Configure webhooks

What is a webhook? #

A webhook is a URL that another app uses to receive data. In XLPrompt, Send to Webhook converts your selected Excel range to JSON and sends it to that URL. Convert Range exports data separately; converting a range does not send a webhook request.

Why use webhooks with XLPrompt? #

Use Send to Webhook when you want an automation to process an Excel range. The receiving workflow controls what happens next, such as creating a database record or sending a notification.

Common use cases

• Send data to AI tools: process your Excel data with ChatGPT, Claude or your own models.
• Update databases: push converted data straight into Airtable, Google Sheets or your own database.
• Trigger workflows: start an automated process in the tools you already use.
• Log and track: record data sent through your webhook in a CRM or project tool.
• Notify teams: post to Slack or Teams as soon as data is processed.

Webhook integration with no-code tools #

The best part? You don’t need to be a programmer. Popular no-code automation platforms make it easy to receive data from XLPrompt.

Popular no-code platforms

• Zapier
• Make.com
• Pabbly Connect
• n8n

All of these platforms provide a webhook URL that you can paste into XLPrompt’s settings.

How to set up webhooks in XLPrompt #

Step 1: Get your webhook URL

First, create a webhook in your automation platform.

Example: Pabbly Connect

1. Create a new workflow
2. Select “Webhook” as the trigger
3. Copy the webhook URL

Step 2: Configure XLPrompt

1. Open XLPrompt settings
2. Go to the “Webhook” tab
3. Check “Enable Webhook Integration”
4. Paste your webhook URL
5. Leave settings open to test the connection before saving.

Step 3: Test the connection

1. Click the “Test Webhook” button in settings
2. Check your automation platform for the test message XLPrompt webhook test. This checks the connection; it does not send your selected cells.
3. Click Save & Close to save the configuration.
4. Select a small sample range, including headers if your export settings use them, and click Send to Webhook. Confirm the range if prompted.
5. Check the received JSON and the response shown by XLPrompt before using the workflow with real data.

Advanced configuration #

Authentication (optional)

Some webhooks require authentication for security.

1. Header Name, The authentication header (e.g., Authorization, X-API-Key)
2. Header Value, Your secret token or API key (e.g., Bearer abc123xyz)

Example:

Header Name: X-API-Key
Header Value: your-secret-key-here

Response output options

Choose where XLPrompt shows the webhook response.

• Show in MessageBox, Simple popup with success or error message (default)
• Create New Sheet, Response appears in a new Excel worksheet
• Output to Selected Cell, Response goes into the cell you selected

Timeout settings

Timeout (seconds), How long to wait for a response (default: 30 seconds)

• Increase for slow APIs or complex processing
• Range: 1 to 300 seconds (5 minutes max)

Understanding the data format #

XLPrompt sends your Excel data as JSON, a universal format that all modern tools understand.

Example: What gets sent

When you select this Excel data:

With row-based objects, the first row used as headers and optional context omitted, the data can look like this. The exact payload depends on your export settings:

{
  "data": [
    {"Name": "Alice", "Age": 28, "City": "NYC"},
    {"Name": "Bob", "Age": 35, "City": "LA"}
  ]
}

You can also include:

• Custom prompts, Instructions for AI processing
• Context, Additional information about the data
• Metadata, Workbook name, sheet name, timestamp, etc.

Troubleshooting #

“Webhook request failed”

Possible causes:

• Invalid webhook URL, double-check you copied it correctly
• Webhook expired, some platforms have temporary URLs
• Network connection issue, check your internet

Solution: Click “Test Webhook” to verify the URL works

Timeout error

Possible causes:

• Webhook endpoint is slow to respond
• Complex processing taking too long

Solution: Increase timeout in settings (30 to 60 seconds usually works)

Authentication failed

Possible causes:

• Wrong header name or value
• Expired API key

Solution: Verify authentication details with your platform’s documentation

Security best practices #

• Keep your webhook URLs private, They work like passwords for your automations
• Use authentication when available, Adds extra security
• Monitor usage, Check your automation platform for unexpected activity