webhook-handler-patterns

name	webhook-handler-patterns
description	Best practices for webhook handlers. Use when implementing the handler sequence (verify first, parse second, handle idempotently), idempotency, error handling, retry logic, or framework-specific issues with Express, Next.js, or FastAPI.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"hookdeck","version":"0.1.0","repository":"https://github.com/hookdeck/webhook-skills"}

Webhook Handler Patterns

When to Use This Skill

• Following the correct webhook handler order (verify → parse → handle idempotently)
• Implementing idempotent webhook handlers
• Handling errors and configuring retry behavior
• Understanding framework-specific gotchas (raw body, middleware order)
• Building production-ready webhook infrastructure

Resources

Handler Sequence

• references/handler-sequence.md - Verify first, parse second, handle idempotently third

Best Practices

• references/idempotency.md - Prevent duplicate processing
• references/error-handling.md - Return codes, logging, dead letter queues
• references/retry-logic.md - Provider retry schedules, backoff patterns

Framework Guides

• references/frameworks/express.md - Express.js patterns and gotchas
• references/frameworks/nextjs.md - Next.js App Router patterns
• references/frameworks/fastapi.md - FastAPI/Python patterns

Quick Reference

Handler Sequence

1. Verify signature first — Use raw body; reject invalid requests with 4xx.
2. Parse payload second — After verification, parse or construct the event.
3. Handle idempotently third — Check event ID, then process; return 2xx for duplicates.

See references/handler-sequence.md for details and links to provider verification and idempotency patterns.

Response Codes

Code	Meaning	Provider Behavior
2xx	Success	No retry
4xx	Client error	Usually no retry (except 429)
5xx	Server error	Retry with backoff
429	Rate limited	Retry after delay

Idempotency Checklist

1. Extract unique event ID from payload
2. Check if event was already processed
3. Process event within transaction
4. Store event ID after successful processing
5. Return success for duplicate events

Related Skills

• stripe-webhooks - Stripe payment webhook handling
• shopify-webhooks - Shopify e-commerce webhook handling
• github-webhooks - GitHub repository webhook handling
• resend-webhooks - Resend email webhook handling
• chargebee-webhooks - Chargebee billing webhook handling
• clerk-webhooks - Clerk auth webhook handling
• elevenlabs-webhooks - ElevenLabs webhook handling
• openai-webhooks - OpenAI webhook handling
• paddle-webhooks - Paddle billing webhook handling
• hookdeck-event-gateway - Webhook infrastructure that replaces your queue — guaranteed delivery, automatic retries, replay, rate limiting, and observability for your webhook handlers