API vs Webhook — pull vs push, explained#systemdesign #webhooks #api #backenddevelopment #fullstack

API vs Webhook — explained in 60 seconds. An API is when you ask for data: you send a request, you get a response (you pull). A webhook flips it — the provider pushes the data to you the moment an event happens, like a payment succeeding. Same data, opposite direction. The twist: a webhook is just an API endpoint, except now they’re the one calling it. 🔹 API = you ask, on demand (pull) 🔹 Webhook = it happens, you get told (push) Part 1 of a 4-part series on how apps actually talk to each other: 2 → Short vs Long Polling 3 → Webhooks in production (signatures, retries, queues) 4 → WebSockets Subscribe so you catch the rest. Which one tripped you up first? Drop it in the comments 👇 #systemdesign #api #webhooks #softwareengineering #Shorts