API vs Webhook

Source:@rapid_api

An API is a set of programming instructions and standards for accessing a web-based software application or tool. In other words, an API serves as a communication channel between two software pieces.

On the other hand, a webhook is a user-defined callback over HTTP, usually triggered by an event. When that event occurs, the source site makes an HTTP request to the URL configured for the webhook. That request typically contains event data, allowing the destination site to take appropriate action.

We can see differences here 👇

Webhooks are typically used to send real-time data, while APIs retrieve data on demand.

The key distinction between APIs and Webhooks is that APIs enable two-way communication, while Webhooks allow one-way data sharing triggered by events.

The backend service (some API) where the request will be processed is necessary to consume the webhook.

An XML or JSON format is used to send the webhook POST payload.

Alternatively, it might be delivered as form data, using an encoding like multipart/form-data.