How to link external triggers to backend workflows in Bubble.io: Step-by-Step Gu

Go to Settings → API tab in the left sidebar. Check the box labeled 'Enable Workflow API and backend workflows.' This activates the ability to create server-side workflows that can be called via HTTP. You will also see an API token section — generate a token by clicking 'Generate a new API token.' Copy this token and store it securely. External services will include this token in their requests to authenticate.

Go to the Workflow tab, open the pages dropdown at the top, and click 'Backend workflows' at the bottom. Click to add a new API workflow. Name it descriptively (e.g., 'stripe-payment-received' or 'zapier-new-lead'). Check 'Expose as a public API workflow' to make it callable externally. The endpoint URL will be: https://yourapp.bubbleapps.io/api/1.1/wf/workflow-name. Add parameters for the data you expect to receive — for example, for a Stripe webhook: add parameters like event_type (text), payment_id (text), amount (number), customer_email (text).

In your external service (e.g., Stripe, Zapier, or Make), set up a webhook that points to your Bubble backend workflow URL. For Stripe: go to Developers → Webhooks → Add endpoint → paste your URL → select events. For Zapier: use the Webhooks by Zapier action → POST → paste your URL → map fields to your Bubble parameters. For Make: use the HTTP module → Make a request → POST → paste your URL → set the body to JSON with your parameter names as keys. Include the Bubble API token in the request header as Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN.

1POST https://yourapp.bubbleapps.io/api/1.1/wf/stripe-payment-received
2
3Headers:
4  Authorization: Bearer YOUR_BUBBLE_API_TOKEN
5  Content-Type: application/json
6
7Body:
8{
9  "event_type": "checkout.session.completed",
10  "payment_id": "pi_3abc123",
11  "amount": 2999,
12  "customer_email": "buyer@example.com"
13}

In your backend workflow, add actions to process the incoming data. For example: Step 1 — Create a new thing (Type: Payment) with fields mapped from the parameters: Payment_ID = payment_id, Amount = amount/100 (convert cents to dollars), Customer_Email = customer_email. Step 2 — Search for the User with matching email and Make changes to update their subscription status. Step 3 — Optionally schedule another API workflow to send a confirmation email. Use 'Only when' conditions on actions for different event types — for example, only process refunds when event_type is 'charge.refunded.'

To prevent unauthorized requests, implement these security measures: (1) Require the API token — Bubble automatically rejects requests without a valid token when 'This workflow requires authentication' is checked. (2) Validate the source — for Stripe, verify the webhook signature using the signing secret. (3) Add parameter validation — use 'Only when' conditions to skip processing if required parameters are empty. (4) Log all incoming requests to an AuditLog Data Type with the sender's data, timestamp, and processing result. For high-security integrations with payment or sensitive data, RapidDev can implement advanced webhook validation including signature verification and IP allowlisting.