Outgoing Webhooks

About Outgoing Webhooks

In general terms, a webhook is how applications communicate with each other automatically. In other words, a message is sent over the web, which is triggered automatically whenever a specific event occurs. The outgoing webhook automation is triggered when a respondent completes your survey and their response is sent to an external system of your choice.

Each time the outgoing webhook automation is triggered, it creates a new automation run. These runs represent instances when your outgoing webhook sends a survey response to the specified external system. With Enalyzer, you can easily view and manage your automation runs.

Webhooks are intended for users who know how to handle them. Please note that we cannot troubleshoot your code or give step-by-step development instructions.

Create an Outgoing Webhook Automation

To setup an outgoing webhook automation, you have to:

1. Go to the automations area () and click on Enalyzer in the side menu.
2. In the side menu, click on Enalyzer.
3. Click on create automation. If you already have one or more automations click on the add automation icon () to add an automation.
4. Select the webhooks option and click on outgoing webhook.
5. Choose which variables you want to include in your transfer. You can choose to include all variables or specific variables in your data transfer.
   1. This option will include all your survey questions and background variables in the data transfer.
      1. Use the dropdown menu to select the include all variables option
      2. Click next.
   2. This option allows you to select which survey questions and background variables to include in your data transfer.
      1. Use the dropdown menu to select the include specific variables option and click next.
      2. Select the questions and background variables you want to include in your data transfer and click add.
6. Select the variable labels the webhook should use. You can select between:
   • Auto-generated labels: these are generated by Enalyzer and are the same labels as the auto-generated labels in the response data downloads.
   • Data labels: You can use data labels that you can customize yourself under your survey settings. 
7. Add the URL that the webhook automation will send the data to.
8. Click the test connection button. Once your connection is successful, click next.
9. Name your automation and click next.
10. Set the automation status. By default it is enabled, however, you can disable it before you create it.
11. When you're ready to create your automation, click done.

Customize Data Labels

When you create a background variable or question, Enalyzer auto-generates a label which you can find in the response data downloads. Data labels allow you to customize labels for your survey background variables and questions for outgoing webhooks in order to control the output of API calls. 

Your data labels are defined under your survey settings, all you have to do is:

1. Go to the surveys area () and open your survey.
2. In the side menu, click on settings.
3. Under data settings, click on data labels.
4. You'll see an overview of all survey variables (background variables and question elements) on the left side. On the right side, you'll see your data labels. By default, the data labels are auto-generated, based on the corresponding background variables/survey elements, however, you can define your own values.

Data labels have to be unique, cannot contain special characters, and are limited to 100 characters.

Data labels can only be defined for background variables and questions but not response options.

Data labels are not copied when copying questions, but they are copied when copying surveys or when the survey is shared as a template.

View Automation Run Details

Each time the outgoing webhook automation is executed it creates a new run. Automation runs are the instances when your outgoing webhook transfers a survey response to the specified external system. Once the outgoing webhook automation starts running, you can view the automation runs it creates. Each automation run can have a different status. The possible statuses are:

• Scheduled: the outgoing webhook automation has been scheduled for a later time but has not yet run.
• Failed: the outgoing webhook automation has encountered an error and failed to run.
• Playing: the outgoing webhook automation is currently playing.
• Successful: the outgoing webhook automation was successfully completed and the survey response was sent to the external system.

To view details about an automation run, all you have to do is:

1. Go to the automations area () and click on Enalyzer in the side menu.
2. In the side menu, click on Enalyzer.
3. Click on the automation.
4. Under log, click on automation runs.
5. To view an automation run's details, simply click on the run.
6. The automation run details include:
   • First name and last name: the run will display the respondent's first name and last name if available.
   • Status: the run status, as well as the date and time it got that status.
   • Creation time: the date and time the run was created.
   • Push URL: the URL that the survey response was posted to.
   • Outgoing message: the data that was sent to the external system.

Runs from anonymous surveys will not display the respondents' first names, last names or emails. Instead, the run will be named "Anonymous".

Filter Automation Runs

You can filter your automation runs by status, time period, or name. This will help you sort through your runs and make them easier to manage, for example, you can find all the failed runs and see what happened or replay them.

To filter your automation runs, you have to:

1. Go to the automations area () and click on Enalyzer in the side menu.
2. In the side menu, click on Enalyzer.
3. Click on the automation.
4. Under log, click on automation runs.
5. Click on the filter button.
6. You have the following options to filter runs, and you can add as many filters as necessary to drill down through them:
   • Search by name or email address: Type an email address or a name in the search field. This refers to the value of the survey response.
   • Status: Filter by the run status.
   • Time period: Filter by the time period based on the run's creation date.
     

     Automation runs are only stored for 14 days, therefore, the time period filter is limited to 14 days in the past.

7. Once you're done adding all filters, click the apply button to filter the automation run list and close the edit filter runs side menu.

Replay Automation Runs

There are multiple reasons why you'd want to replay a run. The most common one is if it has failed, however, you may want to send the data again or play a run that has been scheduled for a later time. To replay your runs, all you have to do is:

1. Go to the automations area () and click on Enalyzer in the side menu.
2. In the side menu, click on Enalyzer.
3. Click on the automation.
4. Under log, click on automation runs.
5. Click on the actions menu and select replay.
6. Select the run(s) you'd like to replay and click on the replay button.

Receive Error Notifications

Outgoing webhooks can fail for different reasons and cause your automation to be disabled. Whatever the reason is, you are able to enable email error notifications for your automation. You can define the person(s) that need to receive these notifications.

To enable error notifications, you have to:

1. Go to the automations area () and click on Enalyzer in the side menu.
2. Click on the automation you want to enable error notifications for.
3. Under error notifications, enable the email notifications setting.
4. Click the add recipient and enter the email address that will receive the error notification emails. Repeat this step to add more recipients.
5. Your changes will be saved immediately.