Affiliate Webhook

An affiliate webhook is an HTTP notification sent to another system when an affiliate-related event occurs, such as a conversion, commission update, or payout status change. A callback or postback can be used for related integrations. The supported triggers and payloads depend on the platform.

Webhook, callback, and postback terminology

These names overlap between platforms. A webhook describes an event-driven HTTP notification. Callback is a broader term for a response or notification to another system. In affiliate integrations, postback often refers to a server-delivered conversion event. Direction alone does not provide a universal distinction.

Event examples and receiver actions

These are conceptual examples, not a promise that every platform exposes these triggers. Confirm the actual event catalog and payload version before designing the receiver.

Webhooks versus polling

Polling asks an API for changes on a schedule. Webhooks send supported events as they occur. Webhooks can reduce repeated API queries, while polling or reconciliation can help recover missing state. A robust integration may use both rather than assuming notifications are complete and ordered.

A duplicate-notification example

An approval event is delivered twice after a timeout. The receiver recognizes the same event ID and records one state transition. A later refund is a different event that must still be processed, even though it concerns the same transaction.

This is why deduplicating every webhook solely by transaction ID can be wrong. Event identity and transaction identity serve different purposes.

Operational checks

Keep credentials out of public examples, log delivery outcomes without unnecessary customer data, and alert on repeated failures. A receiver should acknowledge requests according to the sender’s documented protocol and process financial effects safely. Reconcile important state with the authoritative platform rather than relying on notification arrival time alone.

Designing a receiver for real delivery conditions

Confirm which event starts the notification and whether it refers to a recorded, approved, or paid commission. Store the event identifier and relevant entity identifier, validate the request using the sender’s supported authentication, and queue work that cannot finish quickly.

Plan for duplicate, delayed, failed, and out-of-order events. A retry should update the same record rather than pay a bonus twice. If an approval arrives before your local sale record, retrieve or reconcile the missing state rather than treating arrival order as a business rule.

Stripe’s official webhook documentation describes delivery and endpoint design patterns; its signatures and payloads are Stripe-specific. Use the affiliate platform’s own documentation for actual fields, supported triggers, and authentication. Test failed responses and reconciliation before connecting a webhook to a financial action.

For the corresponding Post Affiliate Pro settings, consult the webhooks callbacks documentation . Confirm the configuration and integration requirements against your program’s rules.

Process at a glance