Introducing the Webhook API (beta)

Lindsey Rix

The Webhook API is now available and is in beta! To participate in the beta, contact the Blackbaud SKY Developer team. We will update the new changelog with any additions or improvements to the API.

The Webhook API enables 3rd-party applications to subscribe to specific events that happen within the Blackbaud system.

For example, when constituents change their contact information, we can notify your SKY application through a Webhook API subscription to the constituent address changed event. When you subscribe, your application provides an endpoint URL to be called when a constituent's address changes. In Blackbaud environments where your application has been enabled, when an event happens, we send the request to that endpoint. Your application then inspects the request payload to determine if it should take an action in response.

Instead of implementing a time-interval polling mechanism to check if the address information has changed, a subscription to a webhook event enables us to send you notifications when subscribed events occur.

For more information, see our Webhook API documentation. Stay up-to-date on the latest by bookmarking the new Webhook API changelog!

Steven Cinquegrana

The webhook API Endpoint Reference page is missing: Sorry, we can’t find the page you are looking for​

 

Lindsey Rix

Steven Cinquegrana‍ make sure you are logged in and then try to refresh the endpoint reference page. It's not an open beta. 

Steven Cinquegrana

Lindsey Rix‍ I was logged in, tried refreshes, etc. It suddenly appeared after a few redirects from a different link.

Lindsey Rix

Steven Cinquegrana‍ Good to know you're logged in now! Perhaps there's some fun browser caching at play. Either way, hope you are good to go now. 

Steven Cinquegrana

Lindsey Rix‍ Could you possibly relax the need for cred on the two API Definition links? We use these to generate code from a utility app so having open access to these is useful.

Lindsey Rix

Steven Cinquegrana‍ Can you reply to Ben's email with more specificity about which two links? Because this is an invite-only beta, I know the endpoint reference requires you to be part of a subscription, but it doesn't require any other credentials than being logged in. 

Steven Cinquegrana

Lindsey Rix‍ Ok, I've copied Ben Wong‍ in. But if you go to the EPR you'll see right there on the page "API Definitions" under which there are "Open API" (aka Swagger) and "WADL". Also, no matter what we try, we're getting Invalid Webhook URL error when trying to create a subscription. Even using your own examples.

Ben Wong

Hi Steven Cinquegrana‍, we're working on making the endpoint reference visible to the public very soon. The API definition links will then be available to reference from your app. I can work with you directly on the error you're seeing.

Steven Cinquegrana

Ok, thanks Ben Wong‍. I replied to your email yesterday with the invalid webhook error details.

 

Ben Wong

Steven Cinquegrana‍ just wanted to close the loop here. The Webhook API endpoint reference is now publically accessible including the open API definitions. Thanks!

Steven Cinquegrana

Thanks Ben Wong‍. But as per emails to you and Chris Rodgers‍, we have set up webhooks and can see that they have been provisioned but we're getting zero call traffic to our endpoint, which we're monitoring for all traffic. Refer email from Friday and earlier today. Would appreciate some assistance.

Chris Rodgers

Hey, Steven Cinquegrana‍. I responded to your email just a few minutes ago -- just as I was getting the notification about your response here Sorry for the delay. A little backed up with Memorial Day yesterday. Thanks!

Ben Wong

Thanks, Steven Cinquegrana‍. Chris has responded. We're going to be providing some endpoints to enable some better testing of events. We'll also be providing some more details to help with troubleshooting when creating webhook subscriptions. Both should help the scenarios you've given us feedback on, so thanks!