Webhooks: Connect Zea Platform to Your Business Tools
What Are Webhooks?
Think of webhooks as automatic notifications from Zea Platform to your other business systems. When something important happens in your workspace (like a customer placing an order), Zea can instantly send that information to wherever you need it.
In simple terms: Webhooks let Zea “talk” to your other software automatically, without anyone having to manually copy and paste information.
Why Should I Use Webhooks?
Webhooks help you automate your work and connect Zea to the tools you already use. Here are some real-world examples:
Connect to Your Business Systems
Track Everything
Automate Your Workflow
Get Instant Notifications
How Do Webhooks Work?
Here’s what happens behind the scenes when you set up a webhook:
Simple example: When a customer orders Part #12345, Zea immediately sends that information to your chosen destination (like a Slack channel, your ERP system, or a spreadsheet).
Setting Up Your First Webhook
Step 1: Get to the Webhooks Settings
In this view, you can see:
Step 2: Fill Out the Form
When you click “Create Webhook”, you’ll see a form like this:
Here’s what each field means:
Event * (Required)
What it is: The action that triggers the webhook
Currently available: “order.placed” (when a customer places an order)
Coming soon: File uploaded, part created, and more
In the form: Select from the dropdown - currently shows “Select an event”
URL * (Required)
What it is: Where Zea should send the information
What to enter: A secure web address (must start with https://)
Examples:
Important: Must be a public, secure address. Can’t use localhost or internal servers.
Tip in the form: “The endpoint that will receive the webhook payload. For testing, try webhook.site”
Secret (Optional but Recommended)
What it is: A password that proves the message really came from Zea
Why use it: Prevents fake orders or spam
What to enter: A random string of letters and numbers (like Xy9mK2pLqW8nR4vT)
Tip: You can generate a strong secret using a password generator
Form label: “Optional signing secret”
Help text: “Optional secret for signing webhook payloads”
Custom Headers (JSON) (Optional)
What it is: Extra authentication information some systems require
When to use it: If your receiving system needs an API key or token
Format: JSON (a simple text format)
Example shown in the form:
{"Authorization": "Bearer token"}
Another common example:
{"X-API-Key": "your-api-key-here"}
Ask your developer: They’ll know if you need this and what to put
Form help text: “Optional custom headers as a JSON object”
Timeout (ms) (Default: 30000)
What it is: How long Zea waits for your system to respond
Default shown: 30000 (which is 30 seconds)
Increase it if: Your system is slow or does a lot of processing
Most people: Can leave this as the default
Retry Count (Default: 3)
What it is: How many times Zea tries again if delivery fails
Default shown: 3
How it works: If your system is down, Zea will retry 3 times automatically
Most people: Can leave this as the default
Retry Backoff (ms) (Default: 1600)
What it is: How long to wait between retry attempts
Default shown: 1600 (which is 1.6 seconds)
How it works: Zea waits longer between each retry (1s, then 2s, then 4s)
Most people: Can leave this as the default
Enable webhook immediately ✓
What it is: A checkbox to turn the webhook on right away
Checked (default): Webhook starts working immediately
Unchecked: Webhook is saved but not active (you can enable it later)
Form shows: Blue checkmark box at the bottom
Step 3: Save and Test
Step 4: Test It
Before going live with real integrations, test your webhook:
Managing Your Webhooks
Back in the Webhooks section (see first screenshot), you can:
Important: You can create up to 10 webhooks per workspace. The interface shows “X/10 webhooks configured” at the top.
Security & Safety
Why Webhooks Are Secure
Zea takes several steps to keep your data safe:
Understanding the Secret Key
When you add a secret to your webhook, Zea uses it to create a special signature (like a wax seal on an envelope). Your receiving system can check this signature to make sure:
Do I need a secret?
Who Can Create Webhooks?
Only workspace administrators can create, edit, or delete webhooks. Regular users can view them but not make changes.
What Information Gets Sent?
When an Order is Placed
Currently, webhooks trigger when a customer places an order. Here’s what information Zea sends:
The data includes:
{
"event": "order.placed",
"timestamp": "2025-11-10T15:30:45.123Z",
"workspaceId": "workspace-uuid",
"data": {
"quoteId": "quote-uuid",
"customerEmail": "customer@example.com",
"items": [
{
"servicePartId": "part-uuid",
"partNumber": "ABC-123",
"quantity": 5,
"notes": "Urgent delivery requested",
"machineId": "machine-uuid"
},
{
"servicePartId": "part-uuid-2",
"partNumber": "XYZ-456",
"quantity": 2,
"notes": null,
"machineId": "machine-uuid"
}
],
"mailingAddress": {
"name": "John Doe",
"company": "Acme Corp",
"street1": "123 Main St",
"street2": "Suite 400",
"city": "San Francisco",
"state": "CA",
"postalCode": "94105",
"country": "USA"
},
"cartNotes": "Please expedite shipping"
}
}
What each field means (in plain English):
More Events Coming Soon
We’re adding more webhook triggers:
Want a specific event? Let us know!
What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?
Automatic Retries
If your system is temporarily down or busy, Zea automatically retries:
This gives your system time to recover from temporary issues.
Checking Webhook Status
In the Zea webhooks settings (refer to the workspace settings screenshot), you can see for each webhook:
The top of the section shows “1/19 webhooks configured” so you always know how many slots you’ve used.
Status indicators:
If you see repeated failures, something might be wrong with your receiving system.
Popular Integration Examples
Quick Start: Testing with Webhook.site
Perfect for: Testing before you build anything
This is great for understanding what data Zea sends before you build your integration.
Example 1: Get Slack Notifications
Perfect for: Instant team notifications when orders come in
You’ll need:
Steps:
Example 2: Log Orders to Google Sheets
Perfect for: Simple order tracking and reporting
You’ll need:
Steps:
Example 3: Connect to Your ERP System
Perfect for: Full business system integration
You’ll need:
General approach:
