Stripe Webhooks
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
Stripe Webhooks are Stripe's way of tapping you on the shoulder and saying 'hey, something happened with that payment.' Instead of constantly asking 'is it done yet?', Stripe sends an HTTP POST to your server when events occur — payment succeeded, subscription canceled, refund processed. It's the difference between refreshing your email and getting push notifications.
Real Talk
Stripe Webhooks deliver real-time event notifications to your application via HTTP POST requests. Events cover the entire payment lifecycle including payment completion, subscription changes, disputes, and payouts. Webhook payloads are signed with HMAC-SHA256 for verification and should be handled idempotently.
When You'll Hear This
"Our webhook handler updates order status the instant Stripe confirms payment." / "Always verify the webhook signature — otherwise anyone could fake a 'payment succeeded' event."
Related Terms
Event-Driven Architecture
Event-Driven Architecture is like a gossip network. When something happens (order placed!), it broadcasts the news.
Idempotency
Idempotency means 'doing the same thing twice gives you the same result.' It's like pressing an elevator button multiple times — you still go to the same f
Stripe API
Stripe API is the gold standard of payment APIs — it's so well-designed that other companies use it as a template for their own APIs. It handles credit car
Webhook Signature
A webhook signature is like the wax seal on a medieval letter — it proves the message actually came from who it says it came from and wasn't tampered with.