Webhook Simulator Blog
How to Efficiently Test Webhooks Locally

How to Efficiently Test Webhooks Locally

Deniz Birlik
Deniz Birlik
·4 min read

Hey there, fellow developers! Deniz here, and today I want to talk about something all of us run into: testing webhooks locally. If you’ve ever worked with webhooks, you know how tricky it can be. The good news? There are ways to make it easier, and I’ll show you how Webhook Simulator can help speed things up.

The Struggle of Testing Webhooks Locally

You’re working on your project, and everything is going smoothly until… you need to test a webhook. The problem? Getting that webhook to hit your local environment is never as easy as it sounds. You either wait for a real event to happen, try to piece together sample payloads from documentation, or end up dealing with a lot of guesswork.

I’ve been there too. You think you’re ready to test, but then you find yourself sitting around, waiting for an actual webhook to fire. Or worse, you get just one shot at testing, and if it doesn’t work, you have to wait all over again.

So what are the typical methods?

Traditional Ways of Testing

1. Ngrok and Tunneling Tools

Tools like Ngrok are fantastic for letting external services talk to your local machine. They forward incoming webhook calls to your local environment. But there’s one big downside: Ngrok can only forward calls that come in, and if you’re waiting for a real event, it’s not going to help you much.

2. Sending Manual Payloads

The old-fashioned way is to dig through API docs, find sample payloads, and use something like Postman to send them to your localhost. This can work, but it’s not exactly efficient. You’re manually creating payloads, which can lead to mistakes or incomplete testing. And let’s be honest, it’s a bit of a hassle.

3. Waiting for Real Events

This is probably the most painful method of all. Sometimes, you have no choice but to sit and wait for a real webhook to fire. Not only is this time-consuming, but it also makes debugging a nightmare. One missed webhook, and you're back to waiting.

Webhook Simulator to the Rescue

That’s exactly why we built Webhook Simulator. We wanted a tool that takes away the waiting, guessing, and manual work involved in testing webhooks. Here’s how it solves the problem:

  1. Generate Realistic Payloads: Webhook Simulator creates payloads that look just like the ones you'd receive in production. No need to copy and paste from API docs anymore. You can trigger these whenever you want, and start testing right away.

  2. No More Waiting: You don’t have to wait for the API to send a real webhook. You’re in control. You choose when to fire the webhook, what data it sends, and where it goes. Whether you’re working locally or in staging, Webhook Simulator has your back.

  3. Supports Multiple APIs: We’ve made sure to cover a wide range of APIs, from Stripe to GitHub and beyond. No more switching between different tools or waiting for rare events. Everything’s in one place, and it’s easy to use.

How It Changed Our Workflow

For us, Webhook Simulator has been a game-changer. Here’s what changed:

1. Faster Feedback

What used to take hours now takes minutes. We can test webhooks quickly, make adjustments, and keep working without long delays.

2. More Confidence

We know the payloads we’re working with are accurate, and that gives us confidence when pushing code to production. No more guessing what data will look like.

3. Easier Team Collaboration

It’s so much easier to share webhook issues with teammates now. With Webhook Simulator, everyone can quickly reproduce the problem and work together to solve it.

Behind the Scenes

Let’s get into the tech details for those of you who are curious:

  • Laravel + Inertia.js: The web app is built on Laravel with a Vue.js frontend, using Inertia.js to tie it all together. This lets us keep the benefits of Laravel’s ecosystem while enjoying Vue’s reactive components.

  • Real-time Updates: We use Laravel Reverb to handle real-time updates, so when you trigger a webhook, you get instant feedback without having to refresh the page.

  • CLI Built in Go: For developers who prefer working in the terminal, we created a CLI tool in Go. It’s fast, easy to distribute, and fits perfectly into any local development environment.

  • Simulated Payloads: We’ve built a library of pre-configured payloads for popular APIs. And for custom use cases, you can modify these to fit your needs.

Why You Should Try Webhook Simulator

If you work with webhooks, Webhook Simulator can save you a lot of time and headaches. No more waiting for real events, no more messing around with sample payloads. Just trigger a webhook, test your handler, and get back to coding.

We’re also offering a special 25% discount for the first 3 months with the coupon code LAUNCH25 if you sign up by September 30th. Plus, we have a free plan that will always remain free, so you can try it out without any commitment.

Give it a try and see how it changes your workflow. You can register here. And of course, we’d love to hear your feedback so we can keep improving the tool.

Thanks for reading, and happy coding!