Frequently Asked Questions
What is HookWatcher?
HookWatcher is a webhook testing and debugging workspace for developers. It captures webhook requests exactly as they arrive, lets you inspect, forward, replay and compare them, and its command line tool, hwcli, delivers webhooks to your machine and gives local services a public HTTPS URL through a tunnel.
How do I create a webhook endpoint?
Simply visit the homepage and generate a unique webhook ID. Your webhook URL will be automatically created in the format: https://hookwatcher.com/your-webhook-id. You can start using it immediately.
Do I need to sign up to use HookWatcher?
No, you can use HookWatcher without signing up. However, creating a free account provides additional features like extended request history, team collaboration, and more advanced export options.
How long is request history stored?
Each workspace keeps requests for its retention period, up to your plan's maximum: Free 10 days, Developer 30 days, Pro 60 days, Team 90 days, Enterprise custom. Each request shows the date it will be removed. If a paid plan is not renewed, the account is deactivated after 20 days and its data is permanently deleted 10 days later unless you renew.
What HTTP methods are supported?
HookWatcher supports all standard HTTP methods: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, and OPTIONS. You can use any of these methods to test your webhook integrations.
Can I customize the response from my webhook endpoint?
Yes! Registered users can configure custom response codes, headers, and body content for their webhook endpoints. This is useful for testing how your application handles different response scenarios.
Is my webhook data secure?
Yes, HookWatcher takes security seriously. All webhook endpoints are private by default, and only you (and users you explicitly share with) can access your webhook data. We use HTTPS for all connections and follow security best practices.
Can I share my webhook endpoint with team members?
Yes, registered users can share webhook endpoints with team members via email invitations. This allows your team to collaborate on webhook testing and debugging.
Can I export webhook requests?
Yes, you can export individual requests or multiple requests as JSON. You can also download request and response bodies with appropriate file extensions. Export functionality is available for all users, with some limits on the free tier.
Does HookWatcher support webhook forwarding?
Yes. Forwarding is included with a free account: each captured request is delivered to your server with retries and a record of every attempt. Your plan sets how many forwarding endpoints a hook can have.
What is a HookWatcher tunnel?
A public HTTPS hostname, such as https://payment-test.hookwatcher.com, that forwards each request live to a service on your machine. Run hwcli tunnel http 3000: hwcli opens an outbound connection to HookWatcher, so no port forwarding or router changes are needed, and the caller gets your local app's real response.
When should I use a tunnel instead of hwcli listen?
Use hwcli listen to receive webhooks HookWatcher captured: they are stored, can be replayed, and the provider gets HookWatcher's response. Use a tunnel when the caller needs your app's own answer, such as OAuth callbacks, URL verification challenges, Slack commands or a demo.
Does HookWatcher store requests that go through a tunnel?
No. hwcli records tunnel requests in a local database on your computer and shows them in its local panel. HookWatcher keeps the tunnel's connection details and monthly totals (number of requests and bytes), not paths, headers or bodies.
What content types are supported?
HookWatcher supports all content types. Common formats like JSON, XML, form data, and plain text are automatically formatted and syntax-highlighted for easy reading.
Is there a rate limit?
HookWatcher has rate limits to ensure fair usage. Free tier users have reasonable limits, while premium users have higher limits. If you need higher limits, please contact us.
Can I use HookWatcher for production webhooks?
HookWatcher is designed primarily for testing and development. While it can handle production traffic, we recommend using it for testing purposes. For production webhooks, you should use your own infrastructure.
How do I delete my webhook data?
You can delete individual requests or all requests from a webhook endpoint using the delete buttons in the request history. Deleted data is permanently removed and cannot be recovered.
What happens if I exceed my plan limits?
If you exceed your plan limits, you'll receive a notification. You can either upgrade your plan or wait for the limit to reset. Some features may be temporarily unavailable until you upgrade or the limit resets.
How does AI documentation generation work?
Users with owner or manage permission can generate documentation for a webhook request using AI. You can add optional context, generate or regenerate, and polish your edits with AI. Each generate and polish uses one AI credit; monthly limits apply by tier (Free: 30/month, Developer: 100/month, Pro: 300/month, Team: 600/month). Documentation is saved only when you click Save; you can delete saved docs.
What is two-factor authentication (MFA)?
MFA adds a second step at login: after entering your password, you enter a 6-digit code from an authenticator app (e.g. Google Authenticator, Authy). You can enable or disable MFA from your profile. If you reset your password via forgot password, MFA is automatically reset.
How does subscription pricing work?
Pricing is based on your country: INR in India and USD elsewhere. See /pricing for current amounts from the same configuration used at checkout. Payments are processed via Razorpay; invoices are sent to your registered email.
What are public webhooks?
Public webhooks are available on the Team and Enterprise plans. You can make a webhook "public" from the webhook settings so that all webhook calls—with request labels—are visible to any logged-in user. Request labels help developers identify callbacks and set up their apps: they can see incoming requests and labels in one place to understand and integrate webhook events. Only owners and users with manage permission can edit the webhook or generate AI documentation.
Still have questions?
If you can't find the answer you're looking for, please check our documentation or contact our support team.