# API Ingestion and Webhook Listener

The **API Ingestion** and **Webhook Listener** components enable pipelines to receive data directly from **third-party services or applications**.

* **API Ingestion**: Receives data via an HTTP **POST request** to a generated endpoint.
* **Webhook Listener**: Provides a listening endpoint to capture webhook calls from external systems.

Both methods allow external applications to **push JSON data** into the pipeline for real-time processing.

### Configuration Sections

All component configurations are classified into:

* **Basic Information**
* **Meta Information**
* **Resource Configuration**

### Basic Information Tab

The *Basic Information* tab defines execution and deployment settings.

| Field                       | Description                                                     | Required |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | -------- |
| **Invocation Type**         | Select execution mode: **Batch** or **Real-Time**.              | Yes      |
| **Deployment Type**         | Displays the deployment type of the component (pre-selected).   | Yes      |
| **Container Image Version** | Displays the Docker image version used (pre-selected).          | Yes      |
| **Failover Event**          | Select a failover event for error handling.                     | Optional |
| **Batch Size**              | Maximum number of records processed in one cycle (minimum: 10). | Yes      |

### Meta Information Tab

The *Meta Information* tab configures ingestion details and authentication.

| Field                | Description                                                                          | Required |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------- |
| **Ingestion Type**   | Select from: **API Ingestion** or **Webhook**.                                       | Yes      |
| **Ingestion ID**     | Predefined unique identifier for the component. Used as a header for authentication. | Yes      |
| **Ingestion Secret** | Predefined secret key for authentication. Used as a header for authentication.       | Yes      |

Once the component is saved, a **Component Instance ID URL** is generated automatically. This URL serves as the endpoint for API or webhook requests.

### Workflow: Configuring API Ingestion

#### Step 1: Configure Component

1. Drag and drop the **API Ingestion** component into the pipeline editor.
2. Configure the **Meta Information** tab with:
   * **Ingestion Type**: API Ingestion
   * **Ingestion ID**: Auto-generated
   * **Ingestion Secret**: Auto-generated
3. Save the component and pipeline.

#### Step 2: Generate Endpoint

* After saving the pipeline, the **Component Instance ID URL** appears in the Meta Information tab.
* This URL serves as the **endpoint** to which API requests must be sent.

#### Step 3: Send Data via Postman

1. Open **Postman** (or a similar API testing tool).
2. Create a new request:
   * Method: **POST**
   * URL: **Component Instance ID URL**
3. Go to **Headers** tab and add:
   * `ingestionId: <value from component>`
   * `ingestionSecret: <value from component>`
4. Go to **Body** tab:
   * Select **raw** → **JSON**.
   * Enter JSON payload (e.g., `{ "customerId": 123, "orderId": "ORD456" }`).
5. Click **Send**.

The API Ingestion component will process the JSON data and pass it to the **connected out event** in the pipeline.

### Workflow: Configuring Webhook Listener

For **Webhook ingestion**, external systems (e.g., payment processors, SaaS tools) can push data to the **generated Component Instance ID URL**.

* Use the same **Ingestion ID** and **Ingestion Secret** headers for authentication.
* The pipeline processes incoming webhook events in **real time**.

### Example Use Case

* **API Ingestion**: An e-commerce app posts order data via API calls to the pipeline.
* **Webhook Listener**: A payment gateway sends webhook notifications about completed transactions.

Both methods feed real-time JSON data into downstream components for analytics, alerting, or storage.


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