A webhook is an automated HTTP request that one application sends to another the moment a specific event happens, delivering a data payload in real time — no polling required. It is the mechanism independent systems use to notify each other of events as they occur. In AnyTrack, webhooks carry conversion data in both directions: into AnyTrack and out of it.
What a webhook means for each marketer
Section titled “What a webhook means for each marketer”- Affiliate marketer: Usually meets webhooks as the Postback URL — the network’s webhook-style callback reporting a conversion keyed on the Click ID.
- eCommerce marketer: Store events (e.g. Shopify order webhooks) arrive via an incoming webhook; conversions can be pushed to a BI tool or warehouse via an outgoing webhook.
- Lead-gen marketer: CRM and checkout events flow in via incoming webhooks; attribution flows back out to the CRM via outgoing webhooks.
- Business owner: The automation glue — Zapier or Make webhooks moving conversion data between AnyTrack and the rest of your stack, in either direction.
Webhook vs Conversion API vs Postback URL
Section titled “Webhook vs Conversion API vs Postback URL”- Conversion API — both are server-to-server HTTP, but a webhook is an event-triggered push to any endpoint you choose; the Conversion API is AnyTrack’s specific outbound delivery to ad platforms with hashed identifiers.
- Postback URL — a specialized, affiliate-network webhook keyed on the Click ID and formatted as query parameters, not the generic JSON-payload mechanism.
How AnyTrack uses webhooks
Section titled “How AnyTrack uses webhooks”AnyTrack uses webhooks in two directions:
- Incoming webhooks bring event and conversion data into AnyTrack from external apps — Shopify, Stripe, a CRM, or any system that can POST to a URL. Because they are an inbound channel, the integration webhooks that bring conversions in (such as the Shopify webhooks) are included on all plans, Free included.
- Outgoing webhooks push each conversion out of AnyTrack — with its full attribution data — to any endpoint you choose (CRM, BI tool, data warehouse, Zapier, or Make). The Webhooks (Outgoing) feature is plan-gated: available on the Personal and Advance plans only.
A Postback URL is a specialized, affiliate-network variant of an incoming webhook — keyed on the Click ID and formatted as query parameters.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ was last reviewed on 2026-06-24
What is the difference between a webhook and an API?
An API is something you call when you want data; a webhook calls you — it pushes data automatically the moment an event happens, so you never have to poll. In AnyTrack, webhooks move conversion data in real time both into AnyTrack (incoming) and out of it (outgoing).
Does AnyTrack send or receive webhooks?
Both. Incoming webhooks bring events into AnyTrack from apps like Shopify, Stripe, or a CRM; outgoing webhooks push conversions with their attribution data out to any endpoint such as a CRM, BI tool, Zapier, or Make.
Is a Postback URL a webhook?
Effectively yes — a Postback URL is a specialized, webhook-style callback used by affiliate networks. It differs from a generic webhook in that it is keyed on the Click ID and formatted as URL query parameters rather than a JSON payload.
