The differences between Zapier, webhooks & API
Lisa de Laat
| 4 min
You may have heard Zapier, Webhooks and API come up before. More and more systems are being linked, and work processes are being automated. This makes work more efficient, because not everything has to be done manually anymore. This is also possible with the chatbot of Watermelon. You can easily integrate it into your current workflow with the systems you use. In this blog we will tell you more about integrating via Zapier, Webhooks and API. What is the difference? And which integration is relevant when? We have the answers ready.
Imagine this: a customer has a question about the status of an order he has placed. How great is it if your chatbot asks for the order number and this information is retrieved from the order processing system. It then checks the status of the order, sends it back to the chatbot, and the chatbot sends it back to the customer. This question from the customer is now fully automated, without the intervention of a human colleague. And this happens in a matter of seconds. Wow, that is a real time saver!
This is one of the many possible integrations. Take a look at your CRM or ERP system, for example. Your chatbot can integrate with it and look up customer data and even update it automatically. But it can also, for example, put appointments in your planning tool or even place or update an order in your webshop. Pretty handy, right?
The advantages of an integrated chatbot are just as endless as the possibilities. And to make this happen, there are several ways. Examples of possible integrations are: Zapier, Webhooks and API. Here we will now tell you more about them.
Integration with Zapier
If you want to create an integration easily, but absolutely with no programming then Zapier is the perfect tool for you! Zapier is the largest and most complete no code solution available. With our Zapier integration, it is possible to connect your Watermelon chatbot to thousands of different online tools and systems, providing endless possibilities for a fully integrated chat experience.
Zaps connect apps and services together to create a smarter workflow that saves a lot of time. A zap is a process that runs automatically and only needs to be set up once. Each zap contains a trigger and an action. The trigger activates the zap. Then the zap performs an action in response to the trigger. Still following it? Just an example to make it easy. A new chat is started by a customer (trigger), this conversation is exported to Google Sheets (action). So this happens automatically and this way the employee can easily analyze the chatbot conversations.
Integrate with API
If Zapier is not the right solution for you or if you want to have full control over your integration then there is only one option left: programming your own integration. This requires the necessary knowledge and availability of developers. By building your own integration you can tailor every detail to your needs and make sure your integration works exactly the way you want it to.
The whole process of building and developing your own custom integration can be quite time-consuming as your developers have to do a lot of research, build a custom integration and then test this integration themselves. Depending on the size of the whole project, building your own integration can take several weeks or maybe even months.
Watermelon's API can be used by external applications to connect and exchange data. Watermelon's API ensures that information from Watermelon is available to other systems. It acts as a bridge between systems so that information travels back and forth quickly and efficiently. Thanks to the API, your chatbot handles common questions, such as "What's my order status?", without your employees having to provide support. Your chatbot automatically retrieves the available information from the external app and communicates it to the customer.
Through the API, information can also be sent from Watermelon to external apps. For example, updating your CRM system. Does the customer give his or her address to the chatbot? Then this data can be stored in your CRM.
Integrating with webhooks
A webhook is actually a form of an API. It is also called an "HTTP push" or a "web callback. Thanks to a webhook, real-time information is automatically exchanged between your chatbot and an external application. By building a webhook between Watermelon and an external application, the chatbot can retrieve and hand off customer information. When a customer starts a chat, the chatbot can retrieve information from another application; your CRM system for example. Not only can the chatbot send order statuses or invoices to the customer, but it can also edit data in your CRM system. This way, your chatbot is up to date with the most recent information available.
We understand that this is quite some information. And there is a lot more to tell about this. Be sure to check it out here to learn all about the integrations. Rather schedule a demo with one of our colleagues? You certainly can! They will be happy to explain everything to you in detail.
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