---
title: Set Up a Webhook Trigger
description: Receive data from external services to trigger workflows.
---

Webhook triggers allow external services to start your workflows by sending data to a unique URL. Use them to connect forms, third-party apps, and custom integrations.

## When to Use Webhooks

| Use Case | Example |
|----------|---------|
| **Web forms** | Contact form submissions create leads |
| **Third-party apps** | Stripe payment → create customer record |
| **Custom integrations** | Your app → Twenty automation |
| **No-code tools** | Zapier, Make, n8n connections |

## Step-by-Step Setup

### Step 1: Create the Workflow

1. Go to **Settings → Workflows**
2. Click **+ New Workflow**
3. Name it (e.g., "Website Form Submission")

### Step 2: Configure the Webhook Trigger

1. Click on the trigger block
2. Select **Webhook**
3. You'll receive a unique webhook URL like:
   ```
   https://api.twenty.com/webhooks/workflow/abc123...
   ```
4. Copy this URL—you'll need it for your external service

### Step 3: Define Expected Data Structure

For **POST** requests, define the expected body structure:

1. Click **Define expected body**
2. Enter a sample JSON that matches what your service will send:

```json
{
  "firstName": "John",
  "lastName": "Doe",
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "company": "Acme Inc",
  "message": "Interested in your product"
}
```

3. Click **Save**—this creates variables you can use in subsequent steps

### Step 4: Add Actions

Now add actions that use the webhook data:

**Example: Create a Person record**

1. Add **Create Record** action
2. Select **People** object
3. Map fields:

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| First Name | `{{trigger.body.firstName}}` |
| Last Name | `{{trigger.body.lastName}}` |
| Email | `{{trigger.body.email}}` |
| Company | Search or create based on `{{trigger.body.company}}` |

### Step 5: Test the Webhook

Before activating, test your webhook:

**Using cURL**:
```bash
curl -X POST https://api.twenty.com/webhooks/workflow/abc123... \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"firstName":"Test","lastName":"User","email":"test@example.com"}'
```

**Using Postman or similar**:
1. Create a POST request to your webhook URL
2. Set Content-Type header to `application/json`
3. Add your test JSON body
4. Send and check workflow runs

### Step 6: Activate

Once tested, click **Activate** to make the workflow live.

## Handling Different Data Structures

### Nested Data

If your webhook sends nested data:
```json
{
  "contact": {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "john@example.com"
  },
  "source": "website"
}
```

Reference with: `{{trigger.body.contact.email}}`

### Arrays

If data includes arrays:
```json
{
  "items": [
    {"name": "Product A", "qty": 2},
    {"name": "Product B", "qty": 1}
  ]
}
```

How you handle arrays depends on your use case:

**Unknown number of items → Use Iterator**

If you need to process each item in the array (e.g., create a record for each), add a **Code** action to parse the array, then use **Iterator**:

```javascript
export const main = async (params: { items: any }) => {
  const items = typeof params.items === "string"
    ? JSON.parse(params.items)
    : params.items;
  return { items };
};
```

Then use Iterator to loop through: `{{code.items}}`

**Known/specific fields → Extract to named fields**

If the array contains specific fields you want to access individually (e.g., form answers where position 0 is always "first name", position 1 is always "last name"), add a **Code** action to extract them:

```javascript
export const main = async (params: { items: any }) => {
  const items = typeof params.items === "string"
    ? JSON.parse(params.items)
    : params.items;

  return {
    product: {
      name: items[0]?.name || "",
      qty: items[0]?.qty || 0
    }
  };
};
```

Now you can select `product.name` and `product.qty` individually in subsequent steps.

<Tip>
For more details on handling arrays, see [Handle Arrays in Code Actions](/user-guide/workflows/how-tos/advanced-configurations/handle-arrays-in-code-actions).
</Tip>


## Related

- [Workflow Triggers](/user-guide/workflows/capabilities/workflow-triggers)
- [Workflow Actions](/user-guide/workflows/capabilities/workflow-actions)

