Simulate mock webhook events

After you configure a listener, you can use the Webhooks simulator with a sample payload to simulate a mock webhook event.

Note: You can also use the Webhooks API to simulate a webhook event.

After you configure a listener, you can use the Webhooks simulator with a sample payload to simulate a mock webhook event. When you simulate a webhook event through either the dashboard or the API, the simulator:

  • Validates that your listener can successfully receive event data without any connectivity issues.

  • Generates mock event data to show you how webhook events look.

    Note: The simulator generates mock events for demonstration purposes. You can view these events to see how events look. However, because these are mock events:

    • You cannot verify the simulator-generated events.
    • You cannot resend an event notification for a simulator-generated event.
    • You cannot show webhook details for a simulator-generated event.

After the simulator queues one or more events, your webhook listener URL can listen for HTTP POST notification messages. Each test event appears in your logs in the order that your listener receives them. The simulator sends mock static event data and event headers, which contain the PayPal-generated asymmetric signature and information that you can use to validate the signature.

To use the simulator to simulate events

  1. Go to Webhooks simulator. Click Log In.

  2. Enter your webhook listener URL and select an event from the drop-down list.

  3. Click Send Test. The simulator queues and sends the event to your webhook listener URL. The information that the dashboard displays depends on whether the simulator queues or fails to queue the event:

Simulator queues the event

If the simulator queues the event, the event appears in the logs for your webhook listener URL in a few minutes.

Note: The simulator generates mock events for demonstration purposes. You can view these events to see how events look. However, because these are mock events:

  • You cannot verify the simulator-generated events.
  • You cannot resend an event notification for a simulator-generated event.
  • You cannot show webhook details for a simulator-generated event.

The dashboard shows the event status and event details:

Event Status

Your event has been successfully queued at July 13 2016, 9:42:52

Event Details

The event details include the ID, create time, resource type, event type, event summary, and resource details:

{
  "id": "8PT597110X687430LKGECATA",
  "create_time": "2013-06-25T21:41:28Z",
  "resource_type": "authorization",
  "event_version": "1.0",
  "event_type": "PAYMENT.AUTHORIZATION.CREATED",
  "summary": "A payment authorization was created",
  "resource": {
    "id": "2DC87612EK520411B",
    "create_time": "2013-06-25T21:39:15Z",
    "update_time": "2013-06-25T21:39:17Z",
    "state": "authorized",
    "amount": {
      "total": "7.47",
      "currency": "USD",
      "details": {
        "subtotal": "7.47"
      }
    },
    "parent_payment": "PAY-36246664YD343335CKHFA4AY",
    "valid_until": "2013-07-24T21:39:15Z",
    "links": [
      {
        "href": "https://api.paypal.com/v1/payments/authorization/2DC87612EK520411B",
        "rel": "self",
        "method": "GET"
      },
      {
        "href": "https://api.paypal.com/v1/payments/authorization/2DC87612EK520411B/capture",
        "rel": "capture",
        "method": "POST"
      },
      {
        "href": "https://api.paypal.com/v1/payments/authorization/2DC87612EK520411B/void",
        "rel": "void",
        "method": "POST"
      },
      {
        "href": "https://api.paypal.com/v1/payments/payment/PAY-36246664YD343335CKHFA4AY",
        "rel": "parent_payment",
        "method": "GET"
      }
    ]
  },
  "links": [
    {
      "href": "https://api.paypal.com/v1/notfications/webhooks-events/8PT597110X687430LKGECATA",
      "rel": "self",
      "method": "GET"
    },
    {
      "href": "https://api.paypal.com/v1/notfications/webhooks-events/8PT597110X687430LKGECATA/resend",
      "rel": "resend",
      "method": "POST"
    }
  ]
}

Simulator fails to queue the event

If the simulator fails to queue the event, the dashboard shows the event status and the error details:

Event Status

Your event failed to queue at date time

Error Details

Examine the error details for more information.

error-details-from-the-simulator

Next

Subscribe your listener to events.

Additional information