Give me /events, not webhooks

Sequin, a Postgres CDC tool, highlights the challenges associated with using webhooks for maintaining data consistency between systems, advocating instead for an /events endpoint approach similar to database replication models like Postgres' replication slots. Webhooks, while useful for reducing polling, can be unreliable due to issues like undeliverability and their ephemeral nature, often necessitating the use of message bus systems like Kafka, which adds complexity. In contrast, an /events endpoint allows for polling of event logs, providing a more consistent and reliable method for syncing data without the need for complex delivery pipelines. By keeping a local cursor, systems can efficiently manage updates and catch up post-downtime without missing data, while avoiding the pitfalls of webhook failures. The author suggests enhancements such as long-polling to improve efficiency and real-time capabilities. Ultimately, the choice between webhooks and polling /events depends on the consistency requirements of the API consumer, with /events offering greater reliability for critical integrations, and for API producers, supporting /events can enhance the robustness and feature set of their webhook systems.

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