When should I use a webhook instead of an API?

Use a webhook when you need to react to an event in real time without polling; use an API when your system needs to request or update data on its own schedule. Core dna supports both.

Reach for a webhook when you need to act the instant something happens and don't want to keep asking — an order placed, a payment processed, inventory changed. The event pushes the data to you automatically, which is lighter on resources than repeatedly polling an API.

Reach for an API when your system needs to control the timing — pulling a product catalog on a schedule, syncing customer records, or running a query on demand. Many teams use both, and Core dna's content and commerce platform supports each pattern across its native integrations.