Using Incoming Webhook Triggers to Connect Workflows with Third Party Software

Overview

Incoming Webhook Triggers let you connect Beekeeper with other systems — like your HR, Learning, or Recognition tools — so you can automate tasks and share important updates with your frontline teams in real time.

Instead of checking for updates manually or uploading data files, Beekeeper can listen for events from your external system (for example: a course completed in your LMS or a new employee added in your HR tool) and trigger a workflow to take action inside Beekeeper automatically.

Example automations include:

• Sending a chat message when a new training is assigned in your LMS 🎓
• Notifying a manager when their team member completes a course 👏
• Automatically deactivating a user when they leave the company 🏢
• Posting recognition messages to a stream when someone receives an award 🎁

This feature helps you:

• Reduce manual updates and admin work
• Deliver real-time notifications to the right people
• Keep your systems in sync and up to date

Before You Start

To use Incoming Webhook Triggers, make sure you have:

• Workflow Editor access (available in Core and Premium plans)
• A third-party system that supports sending webhooks
• The Sample JSON or event schema from that system (your IT or vendor team can provide this)
   

Step 1: Create an Incoming Webhook Trigger in Beekeeper

1. Go to Tools → Workflows in your Beekeeper Admin Dashboard.
2. Click Create Workflow.
3. Under Trigger Type, select Incoming Webhook.
4. In the Sample JSON field, paste the example payload you received from your external tool.

Beekeeper will automatically create “magic variables” based on this JSON — these represent the data fields (like user name, course title, etc.) you can use in later workflow steps.

💡 Tip: If your JSON includes nested attributes (like “user → name”), Beekeeper automatically converts them into usable variables like user name.

5. Once saved, Beekeeper will generate a unique Webhook URL for your trigger. Copy this URL — you’ll need it to configure your third-party tool.

Step 2: Connect Your Third-Party System

Next, tell your external system where to send the webhook events.

This process varies slightly depending on the tool you’re using, but the general steps are the same:

1. In your third-party platform (e.g. HRIS, LMS, Zapier, etc.), find the section called Webhooks or Integrations.
2. Choose the event you want to send to Beekeeper (e.g. “New Course Completed” or “Shift Assigned”).
3. Paste the Beekeeper Webhook URL into the destination field.
4. Set the data format to JSON and ensure it matches the structure of your Sample JSON.

Step 3: Build the Workflow Actions

After your trigger is set up, define what should happen when Beekeeper receives the event.

For example:

• Send a chat message to the user or their manager
• Post an update in a Stream
• Create a Task
• Start a Campaign

1. In your workflow, click + Add Step.
2. Choose the action you want to automate.
3. Use the magic variables from your webhook payload to personalize messages or actions (e.g. include user name, course title, or event type).

Step 4: Test the Integration

Before going live, it’s a good idea to run a test.

1. From your third-party system, send a test event to the Beekeeper Webhook URL.
2. Open your workflow in Beekeeper and check the Execution History tab to confirm that the event was received and processed.
3. If successful, you’ll see your workflow marked as Completed and any connected actions (e.g. chat message or task) created in Beekeeper.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Does Incoming Webhook Trigger support nested attributes?

✅ Yes. Nested JSON attributes (like user.name) are converted into magic variables automatically.

What if the incoming payload includes more fields than my Sample JSON?

No problem! Beekeeper will ignore extra attributes and only use the ones defined in your Sample JSON.

What if the payload doesn’t match the Sample JSON?

The workflow won’t trigger — make sure your event data follows the same structure as your defined Sample JSON.

Does it support lists or arrays?

❌ Not directly. If your webhook includes lists (e.g. multiple users), contact your Customer Success Engineer — they can help you parse the data via Workato.

What if my event doesn’t include a user ID recognized by Beekeeper?

You’ll need a common identifier (like an email or external ID) so Beekeeper knows which user or object the data refers to.

Can I use this instead of user or shift syncs?

⚠️ No. Webhooks are best for events, not ongoing syncs. For large data syncs, use dedicated user or shift sync mechanisms.

Example Use Cases

Availability

Incoming Webhook Triggers are available to all customers with access to the Workflow Editor (Core and Premium plans).
If you’re on an older plan without this access, reach out to your Beekeeper Customer Success Manager for upgrade options.