Imagine this scenario: a marketing campaign you develop ends up going to the wrong audience, or a segmentation analysis yields incorrect results because the data wasn't updated.
Fresh, up-to-date data leads to better business outcomes by ensuring that opportunities aren't missed.
And while you can set up automated requests for your API to update your data regularly, there is an easier, more efficient solution: webhooks.
Why Enriched Records Go Stale
Enriched records go stale because contact and company information changes constantly, and static datasets can't reflect real-time updates unless you repeatedly query for new information.
Say you've searched, found, and enriched data on all C-level leaders at a target account. If one of the CEOs has an update on their profile, you wouldn't know it unless you requested that CEO's data again using the ZoomInfo Enrich API after the update.
Since you can't predict when a change will happen, you have to regularly request all the C-level leaders' data. If and when there is a change, one of your countless requests will get the latest information. And while this process works, it creates problems:
Increased overhead: More resources, computing ability, and employee bandwidth
Time cost: Constant requests without knowing when changes occur
API limits: Repeated queries consume your API allocation quickly
In addition, while re-enrichments are free, repeated queries are a quick way to hit your API limits.
What Are Webhooks and Why Use Them for Re-Enrichment?
Now imagine a different scenario: everytime there is an update in the underlying data source, it automatically and proactively sends the updates without a recurring request.
Webhooks are a common method for getting real-time updates. Webhooks are user-defined HTTP callbacks that are triggered by some event. Whenever an event is triggered, a POST request is sent to the URL that is configured to receive the webhook data.
Unlike a traditional API, webhooks let you skip the step of sending a request first. This push model means updates flow to you automatically.
For GTM teams, this translates to:
Cleaner routing: Updates flow automatically without manual triggers
Reliable segmentation: Records stay current for accurate audience targeting
Reduced API overhead: No repeated polling means fewer wasted calls
How ZoomInfo Webhooks Work
ZoomInfo Webhooks enable proactive, real-time data re-enrichment from the ZoomInfo Data Cloud. Key benefits:
Minimal overhead: No repeated polling or manual triggers required
Resource efficiency: Reduces API calls and computing resources
Always current: Updates flow automatically to your workflows
With webhooks, you enrich a profile once. Every time there's an update, webhooks send the refreshed data to your workflow automatically. This reduces Enterprise API requests and makes your integration more efficient.
In addition, leveraging webhooks will avoid hitting API limits since it is an automatic push as opposed to an automated pull model.
ZoomInfo Webhooks support the following configurations:
Configuration | Options |
|---|---|
Object Types | Contact, Company |
Event Type | Update |
Payload Options | Full payload or Changed attributes only |
Updates apply to records under management that were enriched using the Enterprise API. For detailed payload specifications, refer to the ZoomInfo API documentation.
How to Secure Your Webhook Data Transfer
ZoomInfo uses a verification token to secure webhook data transfers. When you set up a webhook, you generate a unique token that ZoomInfo includes in the x-zoominfo-token request header with each webhook payload.
Your endpoint should validate this token to confirm the request is from ZoomInfo before processing the payload. Here's how it works:
Verification token: A unique token generated during webhook creation
x-zoominfo-token header: Where ZoomInfo includes the token in each request
Validation: Your endpoint checks the token before processing the payload
Store the token securely when you generate it during setup. This token is your confirmation that incoming webhook data is legitimate.
Prerequisites and Operational Considerations
Before setting up ZoomInfo Webhooks, understand what you need and the constraints that apply:
Enterprise API access: Webhooks require Scaling API or Monitoring API entitlements
At least one enriched record: You must have enriched records via the API before webhooks can track updates
12-month window: Only records enriched within the past 12 months receive webhook updates
Payload limit: Each webhook delivery contains a maximum of 25 profiles
ZoomInfo Webhooks are an add-on to the Enterprise API. This means your ZoomInfo integration must include either the Scaling API or Monitoring API package to use webhooks.
How to Set Up ZoomInfo Webhooks
ZoomInfo Webhooks, an add-on to the Enterprise API, can be set up using the UI or the API. Once configured, contact and company re-enrichments are automatically sent to your target URL.
Step 1: Access the Admin Portal
Navigate to Admin Portal, then Integrations, then API & Webhooks. This is where you manage all webhook configurations.
Step 2: Configure Webhook Title and Target URL
Give the webhook a descriptive title and specify the target URL where ZoomInfo will send POST requests with updates. Once set up, the target URL will receive automatic updates on records under management that were enriched using the Enterprise API.
Step 3: Validate with a Sample Payload
Before activating, send a sample payload to your target URL to confirm your endpoint receives and processes the data correctly. This step reduces setup errors and gives you confidence before going live.
Step 4: Generate and Store the Verification Token
During setup, generate the verification token. Store it securely because your endpoint will use it to validate incoming requests. This is the same token referenced in the security section above.
Step 5: Add Subscriptions and Activate
Add one or more subscriptions by selecting object type (Contact or Company), event type (Update), and payload preference (full or changed attributes). Then activate the webhook to start receiving updates.
After Activation: Confirming and Routing Webhook Updates
ZoomInfo Webhooks provide a resource and time efficient solution to keep your data fresh. With its addition to the ZoomInfo Platform and Enterprise APIs, you can now leverage a comprehensive set of options to update and enrich data from the ZoomInfo Data Cloud in any workflow or application.
Once your webhook is active, follow these steps to confirm delivery and route updates:
Confirm delivery: Monitor your endpoint to verify payloads arrive as expected
Route updates: Direct webhook data to your CRM, marketing automation, or middleware layer
Iterate: Adjust subscriptions or payload options as your workflow needs evolve
Frequently Asked Questions
Do ZoomInfo Webhooks require the Enterprise API?
Yes. Webhooks are an add-on that requires either Scaling API or Monitoring API entitlements.
How often do webhooks send updates?
Webhooks send updates in real time whenever changes occur to records under management that were enriched within the past 12 months.
What's the difference between webhooks and regular API polling?
Webhooks push updates automatically when changes happen, while API polling requires repeated requests to check for updates.
Take a deeper dive into ZoomInfo Webhooks through the ZoomInfo API documentation.
Ready to put real-time re-enrichment to work? Talk to our team to learn how ZoomInfo Webhooks fit your data workflow.