Zapier webhooks let another app start your Zap by sending data to a unique URL that Zapier gives you, using the Webhooks by Zapier trigger. For most apps, the Catch Hook trigger is the right choice: you copy its URL, paste it into the other app's webhook settings, send a test item and use the fields in later steps.
Here's the catch. That webhook URL contains the owner's Zapier ID, so it changes if the Zap is transferred to another user. If you hand a Zap to a colleague and don't update the URL in the sending app, the Zap won't trigger.
A webhook is an automated message one app sends to another when something new happens, carrying the details of that new item. Zapier recommends some familiarity with HTTP requests, APIs and reading API documentation before you set one up, and says its support team can help with basic troubleshooting of the feature but can't troubleshoot the API you're connecting.
Catch Hook, Catch Raw Hook or Retrieve Poll
| Trigger | What it does, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Catch Hook | Gives you a URL for GET, PUT or POST requests and parses the request body into separate fields |
| Catch Raw Hook | Same endpoints, but the body arrives unparsed, up to 2MB, and includes the headers |
| Retrieve Poll | Zapier makes a GET request to an external URL to check for new entries, instead of waiting to be sent data |
Catch Hook is the one to start with. It works by giving you a unique URL your trigger app can send POST requests to, and Zapier splits the data into fields you can map. Pick Catch Raw Hook only if you need the raw request data or the headers. Retrieve Poll is the other way round: Zapier goes and asks, and it's set up from a separate Zapier article on polling webhooks.
How to set up a Catch Hook trigger
- In the Zap editor, click the Trigger step, then search for and select Webhooks by Zapier.
- Open the Event dropdown and choose Catch Hook, or Catch Raw Hook if you need the raw body and headers.
- If you only want part of the incoming data, enter it in Pick Off A Child Key.
- On the Test tab, find your webhook URL and click Copy.
- In the app you're connecting, open its webhook settings, add a new webhook connection, paste the URL and choose which data to send.
- Add something new in that app, such as a new subscriber, so it sends data to the URL.
- Go back to the Test tab in Zapier to see the data split into separate fields.
Most apps keep webhook settings in their settings or options page. If you can't find them, the app's own help documentation is where to look. Once the test data arrives, you can use each field, such as email addresses, names or project details, in the later steps of your Zap.
When the test brings back nothing
Zapier can't test a webhook until the other app sends something, so a test with no data usually means nothing new has been added yet. Add a new item in the trigger app again and see if the Zap receives it. If it still doesn't arrive, check the webhook settings in that app to make sure Zapier's URL was pasted in correctly.
What the URL sends back
This part catches developers out. While the Zap is on, the webhook URL returns a 200 response. If the Zap is turned off or deleted, Zapier returns a 404 for incoming requests, but there's a system delay of up to several hours before that takes effect, and the URL keeps returning 200 in the meantime. Turn the Zap back on and it goes back to 200.
| Situation | What Zapier returns |
|---|---|
| Zap on | A 200 response |
| Zap turned off or deleted | A 404, after a delay of up to several hours |
| During that delay | Still a 200, even though the Zap won't run |
| silent/ added to the URL | An empty response instead of the 200, for apps that need one |
You can't customise the response. If your app needs an empty one, add silent/ to the URL. Zapier says you can remove the response completely by using silent mode with the Catch Raw Hook trigger. To check a URL is live, open the Zap editor and look at the webhook URL: a live one shows a 200 response.
Limits and power moves
The maximum webhook payload is 10MB for triggers and 2MB for Catch Raw Hook. Rate limits apply to Webhooks by Zapier, and if lots of requests arrive at once, webhooks may be slower to pass data on to the next steps.
You can send more than one event in a single request. Post an array of well-formed JSON objects and Zapier triggers the Zap once for each object, so an array of three objects runs your actions three times.
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You can also fire several Zaps from one event. Take the last part of each webhook URL and combine them after the same ID, separated by commas, into one URL, and a request to it triggers all of them at once. This only works for webhooks owned by the same user. On Zapier for Teams or Zapier for Companies, check the user ID that appears after /catch/ in each URL matches.
My verdict on Zapier webhooks
I'd use Catch Hook unless you need headers, test with a real new item every time and write down which app holds each webhook URL. If you ever transfer the Zap, updating that URL is the first job, not an afterthought. If this is your first automation, start with your first Zap, and check what Zapier free includes before you build around it.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Catch Hook and Catch Raw Hook in Zapier?
Catch Hook parses the request body into separate fields. Catch Raw Hook leaves the body unparsed, up to 2MB, and also includes the headers.
Why isn't my Zapier webhook receiving data?
Add a new item in your trigger app again and see if the Zap receives it. If not, check that Zapier's webhook URL was added correctly in that app's webhook settings.
Does a Zapier webhook URL ever change?
Only if the Zap is transferred to another user, because the URL contains the owner's Zapier ID. Update the URL in the sending app or the Zap won't trigger.
What is the Zapier webhook size limit?
The maximum webhook payload size is 10MB for triggers and 2MB for Catch Raw Hook.
Can one Zapier webhook trigger a Zap more than once?
Yes. Send an array of JSON objects in one request and Zapier triggers the Zap once for each object in the array.
