How to Use Webhooks for Real-Time CRM Integrations in Dynamics 365
Are you looking for a reliable way to integrate Dynamics 365 CRM with external systems in real time? Polling APIs or scheduling batch jobs can delay updates and increase complexity. What if you could instantly notify external services when key events happen inside Dynamics 365?
This blog will show you how to use webhooks—an event-driven mechanism to trigger real-time updates and data exchange with external services, making your integrations faster and more efficient.
A webhook is a user-defined HTTP callback that is triggered by specific events. Instead of your external system repeatedly asking Dynamics 365 for updates, Dynamics 365 pushes updates to your service instantly.
Dynamics 365 supports registering webhooks through plugin steps that execute when specific messages (create, update, delete, etc.) occur. This approach provides low latency and ensures that your external systems always have fresh data.
This walkthrough covers the end-to-end process of configuring webhooks in Dynamics 365, registering them via plugins, and securely triggering external services.
What You Need to Get Started
- An accessible webhook endpoint (a publicly reachable HTTPS URL that can receive POST requests). You can create this using Azure Functions, API Management, or any RESTful service.
- Dynamics 365 with System Administrator or customizer privileges to register plugins and webhooks.
- Familiarity with Dynamics 365 Plugin Registration Tool and Power Platform Admin Centre.
Step 1: Create Your Webhook Endpoint
- Build a service that accepts HTTP POST requests.
- It should parse incoming JSON data (Dynamics 365 event payload) and handle authentication (e.g., API key, OAuth).
- Example using Azure Functions or a simple Node.js Express app.
Step 2: Register Your Webhook in Dynamics 365
- Go to Power Platform Admin Center → Environments → select your environment → Settings → Customizations → Developer Resources.
- Alternatively, use the Plugin Registration Tool from the SDK to register a webhook.
- Register a new webhook with the URL of your endpoint, add authentication details if needed, and assign a name.
Step 3: Create a Plugin to Trigger the Webhook
- Create a C# plugin class that executes on the desired message (e.g., Create of Account).
- Inside the plugin, use the IServiceEndpointNotificationService to notify the webhook endpoint.
- Sample code snippet:
public void Execute (IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
| { var notificationService = (IServiceEndpointNotificationService)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IServiceEndpointNotificationService)); Entity entity = (Entity)context.InputParameters[“Target”]; notificationService.Notify(“yourWebhookRegistrationName”, entity.ToEntityReference().Id.ToString()); } |
Step 4: Test Your Webhook Integration
- Create or update a record in Dynamics 365 to trigger the plugin.
- Monitor your webhook endpoint logs to verify the HTTP POST call with correct payload.
- Use tools like Postman or Fiddler to simulate and debug webhook calls.
Step 5: Security and Best Practices
- Always use HTTPS to protect data in transit.
- Use authentication tokens or OAuth on your webhook endpoint.
- Validate incoming requests on your endpoint using secrets or certificates.
- Implement retry logic on your service as Dynamics 365 retries failed webhook calls.
- Log webhook calls and plugin execution for monitoring.
Real-World Use Case
A company wants to notify its external billing system immediately when a new invoice is created in Dynamics 365. By registering a webhook triggered by the Invoice creation event, the billing system receives data instantly and processes payment without delays or manual intervention.
To conclude, webhooks offer a powerful way to build real-time, event-driven integrations with Dynamics 365, reducing latency and complexity in your integration solutions.
We encourage you to start by creating a simple webhook endpoint and registering it with Dynamics 365 using plugins. This can transform how your CRM communicates with external systems.
For deeper technical support and advanced integration patterns, explore CloudFront’s resources or get in touch with our experts to accelerate your Dynamics 365 integration project.
We hope you found this blog useful, and if you would like to discuss anything, you can reach out to us at transform@cloudfonts.com.
