22T00:00:00Z",
    "days_remaining": 7
  }
}

event_type: The type of event (ssl_cert_expiring, dns_change, domain_expired, etc.)

domain: The affected domain name

timestamp: When the event occurred

severity: Event importance (info, warning, critical)

message: Human-readable description

details: Additional event-specific information

Popular Integrations

Zapier

Connect Domain Lab to 5000+ apps automatically

  • Create Slack channels for domain alerts
  • Send SMS notifications via Twilio
  • Log events to Google Sheets
  • Create tickets in project management tools

Slack

Send alerts directly to your team channels

  • Create custom Slack apps
  • Use incoming webhooks
  • Format messages with attachments
  • Route different events to different channels

Discord

Integrate with Discord servers and channels

  • Use Discord webhooks
  • Send rich embeds with event details
  • Create dedicated alert channels
  • Use Discord bots for advanced features

Custom Applications

Build your own integrations

  • Node.js/Express endpoints
  • Python Flask/FastAPI apps
  • PHP webhook handlers
  • Any HTTP-capable application

Best Practices

Webhook Best Practices

  • Always return 200 OK to confirm receipt of the webhook
  • Process webhooks asynchronously to avoid timeouts
  • Implement idempotency to handle duplicate webhooks
  • Validate webhook signatures if security is critical
  • Log webhook events for debugging and auditing
  • Use HTTPS endpoints for secure data transmission
  • Handle webhook failures gracefully with retry logic

Troubleshooting

Common Webhook Issues

Webhook not receiving events

Check that your endpoint is publicly accessible and returns a 200 status code. Verify the URL is correct and the service is running.

Timeout errors

Ensure your webhook handler responds quickly (within 10 seconds). Process events asynchronously if needed.

Duplicate events

Implement idempotency by checking event IDs or timestamps to prevent processing the same event multiple times.

Security concerns

Consider implementing webhook signature verification or using a private network if handling sensitive data.

Getting Started

Quick Start Steps

  1. Set up a webhook endpoint (use a service like webhook.site for testing)
  2. Configure the webhook URL in your Domain Lab preferences
  3. Test the connection using the "Save Webhook" button
  4. Add a domain to monitor and trigger some events
  5. Check your webhook endpoint to see the incoming events
  6. Build your custom logic to handle the webhook payloads