ArcGIS Online

Create a hosted feature service webhook

Did you know you can create a new webhook in ArcGIS Online? This blog article explains how to create and enable a webhook from a hosted feature service, but first, a little background?

Support: Only ArcGIS Online offers support for this operation.

What is a webhook?

A webhook allows web services to provide other services with near real-time information using HTTP POST requests. Webhooks are user-defined HTTP callbacks that are usually triggered by an event, such as editing or syncing a feature or changing the layer metadata. When that event occurs, the configured source such as a hosted feature service makes HTTP request to the URL configured for the webhook.

Webhooks allow you to build or set up ArcGIS applications which subscribe to certain events on ArcGIS services. When one of those events is triggered, the configured service will send a HTTP POST payload to the webhook’s configured URL.

Why use webhooks

Webhooks are an incredible tool to save you a lot of work.

Events

Events are at the core of the feature service webhooks. These webhooks are fired whenever a certain action is taken on the feature service (as scheduled). When configuring a webhook, you can choose which events you would like to receive payloads for. You can even opt-in to all current and future events.

Each event corresponds to a certain set of actions that can happen to your organization. For example, if you subscribe to the edit event you’ll receive detailed payloads every time a feature is added, updated, deleted, etc.

Note:  For more information, you can check out the supported events.

Below are examples of supported events.

Sample of supported events
Sample of supported events

Webhook Payloads

Each event type has a specific payload format with the relevant event information. In addition to the information relevant to each event, all event webhooks payloads include information about the layer and the feature service which the event occurred on.

Note: For more information, you can check out webhook payloads.

Below are examples of event type specific payload.

FeaturesCreated

FeaturesCreated
Webhooks FeaturesCreated

FeaturesUpdated

FeaturesUpdated
Webhooks FeaturesUpdated

FeaturesDeleted

FeaturesDeleted
Webhooks FeaturesDeleted

Webhook Integration

Webhooks typically are used to connect two different applications. There are companies that provide tools to help you bring together your application with other applications to provide them with real-time information.

One such company is Integromat  that can help you automate your processes that you currently handle manually.

Pre-requisites

Webhooks can be turned on in an organization or a specific ArcGIS service such as a hosted feature service. Once it’s configured, the webhook is triggered each time one or more subscribed events occurs.

Note: Only an owner or administrator of the hosted feature service can create webhooks.

The feature service editing and change tracking capability must be enabled to track layer changes.

To enable or disable editing and change tracking on an existing feature service, add or remove the Editing and ChangeTracking capability to or from the feature service.

Feature service capabilites
Feature service capabilites

Creating a webhook

Webhook Create URL
Webhook Create URL

The Create operation allows administrators to create a webhook. You can specify the trigger events for this webhook and the URL to which the payloads are delivered when the webhook is invoked.

Below are the webhook properties.

Webhook create request
Webhook create request
Webhook create response
Webhook create response

Congratulations! You created a webhook!

Set up a webhook in Integromat

Integromat is an online automation platform that can help you automate your processes that you currently handle manually. Sign up for a free account to get started.

1) Go to Integromat and sign in.

2) Click the Create a new scenario button.

3) Search for and select Webhooks. Click Continue.

The Webhooks module is listed as a favorite in your scenario.

4) Click the module icon in the middle of the screen and select  Webhooks from the menu.

Integromat Webhooks
Integromat Webhooks

5) Choose the Custom Webhook trigger module. This module is designed to run the scenario each time the webhook receives data.

6) Click Add and name your webhook. Click Save.

Integromat generated webhook
Integromat generated webhook

7) Click Copy address to clipboard and add the URL to the ESRI webhook HookUrl property field.

Add Integromat URL to ESRI HookURl property
Add Integromat URL to ESRI HookURl property

8) You need to send some data to the webhook in order to determine the data structure. Make some edits to your feature service and wait for the webhook to validate the data structure.

Integromat data structure validation
Integromat data structure validation

9) Click OK.

You now have your Webhook module configured.

10) Click the side of the Webhook module to connect another module to it.

11) Search for and select Email.

12) Select the Send me an Email action.

13) Click in the subject text box and enter a subject description or  use the module settings panel to construct your email subject.

14) Click in the content text box. Use the module settings panel and select payload to construct your email content.

Integromat Payload Content
Integromat Payload Content

15) Click OK. Your webhook is now created.

16) This scenario will send an email when edits are detected on your feature service. The email will contain the payload information.

Integromat webhook email scenario
Integromat webhook email scenario

17) Let’s look at the payload information, the payload will contain the name of the webhook, layer id, organization id, service name, last updated time and changes URL, as well as the ServerGens and change type trigger events.

Note: For more information, you can check out webhook payloads.

 

Integromat Payload
Integromat Payload

18) What do we do with the payload information? The payload will contain the changes URL and this information will be used to extract the changes of the feature layer.

Copy and paste the changes URL to a browser and click Enter. This allows you to use the extractChanges API to retrieve the objectids of the inserts, updates and deletes that have happened based on the server generation number of the changes. Click the statusURL link.

Note: For more information, you can check out Extract Changes.

Changes URL
Changes URL

19) The statusURL response is the extract changes job. Make a web request to the statusURL to access the Result Url. Click the Result Url to open the JSON file that contain the feature layer changes.

Congratulations! You have successfully extracted your feature layer changes!

Beyond the basics: Accessing attribute information

The previous steps outlined how to set up a notification when events are triggered for your feature services. But what if you want more granular control or to access the attribute data? For example, it’s possible to do the following:

All of this requires attribute data that is contained in the webhook payload. The steps in the next section go beyond the basics to help you access this information. You can also download this Integromat blueprint that allows you to import all the modules into your scenario.

