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How Smartlead webhooks work

This article explains how Smartlead webhooks work, how to set them up, and considerations to keep in mind.

Webhooks are a powerful way to receive real-time notifications about events happening within your Smartlead account.

By properly configuring your webhooks with OutboundSync, you can automate workflows, integrate with your CRM, generate reporting on your campaign attribution, and more.

What Are Smartlead Webhooks?

A webhook is an HTTP callback that sends data to a specified URL when certain events occur in your Smartlead account.

Instead of constantly polling Smartlead for updates, webhooks allow you to receive event notifications instantly, enabling seamless integration with your applications.

Setting Up Webhooks in Smartlead

Smartlead allows you to configure webhooks at three different levels:

  1. User Level: Applies to all activities under your user account.
  2. Client Level: Applies to all activities under a specific client.
  3. Campaign Level: Applies to activities within a specific campaign.

Steps to Configure a Webhook:

  1. Navigate to the Webhooks Section: Log in to your Smartlead account and go to the Settings menu.
  2. Select the Appropriate Level: Choose whether you want to set up a webhook at the user, client, or campaign level. For more context, read below.
  3. Enter the Webhook URL: Provide the endpoint URL where you want to receive the webhook notifications. (This is generated by OutboundSync.)
  4. Select Event Types: Choose the specific events you want to receive notifications for. You may also want to enable Category-Based Filters in OutboundSync.
  5. Save the Configuration: Click Save to activate the webhook.

An agency (or client of an agency) will typically use the client-level webhook to send that data to OutboundSync.

A team using a single Smartlead account will typically set up a single user-level webhook to send that data to OutboundSync. 

If you are using client-level webhooks, DO NOT use any user-level webhooks. If you do, your client-level webhook payloads will be blocked. OutboundSync will not receive the data from Smartlead and your clients' data will not sync.

Webhook Event Types

Smartlead supports a variety of event types that you can subscribe to:

  • Lead Category Updated
  • Email Bounce
  • Link Clicked
  • Lead Unsubscribed
  • Email Opened
  • Email Sent
  • Email Replied
  • Threaded Replies
  • Campaign Status Change
  • Untracked Replies
  • Manual Step Reached

For a complete list of event types and their payloads, refer to the Smartlead Webhook Guide.

Webhook Priority Algorithm

Please note that regardless of the number of webhook settings configured, Smartlead will only send notifications for two types: one for Slack and the other for Normal.

The priority algorithm logic is outlined below:

Priority Cases:

  • P1: User Level
  • P2: Client Level
  • P3: Campaign Level

Case 1: User-Level Prioritization

If a user has a user-level webhook configured, notifications will be sent to that URL. However, if the user desires webhook notifications at the client level, kindly request the user to remove the user-level webhook.

If a user-level webhook exists, client or campaign level webhooks will not function.

Case 2: Last Update Priority

  • For users with multiple user-level webhooks, Smartlead will select the last updated one.
  • For users with multiple client-level webhooks, Smartlead will also select the last updated one.
  • The same logic applies to campaigns: If a customer has multiple campaign-level webhooks (without user or client level), Smartlead will choose the last updated one.

Limitations and Considerations

  • No Webhook Logs: Note that Smartlead does not maintain any data about webhook logs. OutboundSync logs are available and we can help you review them along with our internal server diagnostic logs. 
  • Error Handling: Smartlead has not (at the time of writing this) publicly documented its error handling process related to webhooks. OutboundSync is always developing new methods to ensure we have the latest data available in Smartlead. 
  • Security: Implement proper security measures on your endpoint to validate incoming requests from Smartlead.

Best Practices

  • Test Your Webhooks: Before deploying to production, test your webhooks using Smartlead's webhook test payload function and OutboundSync's sync test function.
  • Use Unique URLs: If setting up webhooks at multiple levels, use unique URLs to distinguish between different event sources. Remember that a user-level webhook will override any lower level webhook. 
  • Monitor Performance: Keep an eye on your records in HubSpot and history in OutboundSync. If anything seems off, contact us so we can help you diagnose the issue. 

Conclusion

Webhooks are an integral part of automating your workflows with Smartlead and your CRM. By understanding how they work and setting them up correctly, you can run a fully integrated outbound operation that integrates with your automations, workflows, and sales processes.