Potential recently introduced bug on Create Webhook call? (POST /webhooks)

Our Smartsheet integration has occasional need to create a webhook before it knows the ultimate URL for the callback. For several years, we have done this by supplying a dummy URL to the CreateWebhook (POST /webhooks) API and then before we verify that webhook, we update the URL with the POST /webhooks API and set it to enabled. This has worked fine for years.

This is not the normal path, but it is a mission-critical path. We follow this alternate path maybe only once or twice a month.

This morning, when attempting this path, for the very first time, the CreateWebhook (POST /webhooks) API responded with an error:

Error 1221: The value 'https://dummy.placeholder.com' is not valid for the attribute callbackUrl. (RG4qjj)

Please note that your own documentation at https://developers.smartsheet.com/api/smartsheet/guides/webhooks/launch-a-webhook states the following: You must have an event-handling endpoint - Although it isn't required to create a webhook, it is required to enable your webhook and receive notifications. If you haven't created an endpoint for your webhook, see Create an event-handling endpoint.

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Lee Joramo

Are you really using the text: https://dummy.placeholder.com for the URL? Do you control this URL? I see there were recent DNS changes to placeholder.com

sgolux

We do not control that URL. We had been using it only as a "placeholder". Our understanding from the doc is that no attempt is made to actually communicate with that URL until it is "Enabled". Did we misunderstand that?

Lee Joramo

The Change Log shows some recent changes to webhooks, although nothing looks to me as impacting your process. Still I could see Smartsheet adding testing that the URL is at least active.

https://developers.smartsheet.com/api/smartsheet/changelog

As I said, previously, using a DNS History tool shows that there were recent changes to placeholder.com . I am not an expert in these matters, but it looks the A and CNAME DNS Records were removed. This means that if Smartsheet did any sort of minimal validation on the URL, it may now be breaking.

I would suggest making your temporary URL point to hostname you control. This would allow you to see if Smartsheet is doing any sort of tests on the URL. (Of course, if all they do is a DNS lookup, you would not see that.)

If you don't have your own server (or your organization policies makes it difficult) you could try just pointing to your public website homepage, use a service like ngrok to tunnel requests to your development system, or some other free/cheap service such as Cloud Flare or Vercel. (Note: Smartsheet's documentation recommend https://ngrok.com/ for testing webhooks)

sgolux

This is a great suggestion, thanks. I'll let you know how it goes.

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