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Webhooks Introduction

Visiwise webhooks allow you to receive real-time notifications about events happening in your Visiwise workspace. Instead of continuously polling the API for updates, webhooks push event data directly to your application when specific events occur.

What are Visiwise Webhooks?​

Visiwise webhooks are HTTP callbacks that send event notifications to a URL you specify whenever certain events happen in your Visiwise workspace. This enables you to:

  • Receive real-time updates about shipment status changes, milestone events, and other important activities
  • Build reactive integrations that respond immediately to changes in your shipment data
  • Reduce API polling and improve efficiency by only receiving data when events actually occur
  • Automate workflows by triggering actions in your systems based on webhook events

API vs. Webhooks: When to Use Each​

To achieve real-time logistics visibility, you need a reliable way to get data from Visiwise into your own systems (like a TMS or ERP). There are two primary ways to do this: Polling (via our REST API) and Pushing (via Webhooks).

The Two Mechanisms: How They Work​

FeaturePolling (REST API)Pushing (Webhooks)
ActionYour system asks: "Is there any update?"Visiwise says: "Hey, an update just happened!"
FrequencyPeriodic (e.g., every 6 hours)Instantaneous (as events occur)
AnalogyChecking your physical mailbox every hourGetting a text notification on your phone

The API (Polling)​

You send a request to our base URL (https://www.visiwise.co/api/v1/) to retrieve data whenever you need it.

Pros:

  • Complete control over when data is fetched
  • Easier to implement initially

Cons:

  • Inefficient for real-time needs
  • You may hit rate limits if you poll too frequently

Webhooks (Pushing)​

Visiwise sends an HTTP POST request to a URL you provide the moment a shipment status changes.

Pros:

  • Real-time updates
  • Highly efficient
  • No wasted API calls
  • Enables "reactive" automation

Cons:

  • Requires a publicly accessible HTTPS endpoint
  • Requires security validation

When to Use Which?​

Use the API only when:

  • You need to perform bulk imports once a day
  • You need to manually fetch historical data
  • Your internal policies prevent opening an endpoint to receive external data

Use Webhooks when:

  • You need to trigger immediate actions—like notifying a customer the moment their container hits the port
  • You need to update a "Last Free Day" in your TMS to avoid demurrage
  • You want real-time updates without constantly polling the API
  • You're building reactive integrations that respond immediately to changes

Activating Webhook Integration​

To enable webhook integration for your workspace, you need to contact our sales team. They will activate your webhook integration and ensure your integration is configured correctly.

Contact Sales to activate webhook integration for your account.

Event Types and Schema​

Visiwise webhooks support various event types, each with its own detailed schema. To explore all available event types and their detailed schemas, please refer to the Webhook Event Types API Reference.

What's Next?​

Once your webhook integration is activated, Setup your webhook in the dashboard to start receiving events.

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