Context

Before we you build a scenario in Integromat, it is helpful to understand how attribute data is accessed from the webhook payload. Accessing the data is a multi-step process. The steps look like this as follows:

1. Get the changeUrl from the webhook payload

Feature Service Webhook Payload
Feature service webhook payload

2. Make a web request to the changeUrl to receive the statusUrl.

Accessing StatusUrl
statusUrl can be accessed by making a request to the changeUrl

3. Make a web request to the statusUrl to access the resultUrl (.json file) that contains the attribute information.

ResultUrl
resultUrl can be accessed by making a request to the statusUrl

The JSON file contains the attribute data of the record that was added or updated.

Attribute from the JSON file
Example attribute information in JSON

Now that we you understand the steps to access the attribute data manually, you’ll automate these steps using Integromat.

The steps

At the fundamental level, everything we do on the web is a series of requests and responses. Leveraging this understanding, you will use HTTP and JSON modules to make requests and work with your desired information. Make sure to complete the steps in the Set up a webhook in Integromat section above before proceeding.

Step 1: Parse the Webhook Payload

The Webhook module sends a payload in JSON that includes the ‘changeUrl.’ To programmatically select and work with the JSON response, you will configure the JSON module.

Step 1: Parse the Webhook Payload
Step 1: Parse the Webhook Payload

1. Search JSON and select Parse JSON. Connect it to the Webhook module. For JSON string, select payload from the Webhook module.

2. Select the JSON module. Click Add and select Generator.

Using the JSON Generator

3. Copy the payload information that was sent to your email to the Sample data text box. The generator automatically specifies the JSON structure.

Using the Generator Content
Copying the JSON will automatically generate the structure

Step 2: Request and Parse response from changesUrl

In this step, you will make a HTTP GET request to the changesUrl from the Webhook payload.

Step 2: Request and Parse response from changesURL
Step 2: Request and Parse response from changesURL

4. Search HTTP and select Make a Request. Connect it to the JSON module. Configure the module as outlined below.

This makes an HTTP request to the changesUrl and receives a response in JSON.

HTTP Request for Step 2
HTTP request parameters for step 2

5. Add the JSON module and select Parse JSON. For JSON string, select Data from the previous HTTP– Make a Request module. Then click Add and specify the structure as follows:

Integromat parameters for step 2
JSON module parameters for step 2

In the next step, you’ll insert a delay. The delay is required because it takes time for the .json file to be generated by ArcGIS Online. As a result, you need to give ArcGIS Online time to generate the file before proceeding with the next request.

6. Add the Tools module and select Sleep. Set the appropriate delay.

Delay module
Tools module is used to delay the scenario

For this feature service, 10 second gave ArcGIS Online ample time to generate the .json file. Depending on the size and complexity of the feature service, additional time might may be required. Adjust the delay accordingly if the .json file is not captured in the following steps.

Step 3: Request and parse response from statusUrl

Now that you parsed the response from the changesUrl, you can make a request directly to the statusUrl. You’ll repeat the steps from Step 2 with different parameters.

Step 3: Request and parse response from statusUrl
Step 3: Request and parse response from statusUrl

7. Search HTTP and select Make a Request. Connect it to the Tools module. Configure the module as outlined below.

This makes an HTTP request to the statusUrl and receives a response in JSON.

HTTP Request for Step 3
HTTP request parameters for step 3

8. Add the JSON module and select Parse JSON. For JSON string, select Data from the previous HTTP– Make a Request module. Then click Add and specify the structure as follows:

Integromat parameters for step 3
Integromat parameters for step 3

Step 4: Request and parse response from resultUrl

The resultUrl is the JSON file that contains the attribute data. This is the last step of the process, and it follow the same pattern of making an HTTP request and parsing the response. Because you are parsing the JSON file, as opposed to the HTTP response, the modules you use will be slightly different.

Step 4: Request and parse response from resultUrl
Step 4: Request and parse response from resultUrl

9. Search HTTP and select Get a File. Connect it to the JSON module. Configure the module as outlined below.

HTTP request for step 4
HTTP request parameters for step 4

Integromat reads the JSON file as binary, not as a plain text. As a result, you need an intermediate step to convert the binary output to plain text before you parse the JSON.

10. Search Tools, select Convert the Encoding of a Text, and configure the module as outlined below.

Encoding Tools Parameters
Encoding tool parameters

Unlike the previous steps of specifying the JSON structure, this step is unique tin that it is dependent on the data schema of your feature service. The easiest way to specify the structure is to copy the content of the JSON file to the Generator to automatically create the data structure.

11. Add the JSON module and select Parse JSON. For JSON string, select Data from the Tools – Convert the Encoding of a Text. Then click Add and specify the JSON structure so that it matches your schema.

That’s it! Now you are ready to integrate attribute data to other apps! You can create a more readable notification email by including the attribute data in the body of your message or even push the attribute information to third-party apps such as Google sheets.

Example of accessing attribute data in an email
You can access attribute data in email or other apps

About the authors

Eddie is a Product Engineer on the ArcGIS Online team and works primarily with the Hosted Feature Service. Our ArcGIS Online team is at the heart of the ArcGIS platform and I have the passion for problem solving to fulfill the needs of the Esri user community by pushing the envelope of Hosted Feature Service capabilities provided by ArcGIS.

Calvin is an account manager for Esri's Nonprofit and Global Organizations team in the Washington, D.C. office. He is passionate about applying GIS to maximize the impact of nonprofits, humanitarian organizations, and international groups all over the world. He loves collaborating with practitioners, learning from their experiences and demonstrating the power of the ArcGIS to help them succeed.

Connect:

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