How to Use Server Side Webhooks to Inject Custom Variables into Video
Cinema8 supports server-side webhooks, allowing you to send and receive real-time data from external systems based on rule-triggered events inside your interactive videos.
A guide to leveraging webhooks for integrating custom variables into your videos
Webhooks enable two-way communication with external systems by making HTTP requests to your specified endpoints when predefined events occur in your video.
Step 1: Define Your Webhook Endpoint
Create a publicly accessible URL on your server that can receive HTTP POST requests. This endpoint will be triggered when an event rule is activated in Cinema8.
Step 2: Add a Rule in Cinema8
- Open your interactive project in Cinema8 Creative Studio.
- Navigate to the Rules panel.
- Add a new rule and choose Action: Send Webhook.
Step 3: Configure the Webhook Action
- Paste your endpoint URL into the action configuration.
- Optionally include custom payload data (e.g. viewer ID, video time, variable value).
- You can format your request as JSON, form data, or URL params depending on your API needs.
Step 4: Process Incoming Data on Your Server
Your server should handle the incoming data, perform the necessary logic (e.g. save to DB, validate status), and optionally return a response (e.g. a new variable value).
Step 5: Use the Response in Cinema8
If your server returns variables in the expected format, you can capture them and use them inside your video. For example:
- Set a user variable (e.g.
"userName" = "John") - Show/hide content based on returned values
Cinema8 webhooks are ideal for syncing data with CRMs, marketing tools, learning systems, or triggering external logic based on video interactions.